Would You Pay $440’000 For An Apple-1 Computer Hand-Numbered by Steve Jobs? Well Someone Did.

Last month, an extremely rare and fully functional Apple-1 computer hand-numbered by Steve Jobs himself sold at auction for an impressive $442,118, surpassing its estimated price of $375,000. For those unfamiliar, the Apple-1 was the very first computer produced by Apple co-founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in 1976, with only 200 units ever created. It is believed that only 60 to 70 of these machines still exist today, making them the ultimate collectible for Apple enthusiasts.

The Apple-1 that was sold, labeled #78, was in working condition thanks to a 2018 restoration by Apple expert Corey Cohen. It came with a letter of authenticity, the original Apple Cassette Interface, original operation manual, a surplus ASCII keyboard from the same time period, and an open frame Sanyo 4205 monitor. In the past, Apple-1 computers have sold for as much as $815,000, depending on the condition and history of the machine. The most expensive Apple-1 sold to date was the “Celebration” model, which featured a blank green PCB board that was not sold to the public and was not part of a known production run.

In addition to the highly sought-after Apple-1, the auction site, RR Auction, also sold a Steve Jobs-signed NeXT brochure for $18,210, an early production 1988 NeXT computer for $6,094, and a Tim Cook-signed Auburn University football for $5,681. It’s clear that collectors are willing to pay top dollar for rare and unique pieces of Apple history.