A major online auction of Steve Jobs memorabilia is now live, offering rare items from Apple’s earliest days. The collection includes the desk from the famous garage where Apple began, the first check the two Steves ever signed, and even bow ties Jobs wore in high school. Alongside these personal artifacts, the auction also features a broad range of Apple memorabilia, with some starting bids as low as $100.
The sale runs through January 30 and includes some of the most sought-after items in Apple history. One highlight is the earliest known Apple-1 prototype, listed with a starting bid of $50,000 and an estimated value above half a million dollars. Another standout is the first check ever issued by Apple, which opens at $25,000 and carries a similar estimate. These pieces offer a rare look into the company’s origins and its first financial steps.
Personal Items With Surprisingly Low Estimates
Several items appear undervalued given their history. An Apple-1 Byte Shop wooden case that once belonged to Jobs starts at just $500, with an estimate of $5,000. His original desk from the garage has a starting bid of $5,000 and an estimate of $25,000 or more. In addition, posters personally owned by Jobs are available with starting bids of only $200.
The auction also includes lesser-known but historically meaningful objects. Among them are an Apple-1 heatsink and a ribbon cable, both valued mainly because Jobs once owned them. These items may seem minor, but they reflect the hands-on nature of Apple’s early work.
Why These Items Are Being Sold
Wired reports that many of the personal possessions come from John Chovanec, Jobs’s stepbrother. The report recalls, “On one memorable occasion, Jobs took Chovanec into his childhood bedroom… and fired up an early Macintosh to deliver a personal chronicle of how it was developed.” Chovanec later consigned many of those keepsakes to the auction.
One of the most symbolic items is a $500 check written to circuit board designer Howard Cantin, who worked on the Apple-1. Cantin said Jobs offered him a choice between a check and Apple stock. He chose the check.
For collectors, this auction offers a rare chance to own pieces of Apple’s origin story.
