Talk about a smart buy! An Apple computer obtained more than 30 years ago has sold for 425 times its original selling price.
On 23 November this year, an original Apple-1 computer, which originally retailed for $666.66, was sold for $210,700 to an Italian businessman in a Christie’s auction in London. Not a bad return on an investment. According to the Wall Street Journal, Christie’s maintained the sale was “a record for a personal computer sold at auction".
The 1976 Apple-1 computer was one of about 200 such computers built in Jobs’ parent’s garage before the model was discontinued a year later in favor of the Apple II. The auction’s winner received the computer’s original invoice, packaging, and manual.
The computer was auctioned as it was originally sold back in 1976: without a keyboard, monitor or power supply, nor any casing protecting the 8-bit 6502 microprocessor that powered the device.
However, as the Associated Press suggest, at the time, the Apple-1 was the only personal computer to include a motherboard that came fully assembled.
The computer also included an original signed sales letter from Steve Jobs. Apple Co-founder Steve Wozniak, who attended the auction, provided a signed letter of his own. Christie’s had expected the Apple-1 to go for between $161,000 and $242,000.
On 23 November this year, an original Apple-1 computer, which originally retailed for $666.66, was sold for $210,700 to an Italian businessman in a Christie’s auction in London. Not a bad return on an investment. According to the Wall Street Journal, Christie’s maintained the sale was “a record for a personal computer sold at auction".
The 1976 Apple-1 computer was one of about 200 such computers built in Jobs’ parent’s garage before the model was discontinued a year later in favor of the Apple II. The auction’s winner received the computer’s original invoice, packaging, and manual.
The computer was auctioned as it was originally sold back in 1976: without a keyboard, monitor or power supply, nor any casing protecting the 8-bit 6502 microprocessor that powered the device.
However, as the Associated Press suggest, at the time, the Apple-1 was the only personal computer to include a motherboard that came fully assembled.
The computer also included an original signed sales letter from Steve Jobs. Apple Co-founder Steve Wozniak, who attended the auction, provided a signed letter of his own. Christie’s had expected the Apple-1 to go for between $161,000 and $242,000.
