Computer part prices have skyrocketed as big tech pivots to rapid AI factory buildouts, but even so, we're reasonably confident that you can build a high-end machine for a million bucks. Alternatively, you could take your million and change and score a piece of Apple history, as a buyer just did after winning an auction for a rare and working Apple-1. The final price? A cool $1,148,200.
Purchased at Bonhams, that enormous sum also includes a buyer's premium fee by the auction house. By shooting past the $1 million mark, the machine set a new all-time auction record for a commercially sold production Apple-1. It also easily eclipsed the auction lot's initial $500,000 to $800,000 estimate after an intense 28-minute bidding war broke out between two collectors before the hammer came down.
The winning bid reflects the rarity and condition of the Apple-1, otherwise known as the "Hatfield" Apple-1 because of the system's original owner, Fred Hatfield. This particular build is one of just 74 known models to be fully functional, and is cataloged as No. 48 on the official Apple-1 Registry.
Adding to the system's appeal as a collector's item, the motherboard is signed by Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, who built the machine way back in 1976. On top of that, it comes with a 1978 letter signed by Steve Jobs and addressed to Hatfield. At the time, Jobs had offered Hatfield $400 and an Apple II 4K board in exchange for his Apple-1, sans memory.
The letter was in response to Hatfield becoming frustrated by the lack of software for the Apple-1, which he let be known in a letter of his own to Apple. Jobs responded with the upgrade offer, but Hatfield ultimately rejected the offer and later sold the system for $40,000 in non-working condition. The buyer restored it to working order, and the rest is history.
"We are delighted with this exceptional result for the 'Hatfield' Apple-1, one of the most important milestones in computing history," commented Ian Ehling, Director of Fine Books & Manuscripts, North America, Bonhams. "It was an honor to offer Apple's first product during the company's 50th anniversary year. Signed by Steve Wozniak and accompanied by a letter signed by Steve Jobs, it is one of the most significant Apple-1 computers ever to come to market, and the spirited competition it attracted is a testament to its rarity and enduring appeal."
While custom pre-production prototypes have occasionally fetched higher sums, such as the experimental 'Celebration' Apple-1 board that commanded $2.75 million earlier this year, the $1.15 million sale sets a new ceiling for post-production commercial units that made it to retail.
Paul is a seasoned geek who cut this teeth on the Commodore 64. When he's not geeking out to tech, he's out riding his Harley and collecting stray cats.