Signed Check From Steve Jobs Goes Up For Auction, And It's Pricey
In yet another case of auction houses capitalizing on old Apple and Steve Job's-related memorabilia, an old check signed by Steve Jobs on behalf of "Apple Computer Company" has been put up for auction by a noted auction firm. As evident from the photos posted by RR Auction, the old check features Steve Jobs' signature, and also mentions Apple's first official address at "770 Welch Rd., Ste. 154, Palo Alto." Also clear from the photo is the fact that the check for $175 was issued for a company called Crampton, Remke & Miller, Inc. — a management consulting firm that operated in California back in the '70s.
TECH CHECK! A pristine Apple check signed by Steve Jobs in 1976 is up for bid @RRAuction.
Don't miss your chance to own a piece of Apple's founding story! https://t.co/s1tGv5yPWa#SteveJobs #Apple #Auction #TechHistory pic.twitter.com/kRjEaE16L8
— RR Auction (@RRAuction) May 2, 2023
RR Auction also asserts that the check — dated July 8, 1976 — belongs to an era when Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak were working on developing the Apple-1, the first product from the company. This was around the same time Apple had managed to secure its first significant order for the Apple-1.
RR Auction asserts that the check is in pristine condition, and by looking at the photos, that definitely seems to be the case. As of publishing this article, the highest bid for the check stood at $16,500. The next bid is for $18,150. Given the precedent set by previous Apple auctions, there is a good chance that the final bid amount will be a lot higher once the bids end on May 11, 2023.
Apple memorabilia always sell for big bucks
There is a burgeoning market for memorabilia linked to Apple and its co-founder Steve Jobs. Recent history has several instances of Apple/Jobs-related items selling for crazy sums of money. Recent examples include the much-talked-about auction for an unboxed, original, first-gen iPhone purchased — and then unboxed — by noted tech YouTuber MKBHD.
Last year, it was also reported that someone purchased a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) from an early Apple-1 prototype for an astounding $677,196. While that is certainly a crazy sum of money to spend for unusable, broken hardware, the fact that the Apple-1 was a crucial product in Apple's history might have been a good enough justification for shelling out that kind of money. Besides, this particular PCB was also notable because it was hand-soldered by Steve Wozniak, the famous co-founder of Apple.
Later, in November 2022, a pair of worn-out Birkenstock sandals once owned by Steve Jobs was lapped up by someone for $218,750. Steve Jobs wore these sandals for a long time throughout the '70s and the '80s. It is also said to have witnessed the birth of the now-iconic Apple company in 1976.
Given the insane amount of money people are willing to spend on pieces of Apple memorabilia, there is a good chance that this old check from Apple may also end up with an insanely high bid amount.