Would you pay $1.75 million for an Apple-1?

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(Image credit: eBay: krishmiti)

What you need to know

  • An Apple-1 is available on eBay.
  • It has a BIN of $1.75m but you can make an offer if you'd like.
  • It's said to be in "almost perfect condition."

It isn't every day that a piece of Apple history becomes available to buy but that's the case right now. If you're willing to spend around $1.75 million, that is.

If you mosey on over to eBay you can take a look at what might the best Apple-1 I've ever seen. Its seller says that its in "almost perfect condition" which probably explains why it's listed for almost three times the usual going rate.

This is truly a first for eBay. This is a verified fully operational original Apple-1 computer system in excellent condition in its original Byte Shop KOA wood case, with original power supply and Datanetics Version D keyboard. This Apple-1 is an unmodified NTI board in almost perfect condition on both front and back of the main board where you can see there have been no modifications or repairs. This system was verified as original byApple-1 expert Corey Cohen as recently as August 2019 at the Vintage Computer Festival West where it was one of two continually operated units during the show with over 6 hours each day of full operation. A period Sony TV-115, as recommended by Steve Jobs, with video modulator is included. A Certificate of Authenticity by Achim Baque, owner of the Apple-1 Registry, is included in sale and viewable upon request. Please visit the official Apple-1 Registry ( [link removed by eBay] ) for further details and authenticity of this rare item.The provenance of this Apple-1 system is seen in #79 on the Official Apple-1 Registry, as the second owner. I took possession in early 1978 from the original owner as part of a trade-in for a newer Apple II computer at the computer store where I maintained all Apple IIs in Montreal, Canada until Apple came to Canada. The transformer area on the case was recently reinforced, to prevent damage as performed on other similar Apple-1 cases in the past as adhesive deteriorates over time.

The auction includes a custom case and the seller says that they have kept the Apple-1 safe and sound since 1978. There are plenty of accessories to go with the machine including the Sony TV-115 display. Even so, I'm not sure the seller is going to get their $1.75 million. But if you're tempted they are willing to listen to offers.

I've checked the back of the sofa and put my $4.50 bid in. Fingers crossed!

Oliver Haslam
Oliver Haslam
Contributor

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.