This week Sotheby’s in New York sold an interesting piece of Apple history, a functioning Apple 1 computer, the piece sold for $374,500 including the 12% buyer’s premium, originally this computer sold for $666.66 not because Steve Wozniak was a fan of the devil, but because he likes numbers that repeat themselves.
According to BBC only 6 Apple 1′s still exists and actually work, an estimated 50 computers are still available however these are not working.
According to sources at Sotheby’s the price reached these heights due to a battle between two parties, finally a telephone bidder proved more persistent and eventually clinched the sale.
Taken from the Sotheby’s Website:
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; print postcards; 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
