Sealed, original iPhone is now worth more than a Tesla Model Y

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in iPhone edited February 2023
An original iPhone, still in-box and factory-sealed, has managed to fetch $63,000 at auction, a new sales record for the rare artifact.

[LCG Auctions]
[LCG Auctions]


The lot for the first-gen iPhone went live with LCG Auctions on February 2 and ended on February 19. In that time, the package was anticipated to haul in around $50,000, but it far exceeded that figure.

At the conclusion, the starting price of $2,500 was followed by 27 bids, bringing the price of the factory-sealed smartphone to $63,356.40, including a buyer's premium.

For perspective, an earlier sealed iPhone sold in August went for over $35,000, while another in October fetched $39,339.60.

The unused iPhone was owned by Karen Green, who received it as a gift from friends in 2007. However, since the original iPhone was only compatible with AT&T and she was a Verizon customer, the iPhone went into storage.

Green had the iPhone appraised in 2019, with it valued at the time at $5,000. After keeping hold of it for longer, Green put it up for auction to raise funds for a business.

Unlike modern iPhones, the original is a much more modest affair, with a 320 by 480-resolution 3.5-inch display, a 2-megapixel camera, and 2G cellular connectivity. In the case of the auction, it was kept in the original packaging, which displays the iPhone on the front of the box, and it still had its plastic wrap intact.

Read on AppleInsider

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 10
    sidricthevikingsidrictheviking Posts: 185member
    I wonder what I could get for my very-well-used original 16GB iPhone and empty box (received as a gift on launch day in Ireland, the 15th of March 2008)? €10? €20? Any takers? 😄🤣🙃 
    Anilu_777watto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 10
    takeotakeo Posts: 446member
    I can’t wait for the unboxing video 😁
    sidricthevikingwatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 3 of 10
    iOS_Guy80iOS_Guy80 Posts: 814member
    Wonder what my slightly used Apple IIe, with duo disk drive, green monitor and original VisiCalc disks with leather bound manual case all in original boxes are worth?
    sidricthevikingwatto_cobraFileMakerFeller
  • Reply 4 of 10
    AppleishAppleish Posts: 692member
    A month old burrito that you found on the roof is worth more than any Tesla.
    Anilu_777watto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 10
    JapheyJaphey Posts: 1,767member
    Appleish said:
    A month old burrito that you found on the roof is worth more than any Tesla.
    Why would a burrito be on the roof?
    watto_cobraStrangeDays
  • Reply 6 of 10
    AppleishAppleish Posts: 692member
    Japhey said:
    Appleish said:
    A month old burrito that you found on the roof is worth more than any Tesla.
    Why would a burrito be on the roof?
    It had to be somewhere.
    alpacatjewatto_cobraStrangeDaysFileMakerFellerCloudTalkinsteve_jobs
  • Reply 7 of 10
    viclauyycviclauyyc Posts: 849member
    Can someone do the math, if I used that money ($600 at the time of original iPhone release) to purchase AAPL. How much I will have now including dividends over the years.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 8 of 10
    FileMakerFellerFileMakerFeller Posts: 1,546member
    viclauyyc said:
    Can someone do the math, if I used that money ($600 at the time of original iPhone release) to purchase AAPL. How much I will have now including dividends over the years.
    According to https://finmasters.com/stock-calculator/ if you invested US$600 on 29th June 2007 (the release date of the original iPhone) your investment would now be worth US$24,707.79 with an annual rate of return of a mind-blowing 26.8%
    viclauyyc
  • Reply 9 of 10
    viclauyycviclauyyc Posts: 849member
    FileMakerFeller said:
    viclauyyc said:
    Can someone do the math, if I used that money ($600 at the time of original iPhone release) to purchase AAPL. How much I will have now including dividends over the years.
    According to https://finmasters.com/stock-calculator/ if you invested US$600 on 29th June 2007 (the release date of the original iPhone) your investment would now be worth US$24,707.79 with an annual rate of return of a mind-blowing 26.8%
    Thanks.

    I guess I should buy a couple original iPhone and never open it and sell it as retirement fund.

    but it is still very impressive return for $600.
  • Reply 10 of 10
    jony0jony0 Posts: 378member
    takeo said:
    I can’t wait for the unboxing video 😁
    LOL. I'd love to see that too. that shrink-wrap looks a little less than a "factory-sealed" vacuum tight fit. Either it took up a bit of air through the years or someone may have purchased a loosely wrapped piece of coal … in an apparently original iPhone box. I hope for the buyer's sake that there's some kind of certification.
    I don't think I would trust buying anything that you would have to deliberately depreciate to prove its true value by opening the seal. This isn't like an unopened blister packed trinket.
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