A wide-ranging collection of Steve Jobs’ childhood belongings and some of Apple’s earliest products has gone up for auction as the company approaches its 50th anniversary on April 1, 2026. The sale is being handled by RR Auction, which has opened bidding on 191 items spanning Jobs’ early life and Apple’s formative period in the mid-1970s.

The first Apple check and early hardware

Among the centrepieces of the auction is the first known cheque issued by Apple Computer, Inc. on March 16, 1976. Signed by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, the $500 cheque was made out to Howard Cantin, who designed the printed circuit board for the Apple-1 computer. The document predates Apple’s official incorporation and is described by the auction house as a foundational artefact from the company’s earliest days.

Also drawing strong interest is the earliest known prototype motherboard for the Apple-1, alongside other rare hardware from Apple’s pre-Macintosh era. Early bidding has already pushed some items into the tens of thousands of dollars, with expectations that final prices could climb far higher.

Rare Apple devices from different eras

The auction also includes a functional Lisa-1 computer, a key transitional machine that preceded Apple’s Macintosh line, as well as a first-generation iPhone that was later jailbroken by teenage hacker George Hotz. Together, the items trace Apple’s evolution from a garage-based start-up to a consumer electronics giant.

Steve Jobs’ childhood belongings

Adding a more personal dimension, the collection features items from Jobs’ childhood and teenage years, provided to the auction house by his stepbrother, John Chovanec. These include bowties, Bob Dylan 8-track tapes, and the wooden desk from Jobs’ bedroom at the Los Altos, California home later associated with the famed “Apple garage”.Other personal effects include components from Jobs’ own Apple-1 computer, hand-annotated car repair manuals, and a short handwritten note to his father on an early Apple business card.

Posters, paperwork and early marketing

Rounding out the auction are original Apple marketing posters from the 1970s and 1980s, along with internal documents and ephemera from the company’s earliest phase. Together, the items offer a rare, material record of Apple’s origins and the personal world of its co-founder.Bidding for the collection is open until January 29, with interest expected to grow as the anniversary year approaches.