Apple-1 computer brings record price at auction of $905,000 - Bonhams auction

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NEWS FLASH - Bob Luther is selling his "First Apple-1 Computer"  December 11,2014 at Christie's Auction.  Sold for $365,000 !

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Working 1976 model sells at Bonhams' History of Science sale          

The Apple-1 computer designed by Steve Wozniak - Only 200 were manufactured and sold in 1976/77. About 40 are known to still exist in museums and private collections. The $905,000 price is a record for this highly desirable museum collectible. The previous high price was set by the Breker auction company in Germany -  Apple-1 sold for $671,400 in 2013.

Apple 1 computer 

The Apple-1 was not very popular because it was only a computer-on-a-board and the user had to add a keyboard, power transformers, &  display. Steve Wozniak realized he needed a more user friendly computer & started to design the Apple ll long before all the Apple-1's were sold.  The Apple Company took back many of the Apple-1 computers as a trade in for the much better Apple-ll .

Steve Jobs sold his VW and Steve Wozniak sold his HP calculator to start there Apple business.The Apple Company may not have succeed if Steve Jobs had not been successful in selling the first 50 Apple-1 computers to Paul Terrell for sale in his Byte Shop computer stores This $25,000 sale was the financing needed to get Apple started. It was not easy for the Steve's to interest investors to provide start up funds. One person approached was Stan Veit owner of the first computer store on the East Coast.  Jobs offered a 10 percent ownership of the Apple Company if Stan would invest $10,000. Stan turned the offer down with the idea that his money was better used in his own "Computer Mart" in New York. The interesting stories about the Apple-1 and the start of the Apple company by Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs are endless & the Apple-1 computer started what is now one of the most successful businesses in the world.  

The Henry Ford organization was the buyer (reported Reuters) , which plans to display the computer in its museum in Dearborn, Michigan.

Apple 1 sold at auction 

Bonhams auction house had suggested the Apple-1 would bring $300,000 to $500,000.  It was reported that more than 100 bidders participated to set the record price of $905,000.

Bonhams video of the Apple-1 computer. "CLICK"

David Larsen.

The Apple-1 computer continues to bring record prices and is  a unique microcomputer . Some are predicting prices of over a million $ by the end of 2016. This is very speculative as many factors affect the price of collectibles. This price does look very good for a group of investors who purchased an Apple-1 computer several years ago for over $300,000.  

.^{"by David Larsen"  KK4WW Computer Collector Historian}   

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