In the world of collectors, there are no limits to what a coveted item can reach in terms of value. The latest example of this rule comes from a recent auction, where a sealed 4GB original iPhone, a rarity produced by Apple for only a few months, sold for the astonishing sum of $158,000.
Rarity is everything in the world of collectors
The market for original iPhones has been quite active in the past year. In February, a record was set when a sealed original iPhone sold for $63,000. However, demand and prices have decreased in recent months. In April, one sold for just over $18,000, a significant drop compared to the record price in February, although the figure is still impressive.
But the trend seems to have taken a 180-degree turn. The auction house LCG Auctions estimated that the sealed 4 GB iPhone we are talking about would sell for between $50,000 and $100,000. However, in the final hours of the auction, demand intensified, and bids jumped from $67,000 to $158,644. In other words, 250% more than the previous record set in February and over 300 times the original price of $499 that this iPhone model had just 16 years ago.
The phone’s main rarity lies not only in its origins from a former Apple engineer who worked on the device but also in its pristine condition and the fact that it was a 4 GB storage model. So much so that another sealed 8 GB original iPhone sold at the same auction for $44,771.
Prices like these are a testament to the continued importance of the iPhone in the consumer electronics market and how a single product has redefined an entire sector of the market. It’s also a reminder that, just like with the Nintendo PlayStation, it’s always worth taking a look in some drawers, as we might come across a hidden gem of sufficient value to purchase the new iPhone 15 and the following iPhones for several years.
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