Apple has recently become the world's most valuable company and memorabilia from Steve Jobs' lucrative creation is fast becoming equally profitable - Christie's is to sell the ground-breaking Apple-1 personal computer with an estimate of £50,000-80,000 on October 9.
 The first Apple-1s were sent from Steve Jobs' parents' garage |
First released by the company in 1976, around 200 of the machines were hand-built by co-founder Steve Wozniak with the intention of making technology more accessible to the general public. After a few suggestions for improvement from Steve Jobs, who handled the sale and marketing aspect of the business, the pair famously sold their most beloved possessions - including Jobs' prized VW van - to finance the project and fully realise their dream.
The computer, which required a separate keyboard and television set to operate, was then showcased at the Homebrew Computer Club in Palo Alto, California in 1976. Needless to say, the computer went down a storm and, priced at $666.66, the first Apple-1s began to be dispatched to buyers from the garage of Steve Jobs' parents' house.
Of the 50 Apple-1s believed to be in existence today, only six are thought to still be operational - the example at auction is not among them. One of the working models set a world record back in June, selling for $374,500 and eclipsing the previous 2010 record of $213,000 by 75.8%.
Even recent products from Apple are selling well at auction, with an Apple iPad prototype achieving $10,000 on eBay in May, despite controversy over its origin.
Companies that change the way we live such as Apple often provide lucrative and fascinating collectibles. Paul Fraser Collectibles is currently selling a JD Rockefeller signed Standard Oil share certificate from 1888 - a fantastic keepsake from the largest oil refiner in the world.
