Original Apple-1 manual goes up for auction for $10,000

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A page from the original Apple-1 documentation.
A page from the original Apple-1 documentation.
Photo: RR Auction

Unless you’re Scrooge McDuck, an international arms dealer or some other wealthy individual, chances are that you won’t be able to afford an Apple-1 at auction anytime soon.

But don’t give up hope of owning a piece of Apple’s first computer. An extremely rare original Apple-1 manual (remember when computers came with those?) has just come up for sale. And it’s only expected to cost $10,000!

The auction lot notes:

“The Operation Manual features information on getting the system up and running, using the system monitor, and expanding the Apple system, and features an impressive fold-out schematic of the Apple-1 computer. It also has a page headed “6502 Hex Monitor Listing,” for an innovative memory program devised by Steve Wozniak which is commonly called the ‘Woz Monitor.’ In very good to fine condition, with light irregular grid-shaped toning to the front cover cover, a short tear to the top edge of the front cover, and a light circular stain inside the front cover. This example is not three-hole punched.”

You can place a bid online at the RR Auction website. The auction will come to an end on Wednesday, July 10. Currently, bidding on the manual has reached $9,422.

The Apple-1

The Apple-1 went on sale in 1976. Apple only built 200 — just 20 of which are still thought to exist. Over the last few years, a number of Apple-1 computers have hit the auction block.

The most ever paid for one was $905,000 in 2014. By comparison, a working Apple-1 sold for just $375,000 at auction last September.

While that’s a huge fluctuation, even the cheapest vintage Apple-1 computers remain pretty darn pricey!

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