A fully working Apple-1 computer from 1976 has been restored, and is expected to fetch $485,000 in an auction, in part because it has been autographed by Steve Wozniak.
It's no longer rare for Apple-1 computers to be auctioned, or to sell for high bids, but this restored one may be unique. Owned by Jimmy Grewal, founder of The APPL Collection private museum, its CPU has been signed by Woz, who designed the computer.
"I began collecting vintage Apple products in 1995 while studying at Duke University," says Grewal, "but my interest in Apple and its products actually began forty years ago in Dubai when my parents purchased our first Apple computer."
According to Grewal, this Apple-1 -- which is numbered #89 -- has almost all of its original components. Its provenance is that it, and a second Apple-1, were bought by an executive at Schlumberger Overseas S.A. in New York, before being taken to Europe.
Now known as the "Schlumberger 2," this restored Apple-1 is likely to have been the first one or two Apple products used outside of North America.
It's also believed to be the sole Apple-1 bearing Steve Wozniak's signature right on its Motorola 6502 processor. Woz signed it in 2021, when he met Grewal in Dubai.
"Today our collection includes nearly 200 Apple computers as well as numerous accessories and memorabilia," continues Grewal. "The proceeds from the sale of this Apple-1 will be used to create more opportunities for the public to see the collection; either in the form of pop-up exhibitions or by the establishment of a permanent venue where it can be more easily appreciated by the public."
The auction will be live for 10 days on eBay starting on June 2, 2022 at 9am Pacific time. An auction link will be posted on The APPL Collection's official site.