Rare Working Apple-1 Could Fetch $800,000 at Auction

[MacRumors]

An original Apple–1 Computer could sell for between $500,000 and $800,000 when it is auctioned off this October.

There are fewer than 75 Apple–1 Computers known to exist, and a smaller number that are operational. The "Hatfield" Apple–1 is number 48 on the Apple–1 registry, and it is in working condition.

The machine was purchased by Fred Hatfield, a computer enthusiast and employee of Computer Data Systems. It is signed by Steve Wozniak and comes with a letter written to Hatfield and signed by Steve Jobs. Jobs authorized a trade-in for the newly released Apple II after Hatfield complained about the Apple–1 software, but Hatfield declined the offer because he would have needed to pay $400 for the upgrade.

Hatfield sold the Apple–1 in 2013 for $40,000. At the time, it was non-functional, but the buyer fixed it, got it signed by Wozniak, and sold it at auction for $671,400. It's now going up for sale again.

Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak produced 200 Apple–1 computers in 1976. The device was originally offered as a bare circuit board to be sold as a kit and completed by hobbyists, but Jobs sold 50 fully assembled Apple–1 machines to California-based retailer The Byte Shop. The Byte Shop resold the assembled machines for $666.66.

The Hatfield Apple–1 will be available for public and private viewing at locations in Los Angeles, Boston, San Francisco, and New York, with dates and information listed on the auctioneer's website. Bids will be accepted from October 4 to October 14.

Functional Apple–1 computers have sold for over $900,000 at auction in the past, though pricing varies based on condition and provenance.

Article Link: Rare Working Apple-1 Could Fetch $800,000 at Auction

 

[Vecna]

Wow, we as humans came so far guys 🥲 Some people can't even process information like that, they'll just say "technologia bad, ai nothing, new OS bad shines too shiny", but look at this picture and at your current phone or laptop, and think CAREFULLY. And you are a part of witnessing this. People before you for 1000s of years couldn't.

 

[Astuces iOS]

Hell that's pretty cheap, I'm sure it even has more power than 100 Mac studios !

 

[svish]

Will not be surprised at all to see it go for such high amounts. All these 'collectors items' will definitely fetch a lot of money and someone will always be there to buy it.

 

[adomadosado]

Can’t even run macOS 27. Planned obsolescence BS.

 

[Smartuser]

Can’t even run macOS 27. Planned obsolescence BS.

There should be a new EU Act that forces all companies to support everything they've ever released under penalty of paying 20% of their worldwide income per day until they fix it.

 

[JamesMay82]

This will be me in 2060 selling my 2008 imac 💰💰

 

[CarAnalogy]

Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak produced 200 Apple–1 computers in 1976. The device was originally offered as a bare circuit board to be sold as a kit and completed by hobbyists, but Jobs sold 50 fully assembled Apple–1 machines to California-based retailer The Byte Shop. The Byte Shop resold the assembled machines for $666.66.

I’m officially becoming a greybeard but this is a really cool paragraph to me.

 

[CarAnalogy]

Wow, we as humans came so far guys 🥲 Some people can't even process information like that, they'll just say "technologia bad, ai nothing, new OS bad shines too shiny", but look at this picture and at your current phone or laptop, and think CAREFULLY. And you are a part of witnessing this. People before you for 1000s of years couldn't.

It is truly incredible that everything we see in that picture was both revolutionary and completely primitive compared to the very handheld device I type this on.

The pace of change in that area has slowed, but one has to wonder how much farther we will come in another fifty (!) years.

 

[Hammerd]

Great, so I can neither afford the newest nor the oldest models. Guess I’ll get a solar calculator instead

 

[ChrisA]

The Byte Shop resold the assembled machines for $666.66.​

Adjusted for inflation, this was a $3,900 computer. In its day, the Apple 1 sold for more than a Mac Studio sells for today.

I can remember 1976 and the Apple computers out of my reach. I did buy a Z80-based computer, 8-inch floppy disks and all, and used it until I graduated from college and could afford an original IBM-PC with a green-screen, text-only monochrome monitor

 

[aknabi]

Man I knew RAMageddon was getting bad, but $500k+ for 4KB!