Rare Apple 1 computer worth $200K left at California recycling center

A rrecycling center is searching for a mystery woman who dumped a rare Apple 1 computer, which just sold to a private collector for $200,000.

The recycling firm sold the Apple I this month for $200,000 to a private collection, Vice President Victor Gichun said.

The machine was among other components and computers the woman wanted to dispose of after her husband died. 

Employees at the center later found that one of the boxes contained a first-generation Apple computer, known as an Apple 1, built by Apple co-founders Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ron Wayne in 1976.


The Apple 1 was the computer company's first product and only about 200 of the first-generation Apple computers were made. The machine had about 4kB of memory.

The woman, who appeared to be in her 60s, told employees at the center she started cleaning out her garage after her husband died. She did not leave any contact information.

"Tell this lady to please come over to our warehouse in Milpitas again," Vice President Victor Gichun said. "And we'll give her a check for $100,000."  "To prove who she is," Gichun said, "I just need to look at her."

"She said, 'I want to get rid of this stuff and clean up my garage,' " Gichun said. "I said, 'Do you need a tax receipt?' and she said, 'No, I don't need anything.' "

In 2013, a rare working model of the Apple 1 sold for more than $671,000 at an auction in Germany. Another sold in 2012 for $375,000.