In recent years, auctions for Apple memorabilia and other historical items have become quite common. However, a new auction from RR Auction focused on Steve Jobs offers a collection of items that go beyond the usual early Apple prototypes and sealed-in-box OG iPhone models.
To mark the approaching 50-year milestone since Apple’s establishment on April 1, 1976, RR Auction is hosting Steve Jobs & the Computer Revolution: The Apple 50th Anniversary Auction. This auction features items that provide a unique insight into Jobs’ early private life.
While the auction includes typical items like Apple-1 computer prototypes and historic signed checks, it also offers many items that belonged specifically to Steve Jobs, both in his professional and personal life.
For example, there’s an Apple-1 ‘Byte Shop’ wooden casing, computer heat sink, and even an Apple-1 ribbon cable, all personally owned by Steve Jobs. These items are expected to fetch high prices, with the ribbon cable already receiving bids over $318.
However, the most intriguing items are the personal ones, such as car repair manuals, 8-track tapes, and posters from Jobs’ youth. These items hold a special significance due to their connection to Steve Jobs.
One standout item is a vintage Volkswagen Repair Manual from the famous “Apple Garage,” hand-annotated by Jobs. This manual, along with a whimsical book, provides a glimpse into Jobs’ sentimental attachment to his past.
Additionally, the auction features a document signed by Steve Jobs to sell his father’s car, the desk from his bedroom, and a set of personally-owned bow ties retrieved from his boyhood closet.
While these bow ties may not have been worn during his Apple years, they offer a glimpse into Jobs’ early style. The auction also includes magazines owned by Jobs’ father and other personal items up for auction by Steve’s stepbrother, John Chavonec.
In addition to these personal items, the auction features typical items reflecting Apple’s 1980s corporate culture, such as Steve Wozniak’s Apple Rainbow Glasses and a 1989 Jaguar XJS convertible registered to Apple for engineer Taylor Pohlman.
One interesting story is Pohlman’s role in creating PowerPoint before returning to Apple and driving an Apple-issued Jaguar during the rivalry with Microsoft. The Jaguar, listed on Bring a Trailer in 2024, failed to meet the reserve bid but is expected to fetch a high price at the RR Auction.
