Silicon Valley Gold Rush: Apple Memorabilia Fetches Fortunes at Auction
Remember that dusty Apple II in the attic? It might be worth a fortune now. Tech history buffs went on a spending spree at RR Auction’s “Steve Jobs and the Apple Computer Revolution” event, snatching up rare Apple items and Steve Jobs memorabilia for eye-watering sums.
The show’s star was a 1983 Steve Jobs-signed business card, one of only five ever authenticated. This sliver of Silicon Valley royalty pedigree fetched a staggering $181,183.
But wait, there’s more! A check signed by the visionary, dated July 8, 1976, and written from Apple’s very first official address, sold for a cool $66,069. This paper is a tangible link to the company’s humble beginnings.
Here are some other highlights from the auction that would make Steve Jobs proud (and maybe a little surprised by the price tags):
- A sealed first-generation iPhone in its original box cost $147,286. Talk about a blast from the past!
- An Apple-1 computer, signed by Steve Wozniak (the other half of Apple’s dynamic duo), sold for $323,789.
- A prototype mouse from 1984, a glimpse into what could have been, fetched $14,616.
- An Apple Videopad 2 Mockup prototype for the genuinely unique collector went for $26,488.
- Even more recent Apple gadgets got a taste of the auction action. A collection of 13 G3 iMacs, those colorful computers that redefined the desktop, sold for $11,229.
- And for the ultimate Apple fashion statement, two Apple Watch Hermes Series 0 models found new wrists for $9,375 and $10,865.
This auction proves that Apple products aren’t just electronics but cultural touchstones. So, think twice the next time you’re tempted to toss out that old iPod or Mac. It might be worth more than you think!