Apple 1 Christie's Auction: Inoperable Original Macintosh Computer Could Fetch $126,000

Christie's To Auction Of 'Inoperable' Apple-1 Computer For Huge Sum
com/photos/78147607@N00/281712899 Apple I Computer | Date 2003-03-28 ... com/photos/78147607@N00 Ed Uthman | Permission date 21:29, 1 July ...
com/photos/78147607@N00/281712899 Apple I Computer | Date 2003-03-28 ... com/photos/78147607@N00 Ed Uthman | Permission date 21:29, 1 July ...

Die-hard Apple fans rejoice — Christie's announced today that it will be auctioning off this fall an original Apple-1 computer... that doesn't work.

But it is believed that there are only 50 left in the world, so just to have one of the coveted first personal computers from Apple is expected to be enough to command $126,000 when it goes on the auction block in London this fall.

James Hyslop, the scientific specialist at Christie's who calculated the estimated auction price, explained in a statement how he arrived at such a large number for an inoperable computer.

"This is the computer that started Apple, now recognized as the most valuable company in the world," said Hyslop, "Its significance in making computer technology accessible for all cannot be undervalued."

According to Computer World, the Apple-1 was introduced in 1976 for $666.66. Co-founder Steve Wozniak would hand-build the motherboard but a casing, keyboard, display, or power supply would have to be provided by the individual buyers, who would be sent their new personal computer directly from Steve Jobs's parents' garage.

In a previous Christie's auction, an original Apple-1 computer in its original packaging — complete with a signed letter of sale signed by Steve Jobs himself — went for $212,267.

At an auction in June, a fully-functioning Apple-1 computer sold for $301,836, nearly twice the estimated pre-sale price quoted by Sotheby's.

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