An Apple-1 goes up for auction on Sept. 25

The Remarkable Rarities live auction event from RR Auction will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2018 in Boston, MA. Bidding for the Apple 1 is on invaluable.com. Image: Courtesy of RR Auction via AFP Relaxnews

Calling all Apple fanboys and collectors: an Apple-1 is set to be sold at an auction in Boston on Sept. 25, 2018, and potential buyers will be able to bid online. The computer is estimated to fetch between $300,000 and $400,000 (about P15.9 million to P21.3 million).

The computer, which was built in 1976, was recently restored and is billed as being perfectly operational. It comes with the owner’s manual, a new period-style power supply with original Apple-1 power cable and connector, as well as a keyboard and a period Sanyo 4205 video monitor.

The Apple-1 will be auctioned with a starting bid of $50,000 (P2.6 million) with live bidding set to begin Sept. 25. Hopefuls can sign up to bid via Invaluable.com.

The Apple-1 was the first personal computer sold by the Californian tech firm. It is a relatively rudimentary device, requiring a keyboard and a monitor or TV to function. It is now a collector’s item that can fetch impressive sums when remaining machines come up for sale. Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak produced around 200 models in 1976, almost all of which sold within a few months.

The computer is being sold as part of the “Remarkable Rarities” auction, which features rare items from Nirvana “Smells Like Teen Spirit” sheet music signed by the three band members to a letter signed by George Washington.

Other Apple-related lots in the sale include a Macintosh computer signed by Steve Jobs and nine team members (estimated to fetch $25,000 to $30,000, or about P1.3 million to P1.59 million) and a Betamax videotape of the firm’s “1984” commercial for the launch of Macintosh (estimated to fetch $10,000 to $15,000, or about P533,000 to almost P800,000).

You can bid on the Apple-1 through this link. JB

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