Apple Inc.'s AAPL first-generation iPhone in a sealed box is a rare collector's item, and one such piece has now dropped at an auction, attracting bids of nearly $45,000.
What Happened: The first-generation iPhone is a hot commodity amongst collectors, besides letters from Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. Now, one such iPhone has gone on auction, attracting bids worth $44,799 so far, which is nearly 75 times its original price.
The original iPhone on auction at RR Auction comes in an 8GB avatar. Launched in 2007, the iPhone revolutionized the smartphone industry and had a deciding impact on Alphabet Inc.'s GOOG GOOGL Google Android operating system.
While Google had initially geared Android to compete with BlackBerry, the iPhone launch forced it to pivot to a touch-based user interface.
Apple Is A Collector's Favorite: Rare Apple memorabilia are one of the favorite items of collectors. For instance, a 1983 letter from Steve Jobs with his signature fetched its owner a record $480,000.
Another rare original iPhone with 4GB capacity fetched $190,000 in an auction, showing that people are highly interested in these items. What worked for the 4GB iPhone was that it had extremely limited production runs, making it an extremely rare item.
The original Apple founding contract fetched $1.59 million in 2011, establishing Apple as a corporate entity in 1976. This was more than ten times the initial estimates of $150,000.
If you have an Apple product or a letter from Steve Jobs, you might just want to hold onto it and keep it safe, it could be a huge payday at some point.
Image Credits – Shutterstock
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