First Apple Computer Sold for Almost $380,000: Built by Wozniak in Steve Jobs' Garage
The first Apple computer was sold for a substantial sum Monday, as collectors couldn't wait to get their hands on one of the Apple-1 computers built in Steve Jobs' parents' garage. The 1976 computer was sold for a whopping $387,750, according to reports.
The first Apple computer was built by Steve Wozniak and would eventually revolutionize the personal computing industry. The Apple-1 was also one of first 25 made, and there are currently less than 50 in existence, according to Forbes. It's the reason why there had been speculation that a low estimate for the computer of $300,000 would be broken- and it certainly was, by over $80,000.
The auction for the Apple-1 was conducted by Christie's auction house and was entirely online. The buyer was Bolaffi, an Italian collections company, they said in a statement. The seller was a retired school psychologist from Sacramento, Calif. who happened to still have the treasured vintage Apple product.
Although the vintage Apple-1 managed to bring in nearly $380,000, it missed higher estimates- some thought the Christie's auction could yield the owner over $1 million. Another Apple-1 sale in Cologne, Germany earlier this year managed to bring in $663,000.
However, not all old Apple products generate sufficient interest to push the price tag to such limits during an auction. A 1984 Apple Lisa computer didn't interest buyers, who weren't willing to pay even the conservative estimate of $20,000. Another item, a prototype Apple IIGS computer from 1986, similarly missed the low mark of $10,000, according to Forbes.
