Functioning Apple 1 Sells for $375,000 at Sotheby's Auction

A functioning Apple 1 computer, one of the first 200 computers sold by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, sold for $374,500 including the 12% buyer's premium at a Sotheby's action in New York. The Apple 1 originally sold for $666.66. The BBC notes that only about 50 Apple 1's still exist and only a handful actually work.

Sotheby's said there was a battle between two parties for the item which also included the original manuals. A set of bids were executed by the auctioneer on behalf of an absentee collector, but a telephone bidder proved more persistent and eventually clinched the sale.

Apple 1

APPLE I COMPUTER

Operational Apple Computer I. An Apple I motherboard, labeledᅠon obverse AppleᅠComputer I, Palo Alto, CA. Copyright 1976. Includes circuit board with four rows A-D, and columns 1-18; MOS Technologies 6502 microprocessor, labeled MCS 6502 3776; video terminal; keyboard interface; 8K bytes RAM in 16-pin 4K memory chips; 4 power supplies including 3 capacitors; firmware in PROMS (A1, A2); low-profile sockets on all integrated circuits; breadboard; heatsink; expansion connector; cassette board connector. (15 1/8 x 9 in.; 385 x 234 mm)

Together with: Apple I Cassette Interface, labeled Apple I Cassette Interface Copyright 1976, partial "G" lettered in triangle on reverse, in black ink manuscript (4 x 2 in.; 102 x 50 mm). — Apple-I Operation Manual. Palo Alto: Apple Computer Company. 12 pp. in wrappers (11 x 8 1/2 in.; 280 x 214 mm), with 8 circuit diagrams, 2 on foldout printed verso and recto, one full page; with original Apple Computer Co. logo on upper wrapper; tear along fold, light staining on wrapper and bottom right corner. — Apple-I Cassette Interface Manual, Palo Alto: Apple Computer Company. Oblong 8 pp. bifolia (8 1/2 x 5 1/2 in.; 140 x 215 mm), with some staining to wrappers; original logo on upper wrapper, warranty onᅠlower wrapper —ᅠPreliminary Apple BASIC Users Manual. Palo Alto: Apple Computer Company, October 1976. 8ᅠstapled sheets (11ᅠx 8ᅠ1/2 in.;ᅠ280ᅠxᅠ214 mm), printedᅠversoᅠand recto, with first sheet onᅠblueᅠpaperᅠwith tear along stapleᅠandᅠmanuscript "Randy JᅠSuess."ᅠSomeᅠstaining toᅠfirstᅠandᅠlastᅠpage,ᅠwithᅠtearᅠonᅠlast page. — Double-sidedᅠadvertisement with illustration for Apple IᅠComputer and theᅠApple Cassette Interface,ᅠwith manuscriptᅠnote (11 xᅠ8ᅠ1/2 in.; 280 x 214 mm).

Early Apple memorabilia has been a hot ticket recently. Sotheby's sold Apple's founding corporate papers -- signed by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ron Wayne -- in December for nearly $1.6 million.

Popular Stories

2024 iPhone Boxes Feature

Apple Adjusts Trade-In Values for iPhones, iPads, Macs, and More

Thursday November 6, 2025 11:12 am PST by
Apple today updated its trade-in values for select iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models. Trade-ins can be completed on Apple's website, or at an Apple Store. The charts below provide an overview of Apple's current and previous trade-in values in the U.S., according to its website. Maximum values for most devices either decreased or saw no change, but the iPad Air received a slight bump. ...
Liquid Glass General Feature

Apple Shares Liquid Glass Design Gallery

Thursday November 6, 2025 2:45 pm PST by
Apple is promoting the new Liquid Glass design in iOS 26, showing off the ways that third-party developers are embracing the aesthetic in their apps. On its developer website, Apple is featuring a visual gallery that demonstrates how "teams of all sizes" are creating Liquid Glass experiences. The gallery features examples of Liquid Glass in apps for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac. Apple...
airtag purple

Apple's Website Lists AirTag 4-Pack at Shockingly Low Price [Updated]

Friday November 7, 2025 6:40 am PST by
Apple's online store in the U.S. is suddenly offering a pack of four AirTags for just $29, which is the same price as a single AirTag. This is likely a pricing error, and it is unclear if orders will be fulfilled. Apple has not discounted the AirTag four-pack in any other countries that we checked. Delivery estimates are already pushing into late November to early December, suggesting...
Early Black Friday Deals 1

The Best Early Black Friday Apple Deals on AirPods, Apple Watch, iPad, and More

Saturday November 8, 2025 6:16 am PST by
We're officially in the month of Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When ...
iOS 26

iOS 26.1 Available Now With These 8 New Features

Monday November 3, 2025 5:54 am PST by
Following more than a month of beta testing, Apple released iOS 26.1 on Monday, November 3. The update includes a handful of new features and changes, including the ability to adjust the look of Liquid Glass and more. Below, we outline iOS 26.1's key new features. Liquid Glass Toggle iOS 26.1 lets you choose your preferred look for Liquid Glass. In the Settings app, under Display...
ikea smart home devices

IKEA Debuts 21 HomeKit-Compatible Smart Bulbs, Sensors, and Controls

Thursday November 6, 2025 4:08 pm PST by
IKEA today announced the upcoming launch of 21 new Matter-compatible smart home products that will be able to interface with HomeKit and the Apple Home app. There are sensors, lights, and control options, all of which will be reasonably priced. Some of the products are new, while some are updates to existing lines that IKEA previously offered. There are a series of new smart bulbs that are...
Apple fitness plus feature

Future of Apple Fitness+ 'Under Review'

Sunday November 9, 2025 5:30 am PST by
The future of Apple Fitness+ is "under review" amid a reorganization of the service, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that Apple Fitness+ remains one of the company's "weakest digital offerings." The service apparently suffers from high churn and little revenue. Nevertheless, Fitness+ has a small, loyal fanbase that...
maxresdefault

In-Depth iPhone Battery Experiment Pits Slow Charging Against Fast Charging

Friday November 7, 2025 1:19 pm PST by
HTX Studio this week shared the results from a six-month battery test that compared how fast charging and slow charging can affect battery life over time. Using six iPhone 12 models, the channel set up a system to drain the batteries from five percent and charge them to 100 percent over and over again. Three were fast charged, and three were slow charged. Another set of iPhones underwent...
apple watch se 3 always on

Apple to Remove iPhone-Apple Watch Wi-Fi Sync in EU With iOS 26.2

Thursday November 6, 2025 4:37 am PST by
Apple in iOS 26.2 will disable automatic Wi-Fi network syncing between iPhone and Apple Watch in the European Union to comply with the bloc's regulations, suggests a new report. Normally, when an iPhone connects to a new Wi-Fi network, it automatically shares the network credentials with the paired Apple Watch. This allows the watch to connect to the same network independently – for...

Top Rated Comments

WestonHarvey1 Avatar
175 months ago
Just...why?

Some people like to collect things. The first product hand-built by one of the founders of one of the most storied corporations in world history might be an interesting thing to collect.
Score: 36 Votes (Like | Disagree)
applesith Avatar
175 months ago
Might be easier to find one of those than the Retina MBP.
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fixmymac Avatar
175 months ago
Old Stuff

I have a customer, who worked with Woz, during his time at HP. On my second visit to him we talked about older Macs. I waxed lyrical about my original Macintosh and he listened intently. He then told me that he had a collection of old Macs out in the garage that he would show me sometime. On my third visit, he duly obliged.

Neatly laid out on three shelves were 6 Apple II computers, 4 of which worked fine. He then pulled a fabric cover off the stuff on the bottom shelf to reveal three Apple I computers. I was assured that two of them were fully functional and that he also had complete paperwork and packaging for them. Was he not a very ill, wheelchair-bound man, i would have asked to see them running.

I was then shown an email conversation between him and Mr Wozniak. They had remained in touch with each other and Woz had promised that he would fix up his broken II's and I, if possible and would be sure to pack his soldering iron if he was ever visiting the country.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Stetrain Avatar
175 months ago
How do they expect anyone to take this seriously when the RAM is soldered straight to the logic board?!


;)
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
niuniu Avatar
175 months ago
There are a bunch of personality disorders that can fit your answer: Narcissism, borderline...

It is amazing paying that much money for a piece a plastic that does nothing not even regarding the history behind it.

I mean, imagine the person having that circuit board in a pedestal just to "show off". Imagine how much that person need for people approval that he/she needs to spend that amount of money. That is a personality disorder.

I mean, the Mona Lisa is a piece of art that is unique and extraordinary. This Apple One is not, it was replaced a few months later for another version that was better. But do not try to explain that to someone with that ego.

Worst pop-psy ever.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kaibelf Avatar
175 months ago
Just...why?
Why?
Hey, more power to the buyer. But from my perspective, I ask why? Why pay that much for it and what could I do with it, aside from looking at it, pointing and saying "well, there it is."

Answer: Because what people choose to do with their money is, frankly, none of your business.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)