Working Apple 1 Computer With Original Packaging to Be Auctioned - GeekWebGuides
Skip to Content

Working Apple 1 Computer With Original Packaging to Be Auctioned

by

A working Apple 1 Computer that comes equipped with its original white cardboard box will be auctioned by German auction house Breker on November 16, and it is estimated to fetch between $300,000 and $500,000. The unit, which is one of only a handful in existence, is number “46” of 50 original hand-built computers sold by Apple’s first retailer, The Byte Shop.

apple1

"No. 46" is one of very few Apple 1s still in working order, as well as the only known example in its original box! A scarce photograph of the bedroom in Jobs’ parental house shows a stack of identical boxes of the first order of 50 units.

In addition to its original packaging and original software, the Apple 1 features a signature from original Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, who designed and built each computer. Each Apple 1 originally sold for $666.66, and approximately 200 total units were produced with few remaining in functional condition today.

The Apple 1 itself is a fully assembled circuit board with more than 60 chips, designed to be enhanced with the addition of a case, keyboard, display, and power components.

Earlier this year, in May, Breker auctioned another working Apple 1 computer that fetched $671,400 at auction, breaking a previous record of $640,000 set in November of 2012. With functional components and the original packaging, number 46 could fetch a similar price.

Top Rated Comments

Jessica Lares Avatar
170 months ago
Who is buying these and why on earth would someone want to pay so much for them? You can't do anything with it except stick it on a shelf to gather dust or stick it in a museum to gather dust. Either way it seems such a waste of money but I guess if you've got money to burn like this that probably doesn't even enter the equation. If I had that kind of money to spend on something frivolous I'd rather have a sports car or a yacht. I can't see an old Apple 1 attracting the babes.

It's history. :rolleyes:

And it would attract me. :o
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
keysofanxiety Avatar
170 months ago
Who is buying these and why on earth would someone want to pay so much for them? You can't do anything with it except stick it on a shelf to gather dust or stick it in a museum to gather dust. Either way it seems such a waste of money but I guess if you've got money to burn like this that probably doesn't even enter the equation. If I had that kind of money to spend on something frivolous I'd rather have a sports car or a yacht. I can't see an old Apple 1 attracting the babes.

You've definitely missed the point. You could use the same argument about people who buy old records and never play them, buy pieces of art and never fully 'appreciate' them, buy old cars and never drive them.

To own a genuine, rare piece of history is a very special feeling. I'd personally be more horrified if somebody told me they had an Apple I, and used it for 30 years until it became a wreck.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gorskiegangsta Avatar
170 months ago
Who is buying these and why on earth would someone want to pay so much for them? You can't do anything with it except stick it on a shelf to gather dust or stick it in a museum to gather dust. Either way it seems such a waste of money but I guess if you've got money to burn like this that probably doesn't even enter the equation. If I had that kind of money to spend on something frivolous I'd rather have a sports car or a yacht. I can't see an old Apple 1 attracting the babes.

Well, why on earth would someone pay millions of dollars for an old, Da Vinci or Van Gogh painting? Could it possibly be because of its aesthetic and/or historical significance? :rolleyes:
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
69650 Avatar
170 months ago
Who is buying these and why on earth would someone want to pay so much for them? You can't do anything with it except stick it on a shelf to gather dust or stick it in a museum to gather dust. Either way it seems such a waste of money but I guess if you've got money to burn like this that probably doesn't even enter the equation. If I had that kind of money to spend on something frivolous I'd rather have a sports car or a yacht. I can't see an old Apple 1 attracting the babes.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mdelvecchio Avatar
170 months ago
No offense to Woz - but his signature doesn't really bring much value to anything. It seems like it's pretty easy to get him to sign just about anything apple related.

the man was singularly the hardware genius behind the first couple apple computers, which completely revolutionized the PC business. he's a living legend.

watch Triumph of the Nerds:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triumph_of_the_Nerds

and spend some time here:

http://folklore.org/ProjectView.py?project=Macintosh&characters=Steve%20Wozniak&detail=medium
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Diode Avatar
170 months ago
No offense to Woz - but his signature doesn't really bring much value to anything. It seems like it's pretty easy to get him to sign just about anything apple related.

----------

You've definitely missed the point. You could use the same argument about people who buy old records and never play them, buy pieces of art and never fully 'appreciate' them, buy old cars and never drive them.

To own a genuine, rare piece of history is a very special feeling. I'd personally be more horrified if somebody told me they had an Apple I, and used it for 30 years until it became a wreck.
I'm going to seriously high-five the person I meet would would be willing to drive a Ferrari 275 GTB/4 N.A.R.T. Spyder whenever the weather was nice enough for the top to be down. (For those that don't know cars it's now the most valuable ferrari at $29+mil).

While I fully understand the collectable aspect of something like this at this point in time, to purposely completely ignore it while it still had utility is stupid.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

M5 MacBook Pro

RIP, MacBook Ultra

Monday October 19, 2026 9:37 am PDT by
Apple today sent out invites for an experience in Los Angeles on Wednesday, October 28, and the "Pro and tell" tagline on the invitation likely means that the rumored MacBook models with touch-enabled OLED displays will stick with MacBook Pro branding instead of the once-rumored "MacBook Ultra" name. The long-rumored "iPhone Ultra" ended up being named iPhone Duo, so speculation that Apple...
iPhone Duo Trio

Here's What Apple's Apps Look Like on the iPhone Duo

Tuesday October 20, 2026 11:12 am PDT by
With just three days to go until the iPhone Duo is released, Apple is getting ready for the launch. Behind the scenes, the App Store now has screenshots of Apple's built-in apps running on the Duo. We've seen some apps in marketing materials, but images of the ones we haven't seen give us an idea of what it will be like using the iPhone Duo day to day. Many apps are shown in landscape...
apple pro tell logo

Apple Announcing New Products Next Week: 'Pro and Tell'

Monday October 19, 2026 9:05 am PDT by
Apple's Greg Joswiak today hinted at new product announcements coming next week, sharing a social media post that says "Can't wait to pro and tell next week." Rumors suggest Apple is planning to debut the new MacBook Pro with an OLED touchscreen display, an M6 entry-level MacBook Pro, an M6 iMac, an iPad mini with an OLED display. Can't wait to pro and tell next week....
Latest Stories
Apple's iWork Apps Get 'Intelligent Assistant' and iPhone Duo Support
Apple's iWork Apps Get 'Intelligent Assistant' and iPhone Duo Support
40 minutes ago
Apple is Apparently Considering a Slightly Larger iPhone Duo
Apple is Apparently Considering a Slightly Larger iPhone Duo
44 minutes ago
Giant iPhone Duo Displays Coming to Four Apple Stores
Giant iPhone Duo Displays Coming to Four Apple Stores
2 hours ago
Apple Pulls Keynote, Pages and Numbers From App Store [Update: Back]
Apple Pulls Keynote, Pages and Numbers From App Store [Update: Back]
3 hours ago
Apple Updates More Apps With iPhone Duo Support
Apple Updates More Apps With iPhone Duo Support
3 hours ago
Apple Will Label Apps 'Made for iPhone Duo' in App Store
Apple Will Label Apps 'Made for iPhone Duo' in App Store
6 hours ago
Amazon Takes $49 Off iPad With Prices Starting at $399.99
Amazon Takes $49 Off iPad With Prices Starting at $399.99
7 hours ago
F1 on Apple TV Now Available in Dolby Atmos
F1 on Apple TV Now Available in Dolby Atmos
7 hours ago
Apple Reveals More Than 50 Apps That Will Be Updated for iPhone Duo
Apple Reveals More Than 50 Apps That Will Be Updated for iPhone Duo
8 hours ago
Apple Blocks Certificates That Could Help Attackers Fake Websites
Apple Blocks Certificates That Could Help Attackers Fake Websites
9 hours ago
Giant iPhone Duo Installations Spotted at Apple Fifth Avenue
Giant iPhone Duo Installations Spotted at Apple Fifth Avenue
10 hours ago
iPhone Duo 2 Prototypes Include Under-Display Face ID
iPhone Duo 2 Prototypes Include Under-Display Face ID
10 hours ago
Tesla App Gains iPad and iPhone Duo Support
Tesla App Gains iPad and iPhone Duo Support
14 hours ago
Apple Reportedly Boosts iPhone Duo Orders by 44%
Apple Reportedly Boosts iPhone Duo Orders by 44%
14 hours ago
Fortnite Returning to Australian App Store After Court Ruling
Fortnite Returning to Australian App Store After Court Ruling
15 hours ago
Apple Ordered to Open iPhone to Rival App Stores in Australia
Apple Ordered to Open iPhone to Rival App Stores in Australia
15 hours ago
Apple Suppliers Face Hurdles Cutting Circuit Board Emissions
Apple Suppliers Face Hurdles Cutting Circuit Board Emissions
15 hours ago
Things Updated for iPhone Duo With Adaptive Layout
Things Updated for iPhone Duo With Adaptive Layout
16 hours ago
Simplicity and Siri AI Are HomeView's Killer Features, Apple Says
Simplicity and Siri AI Are HomeView's Killer Features, Apple Says
16 hours ago
iPhone Duo Reviewers Really Miss Face ID
iPhone Duo Reviewers Really Miss Face ID
21 hours ago
Does the iPhone Duo Run Hot? Here's What Reviews Found
Does the iPhone Duo Run Hot? Here's What Reviews Found
23 hours ago
Apple Music's New Look is Now Live on Apple's Website
Apple Music's New Look is Now Live on Apple's Website
23 hours ago
Anthropic Launches Claude Duet, a Proactive AI Agent
Anthropic Launches Claude Duet, a Proactive AI Agent
1 day ago
What 32,000 Folds Did to the iPhone Duo's Hinge
What 32,000 Folds Did to the iPhone Duo's Hinge
1 day ago
iPhone Duo's Hidden FaceTime Camera Takes 'Trash' Photos
iPhone Duo's Hidden FaceTime Camera Takes 'Trash' Photos
1 day ago
iPhone Duo Has 'Edge Light' Feature That Debuted on Macs Last Year
iPhone Duo Has 'Edge Light' Feature That Debuted on Macs Last Year
1 day ago
Apple Support App Updated for iPhone Duo's Larger Display
Apple Support App Updated for iPhone Duo's Larger Display
1 day ago
Amazon Sweetens the Deal on Entry-Level 16-Inch MacBook Pro With $570 Off
Amazon Sweetens the Deal on Entry-Level 16-Inch MacBook Pro With $570 Off
1 day ago
iPhone Duo Tips Over on MagSafe Stands When Unfolded
iPhone Duo Tips Over on MagSafe Stands When Unfolded
1 day ago
Apple Music's New Look Officially Announced
Apple Music's New Look Officially Announced
1 day ago