German auction house Breker (via ComputerWorld) is set to put a working Apple 1 on auction later this month and it may fetch between $240,000 and $400,000. There are an estimated six working Apple 1 computers in existence.
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The Apple 1 is signed by Steve Wozniak and was originally owned by Computer Data Systems' Fred Hatfield. The computer is also bundled with the original manual and a letter from Steve Jobs to Hatfield in which Jobs offers to exchange Hatfield's Apple 1 for an Apple II 4K motherboard if Hatfield is willing to pay an extra $400.
As noted by AppleInsider, the record price for an Apple 1 was $640,000 at an auction in December. Last August, a non-working Apple 1 headed to auction with a much lower $125,000 estimate. Before that, another Apple 1 fetched $375,000 at Sotheby's auction in New York.
The Apple 1 was originally priced at $666.66 when it was released in 1976, with only 200 units produced. It's believed that there are roughly 30 to 50 still intact.
Top Rated Comments
Don't worry, Samsung will do that.
Well, back in the 1970s, Apple hadn't yet adopted the Planned Obsolescence business model... ;)
I'd like to buy it just to take it to a Genius Bar and see how they react.
I assume when they say six working versions, the rest would be non-functional. Given its age, I'm amazed this one still works ... and that it could actually generate an image of Steve Jobs.