Rare Apple-1 Computer in Koa Wood Case Fetches $500,000 at Auction

A rare fully functional Apple-1 computer has sold for $500,000 at auction this week, according to John Moran Auctioneers in California (via BBC News).

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The rare Hawaiian koa wood-cased Apple-1 has had only two owners, a college professor and his student to whom he sold the machine for $650. The sale included user manuals and Apple software on two cassette tapes.

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak is believed to have built 200 of the Apple-1 computers and sold 175 of them, making it a rare collector's item.

The computer was originally offered as a bare circuit board to be sold as a kit and completed by electronics hobbyists. However, Steve Jobs later sold 50 fully assembled units of the computer to California-based The Byte Shop, and the koa wood case was added by the pioneering early computer retailer, but only six cases were finished.

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"This is kind of the holy grail for vintage electronics and computer tech collectors," Apple-1 expert Corey Cohen told the Los Angeles Times ahead of Tuesday's auction. "That really makes it exciting for a lot of people."

Another fully functional Apple-1 computer sold for $458,711 last year.

Update: The article was updated to reflect the auctioneers' official recorded auction price of $500,000, rather than the earlier reported price of $400,000. The $500,000 total price includes the buyer's premium.

Tag: Apple-1

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Top Rated Comments

Daws Avatar
46 months ago
Does it come with a Polishing Cloth to protect the koa wood from scratches while cleaning the dust off as well as the monitor?
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
orbital~debris Avatar
46 months ago
That's a beautiful piece of vintage technology.

Love that photo of it in situ!
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Morod Avatar
46 months ago
Great tone wood, koa is.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AngerDanger Avatar
46 months ago

Oh, that looks classy. I really like dark natural woods. I want one to put a HomePod on.
Eh, that might not be the best idea.



Attachment Image
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kalsta Avatar
46 months ago
You think your M1 Mac was a big upgrade… but the jump from Apple 1 to Apple II was really something. To think that they sold <200 of these, before cracking the big time with the Apple II.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Snoozealarm Avatar
46 months ago

Does it come with a Polishing Cloth to protect the koa wood from scratches while cleaning the dust off as well as the monitor?
The iRag is available to purchase for $19, but it’s backordered until January.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)