Apple Memorabilia Auction Draws Sky-High Bids

Vintage Apple Computer Co. check from 1976 signed by Steve Jobs.

Apple’s history continues to attract passionate collectors, as a recent RR Auction event highlighted the growing demand for rare memorabilia. From signed checks to factory-sealed devices, items tied to the company’s early years fetched remarkable sums.


Steve Jobs check tops auction

The standout item was a Wells Fargo temporary check signed by Steve Jobs on March 28, 1976. Originally written for $47.50 to Pacific Telephone, the check sold for an astonishing $87,940. What made it especially significant was the inclusion of all three Apple co-founders—Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne. Wayne’s brief role in Apple’s creation has long been remembered as a missed fortune, since he sold his 10% stake for just $2,300 weeks after the company’s founding.

Vintage Apple Computer Co. check from 1976 signed by Steve Jobs.

Collectors value the document not for its monetary purpose, but for its historical weight. “It ties together the garage-era mythos with the real-world business of paying bills,” said Bobby Livingston, executive vice president at RR Auction.

Rare iPhones, iPods, and Wozniak’s sunglasses

The auction also included sealed Apple products that have turned into collectibles. A first-generation 4GB iPhone, which retailed for $499 in 2007, sold for $81,989—more than 160 times its original price. Similarly, a sealed iPod Classic went for $40,264, doubling its estimated value.


Not all items were devices. A set of Jobs’ “iCEO” business cards from the late 1990s fetched $16,643, while Steve Wozniak’s rainbow Apple sunglasses from 1979 brought in $11,688. Each item reflected different aspects of Apple’s rise, from its counterculture roots to its modern-day dominance.

Nostalgia drives demand

Historians say these sales underscore the blend of myth and reality that defines Apple’s legacy. To outsiders, paying nearly $88,000 for a $47 check may seem absurd. But for collectors, the value lies in owning a tangible piece of tech history.

With Jobs’ cultural influence still immense, artifacts tied to him remain especially prized. Combined with the rarity of early Apple documents and devices, the appetite for such collectibles shows no signs of slowing down.


SOURCES:RR Auction
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