Up for grabs: essential memories and hard-to-find equipment from Apple Computer's early phases

'Bidding on Apple artifacts from the inception of Silicon Valley, as featured in 'Steve Jobs and the Apple Revolution', explained here.'

, and Administrator

2025 August 28 . 12:46 PM

2 min read

Available for purchase: classic Apple Computer main memories and scarce equipment from the... — Available for purchase: classic Apple Computer main memories and scarce equipment from the company's origins

Up for grabs: essential memories and hard-to-find equipment from Apple Computer's early phases

In the world of tech collectibles, the upcoming "Steve Jobs and the Apple Revolution" auction by RR Auction is a significant event not to be missed. Scheduled to end on August 21, 2025, this sale offers a unique opportunity to own a piece of Silicon Valley history, featuring approximately 200 lots from Apple’s formative years and related computing history[1][2][3][5].

The Apple-1 Computer Takes Centre Stage

One of the most coveted items in the auction is Lot 89, an Apple-1 computer, one of only around 200 units ever made[4]. This fully restored, operational Apple-1, mounted on a walnut slab, has been signed by Steve Wozniak and Daniel Kottke, early Apple employees. Notably, this Apple-1 was the first Apple product used outside the USA, originally sold in Rochester, NY, and then exported to Germany. Its provenance includes appearances at a 2019 Christie’s auction and previous ownership by collectors such as Jimmy Grewal and Neal Berger. Its last known auction sale was for $340,100 in 2022[1][2][4].

Early Apple Computers and More

The auction also includes other early Apple computers like the Apple Lisa (Lot 6026), Apple II and Apple III models, and two Altair 8800 units (Lot 6159), broadening the scope of the auction beyond Apple alone to other pivotal early home computers[1]. Additionally, Lot 6026 is a rare early example of the Apple Lisa from 1983, complete with dual 'Twiggy' floppy drives, ProFile hard drive, mouse, keyboard, and the original software. The Lisa, priced at $9,995 in 1983, was a precursor to the Macintosh, despite slow sales at the time[2].

Vintage Apple Memorabilia and Sealed Items

The collection offers insights into Silicon Valley’s early tech culture and the foundational era of Apple. Various additional Apple memorabilia, such as cheques signed by early Apple employees and sealed vintage Apple products, also appear in the auction. The sale includes brand new, sealed examples of classic Apple technology, a fully functioning 'museum quality' Apple-1, and various items of computing ephemera like cheques signed by the early Apple team[2].

The iPod Classic Prototype and the First-Generation iPhone

The auction also features the iPod Classic Prototype (Lot 6075), the last iteration of the scroll-wheel model, which ceased production in 2014. This prototype predates the official model launch in November 2001[1]. Another highlight is Lot 6064, a first-generation 4 GB iPhone from 2007, one of the first of what is now a 3-billion-strong cohort of iconic devices. The first-generation iPhone, when launched on 29 June 2007, sold for $499 for the cheapest 4GB model[1].

Bidding requires registration and a credit card, with minimum bids mostly between $200 and $500 and incremental increases required by 10% over the current bid[1]. This auction is recognized as one of the most significant technology-focused collectible sales of 2025, held by RR Auction, a leading house known for handling Apple-1 computers and Steve Jobs memorabilia[3][5].