Apple’s first computer built by Steve Jobs, Wozniak could fetch up to $600,000 at auction

A rare 45-year-old ‘Apple 1’ computer, one of six with an original Byte Shop KOA wood case and an unmodified NTI motherboard, built by late Apple CEO Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak is expected to go on sale at an auction this week in Monrovia, United States. John Moran Auctioneers announced on Monday, Nov. 8 that the "Chaffey College" Apple-1 built in the 1970s in the garage of Steve Jobs fitted with original blue Sprague 39D capacitors, original power regulators, rare original "Circle D" ceramic may fetch whopping $600,000.

One of the first-ever Apple computers is being sold with the connecting cable, and power supply, partnered with a 1986 Panasonic video monitor. The computer also comes with a period Xerox copy of the Apple-1 Basic Manual, the Apple-1 Operations Guide, as well as an original MOS 6502 programming manual, the auction center informed in a press release. 

Built by Steve Job and Wozniak in a garage in 1976

The "Chaffey College" Apple-1 Personal Computer was built in Los Altos, California by Steve Jobs and Wozniak in a garage in 1976. Wozniak said of the Apple-1 in his 2011 biography “Steve Jobs”: “We were participating in the biggest revolution that had ever happened, I thought. I was so happy to be a part of it,” Seattle Times reported. The paper informed that “Chaffey College Apple-1” was named so because its first owner was a Chaffey professor. The system was first discovered at Rancho Cucamonga home of the former Chaffey student who had bought the machine from a professor for $650 in the year 1977. 

“This is kind of the holy grail for vintage electronics and computer tech collectors,” Corey Cohen, an Apple-1 expert who spent a major chunk of his career in authenticating and refurbishing Apple-1 units was quoted as saying by Seattle Times. Furthermore, he added, “That really makes it exciting for a lot of people.”

The student, who seemingly kept the computer with him for over 4 decades, expressed a desire to remain anonymous until after the computer was sold out. The auctions center expects that the rare computer might sell for close to $500,000. According to the Seattle Times, one other rare similar operational unit was sold for $905,000 in 2014 by the Bonhams auction house. At least 175 of such early computers have been sold so far. Cohen told the US-based outlet that the unit was not in “bad condition” but just that the keyboard had to be refurbished completely. The computer was sitting at a current bid of $200,000 at the time of this report.  

(Image Credit: AP/John Moran Auctioneers)