Factory-sealed original iPhone sells for $39,340 at auction
An original iPhone that was still factory sealed has fetched $39,339.60 when the hammer fell during LCG Auction's 2022 Fall Premier event.
![[LCG Auctions]](https://photos5.appleinsider.com/gallery/50867-100430-50815-100324-iPhone-box-xl-xl.jpg)
[LCG Auctions]
LCG's 2022 Fall Premier Auction ended on October 16, with bids for a variety of items closing after weeks of battle. The second lot, listed as an "Original 2007 Apple iPhone Factory Sealed (First Release) managed to reach the record price, exceeding expectations of $30,000.
The 8GB model, which shipped with a 2-megapixel camera, was still in its box and was kept in "exceptional condition." Said to be "virtually flawless along the surface and edges," it still had a tight factory seal and pristine labels on the reverse.
Adding to the rarity of the lot is the lack of any extra after-market stickers and UPC labels, with the packaging completely unmarked.
"We expected the bidding for this item to be fervent and it did not disappoint as a handful of avid and sophisticated collectors drove the price from just over $10,000 on Sunday afternoon to this record-setting amount by Sunday night," said LCG Auctions founder Mark Montero.
According to the bidding history, 28 bids were placed for the device. It reached $10,000 by October 14, before a flurry of activity raised the price on October 16 in just over two hours.
The price is an increase from another factory-sealed iPhone that sold at auction in August. At the time, the iPhone sold for $35,414. At the same auction, an unopened first-generation 5GB iPod sold for $25,000.
Other major lots at the LCG auction include a 1978 Star Wars Luke Skywalker Action Figure with Double Telescoping Lightsaber ($33,359), a 1987 G.I. Joe Defiant Playset ($32,340), and a 1986 M.A.S.K Boulder Hill Playset ($7,783).
Read on AppleInsider
[LCG Auctions]
LCG's 2022 Fall Premier Auction ended on October 16, with bids for a variety of items closing after weeks of battle. The second lot, listed as an "Original 2007 Apple iPhone Factory Sealed (First Release) managed to reach the record price, exceeding expectations of $30,000.
The 8GB model, which shipped with a 2-megapixel camera, was still in its box and was kept in "exceptional condition." Said to be "virtually flawless along the surface and edges," it still had a tight factory seal and pristine labels on the reverse.
Adding to the rarity of the lot is the lack of any extra after-market stickers and UPC labels, with the packaging completely unmarked.
"We expected the bidding for this item to be fervent and it did not disappoint as a handful of avid and sophisticated collectors drove the price from just over $10,000 on Sunday afternoon to this record-setting amount by Sunday night," said LCG Auctions founder Mark Montero.
According to the bidding history, 28 bids were placed for the device. It reached $10,000 by October 14, before a flurry of activity raised the price on October 16 in just over two hours.
The price is an increase from another factory-sealed iPhone that sold at auction in August. At the time, the iPhone sold for $35,414. At the same auction, an unopened first-generation 5GB iPod sold for $25,000.
Other major lots at the LCG auction include a 1978 Star Wars Luke Skywalker Action Figure with Double Telescoping Lightsaber ($33,359), a 1987 G.I. Joe Defiant Playset ($32,340), and a 1986 M.A.S.K Boulder Hill Playset ($7,783).
Read on AppleInsider
Comments
I mean, the second you unwrap it to make sure there's actually a phone in there you've killed off half the value.
On edit: There is a dent in the aluminum on the back. I'll knock off another thousand.
The real question is why individuals collect things like this in the first place. Sure, the original iPhone represents a technical milestone and achievement. Having these in museums that collect these sort of artifacts is a good way to ensure that future generations can catch a glimpse of what was happening in ancient times, like 2007. Or at least catch a glimpse of the box these technological marvels of their time came in.
No doubt that nostalgia plays a big part of the collecting dynamic. The combination of nostalgia and disposable income is pretty much the whole business case for EBay. I don’t have a problem with any of this except for the fact that nostalgia isn’t necessarily inherited. I’ve seen firsthand that treasured collections from one generation often get passed down to subsequent generations who have no appreciation at all for the value the original collector saw in the collection. Who knows, this nearly $40K iPhone may show up in an estate sale or yard sale in 10 years with a $5.00 price sticker on it, sitting right next to a Tom Brady bobble head with a $3.00 price sticker on it, and they’ll sell you both for $6.00 if you haggle them down.