A first-generation iPhone that was still factory-sealed in its original box was recently sold at auction for an impressive $63,356.40.
The phone was gifted to Karen Green in 2007, but she never opened it because she didn’t want to get rid of her other phone.
Green had the phone appraised in 2019 and found out that it was estimated to be worth $5,000 because it was an 8GB version, not a 4GB model, and remained unopened in its original box.
When Green heard about an original, unopened iPhone listed on eBay for $10,000, she realized she might have the same item in her possession and promptly had her son retrieve it to check.
The phone was then consigned by Green and sold on LCG Auctions, with 27 people bidding for it. The expected selling price was $50,000, but it ended up selling for over $63,000, more than 100 times its original price.
Green revealed that she left the phone unopened and unused on a shelf for years wrapped in a pair of felt pajamas for extra protection.
She didn’t want to get rid of it because she already had three phone lines with Verizon, and iPhones would only use AT&T, which would require an expensive termination fee.
It’s fascinating to see how an item that was once seen as just a regular phone has now become a valuable collectible.
The first-generation iPhone was released in 2007, and it’s incredible to think that this phone has been kept unopened and unused for all these years. It’s a reminder that what may seem ordinary today could turn into something remarkable and valuable in the future.
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