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iPhone 5 or earlier iPhone 1st generation value unopened?

I agree 100%. With that said, I know that there are some truly unopened iPhone 1st Gens out there such as maybe some people on this board own. How is anyone going to ever convince someone that it's not just resealed? I suppose if you never had intention of selling, it's not particularly relevant. The one I have was bought new (the guy bought 2) and he used one and kept the other in his closet as a backup. He showed me the original receipt. The opened one I have has a matching IMEI number with the phone so at least the box and phone are original and were together. In short, will there really ever really anyway to authenticate these?
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tradeya said:
I agree 100%. With that said, I know that there are some truly unopened iPhone 1st Gens out there such as maybe some people on this board own. How is anyone going to ever convince someone that it's not just resealed? I suppose if you never had intention of selling, it's not particularly relevant. The one I have was bought new (the guy bought 2) and he used one and kept the other in his closet as a backup. He showed me the original receipt. The opened one I have has a matching IMEI number with the phone so at least the box and phone are original and were together. In short, will there really ever really anyway to authenticate these?
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By the way, the ones that I own I'm not selling. The opened box one I bought from someone in Argentina who bought a bunch of them in a Customs auction from items that have been confiscated by Customs for more than 10 years. He wants to sell me one factory sealed (he bought 5 like that he claims) and he has others like the one I bought from him where the boxes are opened by the phone is not and the IMEI number matches. I overpaid for the first one because I was a newbie, but, I don't want to overpay again. The more I'm thinking about it, the more i'm inclined to pass because I doubt there will ever be a way to authenticate. I'd be buying them as a collectible that i think will go up in value. I already own an Apple 1 (found in a storage locker for $5) and a bunch of Apple II Rev 0s which are obviously easier to authenticate.
 
tradeya said:
Yes, this one claims to be:

www.ebay.com

FACTORY SEALED! RARE 1st GEN Apple iphone 8gb MA712LL/A A1203 | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for FACTORY SEALED! RARE 1st GEN Apple iphone 8gb MA712LL/A A1203 at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!
www.ebay.com
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I remember everythingapplepro bought one ‘sealed’ just like that & turned it out to be resealed & he payed a lot of money. That happened like 3 different times. He never found one truly sealed.
 
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EugW said:
Common fallacy that the first of something should be worth a lot just because another first of something is worth a lot.

Apple 1 was a very, very limited run hand made computer for hobbyists that launched the personal computing revolution, by guys working out of a proverbial garage when their company was worth a couple of thousand bucks.
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Being first of something big (like iPhone) can indeed inflate the perception of value. In that respect, there's little difference between a first edition iPhone and a first edition of a bestselling novel - some people will pay extra for "first," in whatever their particular area of interest happens to be. But yes, it's an artificial distinction. It's a way of creating rarity out of surplus.

Collectibles markets are always driven by the buyers. It's their perception of value that matters. Why is "patina" important for some collectibles while "mint-in-box" is essential for others? Market values inflate when the demand for a particular collectible exceeds the supply; when people lose interest (which they almost inevitably do), the market can collapse.

I've never been a fan of mass-produced goods as investment collectibles (this goes for stamps and coins as well as McDonalds toys, dolls and action figures, posters, computing devices...). While time inevitably reduces the number of units in circulation (increasing rarity), when you start from such large numbers, acheiving true rarity takes lifetimes. Time often also reduces the number of collectors who appreciate those items. Any time sentiment/nostalgia are part of the mix you're likely to see a decrease in value as memories fade.
 
Unless you’re a collector or an Apple fanatic, I wouldn’t pay anything for this phone. Simply because it’s essentially useless and the battery would be fully depleted. I mean, there are some who probably would find value in first Gen device, but it’s a rarity and it doesn’t mean a potential buyer would pay an exorbitant price tag. This is more of an ‘expendable income’ memorabilia piece.
 
The only truly way to know if something is real is if you bought it yourself back in 2007. Of course,who knew it was going to blowup and become the device of a generation.

With respect to it’s worth, I suppose there’s a market for the hard core collector. Those who keep everything sealed. Personally, I don’t see the joy in that. I’d rather be able to touch or have it under a glass if you must.

I also imagine, an early iPhone prototype in Apple’s labs are probably worth a lot more.
 
The 4GB version is more collectible. I wouldn't be surprised if even a factory sealed 8GB fetches a couple grands now tho.
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EM2013 said:
I remember everythingapplepro bought one ‘sealed’ just like that & turned it out to be resealed & he payed a lot of money. That happened like 3 different times. He never found one truly sealed.
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I saw those videos, he was pretty bummed for good reasons. Hope he got his refund in the end.
 
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I had sold my iPhone 8GB buyed on June 2007 for 200$ on eBay.
It was used , JB iOS 3.1.3 , but in perfect conditions , with original box and accessories.
The battery was charged every three/six months and was still good ... 1420/1420 mAh.
 
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tradeya said:
How much is an 8 GB 1st generation unopened, factory sealed iPhone actually worth? I've seen them for sale at various prices, but, haven't actually seen prices realized. How about one where the box is not factory sealed, but, it matches the IMEI number of the phone and the phone has never been activated and still has the original plastic on it?

Thanks so much!
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You have to be careful. There are tons of videos on YouTube of people buying “factory sealed” first generation iPhones only to have them be fake - opened and resealed (sometimes poorly, sometimes well). Big rude awaking for someone who thinks they have an unopened one, who holds it for years, then tries to resell.
 
If you find the right buyer, a collector who can authorise it then maybe $2000-$3000. On a random auction then significantly less probably in the hundreds.

Have seen a fair few youtubers buying them for thousands only to discover that they’ve been resealed and therefore scammed.

I imagine most people with genuine real original sealed devices will be keeping them for at least the 20th anniversary.
 
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If someone owned a truly mint iPhone first-generation and wanted to activate and use it, would that be possible? I heard T-Mobile will do so?
 
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