The “Bayville” Apple-1, an early-production computer listed as No. 91 in the Apple-1 Registry, sold for $375,000 including the buyer’s premium after bidding closed on March 20, 2025. Restored to working condition and rated 8.0 out of 10, it brought a striking price—but it was not the most expensive Apple-1 sale, even before later results changed the market context.
What sold for $375,000?
Bayville was a first-batch Apple-1 from Apple’s initial 1976 production, sold through RR Auction’s “Steve Jobs and the Apple Revolution” sale. It was fully operational after restoration by Apple-1 specialist Corey Cohen, and its auction condition rating was 8.0/10. Coverage of the lot noted unusually bright integrated-circuit labels and an original manual bearing handwritten notes that referenced Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Daniel Kottke. 9to5Mac reported the sale price, registry number and condition details; Android Headlines reported the March 20 closing date and Bayville identification.
The $375,000 figure includes the buyer’s premium. It is the auction result, not necessarily the buyer’s all-in cost: taxes, shipping, insurance or other charges may be additional. The available reporting confirms the manual and handwritten notes, but does not establish a complete accessory list for this particular lot.
Why the Apple-1 matters
The Apple-1 was Apple’s first product. Steve Wozniak designed it, and Steve Jobs helped market it. It was initially conceived as a bare board for hobbyists, but the Byte Shop’s Paul Terrell agreed to purchase units on the condition they arrived assembled. RR Auction’s historical account says about 200 were produced and 175 sold over roughly ten months—not that exactly 200 survive today. RR Auction’s catalogue background describes the production and technical history.
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For its era, the board’s video output let owners connect to a display rather than relying on teletype output. A cassette interface supported loading and saving programs and data. The Apple-1 was still a component of a computer system, rather than a self-contained modern PC: buyers needed additional equipment to use it. Christie’s describes its original $666.66 price as the cost of the motherboard, excluding keyboard, transformer and display. Christie’s catalogue explains the original price and what it covered.
What made the Bayville example valuable?
Scarcity explains the Apple-1’s collector interest, but it does not by itself explain this sale. Buyers were bidding on a particular machine with a combination of early production status, visible preservation, functionality and documentation.
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- Early production: Bayville was identified as a first-batch computer from 1976.
- Condition and appearance: Its 8.0/10 rating and unusually bright chip markings made its preservation part of the story.
- Working status: Cohen’s restoration made it operational, a practical advantage for a collector who wants to demonstrate the machine.
- Documentation: The original manual and handwritten references to early Apple figures added historical context. The notes are not, by themselves, proof that any particular person wrote them.
- Identity and provenance: Its No. 91 entry in the specialist Apple-1 Registry gives collectors a reference point for its identity and auction history.
Restored to working condition does not mean untouched or entirely original. For a computer of this age, a buyer may value functionality, while another may prefer fewer interventions. Restoration details and component originality therefore matter alongside a condition score.
How does the price compare with other Apple-1 sales?
The Apple-1 Registry tracks sales and reports figures that include buyer premiums. Selected results below show why $375,000 was a major sale without being a market record. The Registry is a specialist reference, not an official Apple census; results and descriptions should be attributed to it.
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| Sale date | Example and venue | Reported price | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 2024 | Two Christie’s Apple-1 sales | $352,800 and $945,000 | Apple-1 computers; the Registry’s market listing records the results. |
| March 2025 | “Bayville,” RR Auction | $375,000 | Early-production Apple-1; includes buyer’s premium. |
| July 2025 | “Romkey,” Sotheby’s | $571,500 | Apple-1; the Registry lists the result including buyer’s premium. |
| September 2025 | “Moore,” RR Auction | $475,000 | Apple-1; the Registry lists the result including buyer’s premium. |
| January 2026 | “Celebration” | $2.75 million | Prototype board, a distinct category from an ordinary production computer. |
| July 2026 | “Saddler,” Sotheby’s | $409,600 | Apple-1; the Registry lists the result including buyer’s premium. |
These are not direct comparisons of equivalent machines. Provenance, serial number, board originality, condition, restoration, documentation, accessories, publicity and bidder competition can all affect the outcome. The Registry’s market history is available at Apple-1 Registry market results.
Was $375,000 the Apple-1 auction record?
No. As of August 18, 2026, the Apple-1 Registry listed a $2.75 million January 2026 result for the “Celebration” prototype board. That record-context sale involved a prototype, not a standard early-production computer such as Bayville. The seven-figure result should not be treated as a typical price for a production Apple-1.
Rank #4
What collectors should check before valuing an Apple-1
A headline price is not an appraisal for another board. A prospective buyer or seller should look at the evidence behind the individual computer and read the auction terms carefully.
- Authenticity and provenance: Check registry history, ownership documentation and any claimed connection to early Apple personnel or the Byte Shop. The Apple-1 Registry is a specialist, nonprofit reference, not an Apple-certified database.
- Originality and restoration: Ask which components have been replaced, repaired or modified, and whether replacements are period-correct or near-correct. Compare current photographs with earlier auction images where available.
- Serial number and batch claims: First-batch machines and handwritten serial numbers attributed to Jobs can attract interest, but attribution should be supported rather than assumed for every example.
- Operation and condition: Request a detailed condition report, including corrosion, repairs, modifications and what “working” means. Powering an old board can carry risks, so demonstration and inspection practices matter.
- Completeness: Auction systems may include items such as a cassette interface, keyboard, monitor, power supply, video modulator, manuals or software media. These are examples seen in Apple-1 catalogues, not a confirmed list of what came with Bayville.
- Fees and sale terms: Confirm whether a quoted result includes buyer’s premium and what taxes, shipping, insurance or other charges remain. The Registry says buyer premiums commonly run about 25%–30% as general guidance; that is not a confirmed fee for Bayville’s sale.
Auction outcomes can change sharply when a small number of highly motivated collectors compete. One exceptional sale therefore cannot establish that Apple-1 values are uniformly rising or that every surviving example is worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
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