11 Vintage Tech Items That Could Be Worth A Fortune

Technology is constantly evolving and improving both in terms of capability and accessibility. It wasn't too long ago when a computer took up several rooms and represented a sizable chunk of an entire company's budget. Today, you can buy a laptop that fits in your backpack for a few hundred dollars. If we're being honest, a smartphone is quite literally a computer that fits in your pocket. Overall, the trend in the tech industry is toward more sophisticated devices at more reasonable prices, which is a tough combination to beat. These devices have been integrated into every aspect of our lives, but the mythology and branding behind these brands have also made a huge impact.

For example, nearly everyone knows on which side of the smartphone fence they sit with regard to the iPhone versus Android debate. Gamers have clear preferences when it comes to console type, with Sony and Microsoft competing every few years with their PlayStation and Xbox console releases. Beyond tech tribes, the geniuses behind this technology have turned into cultural heroes. Steve Jobs, for instance, was the subject of a best-selling novel and a successful biopic. This overlap between technological innovation and cultural significance has imbued some older pieces of tech with substantial value.

Rarity is the cornerstone of value behind many of these items, which often exist as scarce examples of the past. Yet, their worth is propelled even higher by the lore behind their origin. As with many auctions of old items, the provenance of a particular piece can significantly increase its sales price. Whether you're the proud owner of a relic with potential value or a curious bystander, let's explore 11 vintage tech items that could be worth a fortune.

You would be extremely well-off if you invested $1,000 in Apple 10 years ago. However, those profits would have been even higher if you could have snagged one of the tech giant's earliest computers. The Apple-1 Prototype Board looks nothing like the uber-compact and convenient computers of the modern age. The printed circuit board (PCB) was built by Apple founders Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs as a prototype before launching their Apple-1 Computer into large-scale production. Interestingly, the unit features telltale signs of being handmade rather than a product of Apple's sophisticated manufacturing. Initial estimates projected this fossil of the Apple universe to sell for around $500,000. However, the final bid hit an eye-watering $2.75 million, more than five times the auction house's prediction. The Apple-1 Prototype Board was sold by RR Auction and included an Apple-1 Keyboard, an old Sony TV, a vintage power supply, and a replica owner's manual and schematic, both signed by Steven Wozniak.

The Apple-1 Prototype Board ended up becoming the cornerstone of the tech giant's first line of personal computers. While most computers at the time were sold in parts and put together by knowledgeable hobbyists, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak sold 500 fully assembled Apple-1 Computers to a local electronics store called The Byte Shop. The owner purchased these models for $500 a piece and sold them to customers for $666.66. To make the setup more appealing, these computer boards were placed in wooden cases that also held the keyboard. The screen would rest on top. Of the original 50 bought and sold by The Byte Shop, only nine have been registered. RR Auctions sold one of these original models at auction for a staggering $475,000, far above the $300,000 estimate.

In 2021, Super Mario 64 earned the title of the most valuable video game in the world following a record-breaking auction sale for $1.56 million. It's not every day that a video game from the 1990s gets recognized by Guinness World Records. While not the first installment in the popular Super Mario franchise, this game is the best-selling in the series. In fact, the 12 million copies sold also made Super Mario 64 the most popular game for the entire Nintendo 64 console. About 25 years following its initial sale, a near-perfect copy of this top-selling video game went up for auction. The pristine Super Mario 64 video game remained in its original packaging and plastic wrap, securing it a remarkable condition rating, which helped augment its value.

The $1.56 million earnings helped the Super Mario franchise reclaim the title as the most expensive video game in the world. The title initially claimed the record with a sale of Super Mario Bros for $660,000, although this was overshadowed by a copy of The Legend of Zelda, which claimed $870,000. The New York Times reports that the original Super Mario 64 game sold for $60. That means the anonymous seller of this record-shattering sale secured a staggering return of 2,599,900%. Together, these units represent some of the most valuable retro video games ever sold.

The Apple Lisa-1 Microcomputer is yet another one of the many old Apple products that are worth a ton of money. To be sure, it's the brand most heavily represented on this list of vintage tech items that could be worth a fortune, underscoring the company's enduring imprint on the space. Launched in 1983, the Lisa lineup was the predecessor of the uber-successful Macintosh computers, yet this early computer failed to gain traction. In a technical sense, the Apple Lisa 1 Microcomputer was highly advanced, featuring the first graphical user interface on a personal computer. Interestingly, this model relied heavily on the trailblazing Xerox Alto computer, which also made the list of vintage tech items that could be worth a fortune. 

According to Christie's, a popular auction house, the Lisa failed to take off due to its hefty price tag of $10,000, in addition to its unimpressive memory and processing power. For context, a computer selling for five figures in 1983 is the equivalent of a unit going for $32,809.74 today. The highest sales price for the Apple Lisa 1 Microcomputer was a remarkable $882,000 in 2024. This ultimate sales figure far exceeded the initial projected price of $20,000 to $30,000. Another model was sold in 2021 by RR Auctions for $94,949, dramatically lower than its counterpart but still a solid sales figure. This particular auction was only expected to yield $25,000. The Christie's auction resulted in a value increase of 8,720%, while the RR Auction sale secured an 849.49% gain.

Many people are surprised by the value of old video game consoles today. Interestingly, many now highly valuable vintage tech items enter a period of lower valuations following their initial buzz before skyrocketing in price somewhere down the line. While this only happens to a select few items, the Nintendo PlayStation Prototype is a clear contender. If you're wondering why these two competing video game giants are featured together on a single product, you're on the right track. In the early 1990s, before the Sony PlayStation 1 had been released, the two Japanese companies collaborated to create the original PlayStation. Although the console made it out of the design phase and into physical production, it was never launched to the public. Around 200 different games were created for the console, many of which are still playable.

This exceptionally rare video game console was unwittingly acquired by an individual from a collection of abandoned property, which was being sold off. The person who left the property was a Sony Executive. Although the initial purchase price is incalculable, the owner was offered $1.2 million for the console. The offer came from a person in Norway, which would have triggered high sales taxes, which the owner felt would have diminished the earnings by too much. Eventually, the unit was sold for $280,000 in the U.S. When factoring in the buyer's 20% premium, the console accrued an impressive $336,000.

The Xerox computer isn't as well-known as the early Macintosh or Windows computers, which have captured the imagination and sizable investments of collectors and enthusiasts for decades. However, this brand's Alto computer helped revolutionize the development of the computer by introducing one of the earliest bitmap displays. Furthermore, the Alto models were outfitted with a keyboard and mouse, which weren't customary at the time. The Palo Alto Research Center was behind the Xerox lineup. Other than use in a handful of universities across the country, the Alto never made it into full-fledged production. This combination of innovative features and scarce release has helped to fuel the value of surviving models.

In 2024, a Xerox Alto II computer went on sale through a Christie's auction. The initial projection suggested the computer could earn anywhere between $10,000 and $15,000. Although these would have been respectable returns, the pioneering computer ended up securing over a quarter of a million dollars. Since the Xerox Alto was never commercially available, there was never a set sales price. However, the Computer History Museum indicates that building one of these computers cost about $12,000, suggesting a market price of $40,000. Using this estimated figure, the Xerox Alto II that went up for auction grew in value by a sensational 530%.

The Nintendo World Championships is a recurring event hosted by the preeminent video game brand, often cited as the first instance of an electronic sports function. The first championship was held in various cities throughout the United States in 1990. Nintendo produced 116 gray cartridges as prizes. For the event's contest, participants had six minutes and 21 seconds to accrue points between three games: Rad Racer, Super Mario Bros, and Tetris. 90 people completed the challenge and received a golden cartridge for their success. Over the past few decades, various instances of these rare cartridges selling for impressive prices have come to light. According to Price Charting, the most recent sale occurred in 2025 for $20,000. However, the highest auction reached $26,400. Even the lowest still earned an impressive $3,000.

For the same 1990 Nintendo World Championships event, 26 golden cartridges were produced. Unlike the gray cartridges, which were given to finalists in the gaming event, the gold versions were handed out as part of a contest called the Player's Poll. These gold cartridges contained the same three games as their gray counterparts, yet had unique gold plating and the winner's name and town of origin.10 examples of the gold cartridge have been lost to history, with only 16 known surviving versions. One cartridge was tragically burnt in a fire, while the other nine simply haven't been identified. This further constriction of the remaining gold cartridges jacks up their value.

In 2024, one of these gold cartridges went up for sale through the Goldin auction house. Within 28 bids, the item's value surged to $207,400. It's challenging to calculate a return on this particular tech item since it was provided as a prize instead of being sold.

The first-generation Apple smartphone is a once-popular iPhone that's worth a lot of money now. Initially sold for $499, the most valuable auction sale for the groundbreaking iPhone reached a jaw-dropping $190,372. For perspective, that's a 38,051% return within just a few decades. Unlike many of these vintage tech items that are worth a fortune, which were released in the '60s, '70s, or '80s, the first iPhone was launched in 2007. LCG Auctions hosted the auction, which initially started at $10,000 before surging to nearly $200,000. Perhaps most surprisingly is the relatively limited bidding pool. Within only 28 different bids, the sales price jumped by nearly 20 times its initial bid. The 4GB first-generation iPhone remained sealed in its original packaging, helping to secure its incredible valuation.

This auction represents one of the healthiest sales for an original iPhone, but many similar items have received similarly impressive results. LCG Auctions itself has hosted two events for 8GB versions of the first iPhone, which resulted in sales of $39,339 and $63,356. Counterintuitively, the 4GB version is generally worth more than its 8GB cousin, despite initially having a $100 lower price tag. Consumers proved willing to pay extra for additional storage space, dampening 4GB sales and boosting 8GB production. Ultimately, the 4GB version proved to be the rarer and more valuable of the two.

In 2019, an early Macintosh computer known as the Twiggy Prototype, due to its characteristic "Twiggy" 5¼ floppy drive, sold for a stunning $150,075. In contrast to many other vintage tech items that could be worth a fortune, this Apple prototype fell right within its projected sales range between $120,000 and $180,000, according to Bonhams, which hosted the auction. According to CNET, this specific model received its nickname due to its slim figure, reminding developers of the slender 1960s model Twiggy. Unfortunately, the 5¼ floppy disk proved to be disastrous for the lineup of personal computers, causing frequent issues.

This carryover from the Lisa computers signaled the downfall of the Twiggy model, with Steve Jobs reportedly destroying most of the computers subject to the problematic floppy drive. Whether this story is a reflection of true events or part of the Apple lore handed down over the years, there aren't many Twiggy Prototypes floating around. Thus, when a relatively well-preserved example came up for auction in 2019, experts were confident it would attract generous offers. Apple Insider notes that a similar version was sold for $99,995 on eBay in 2012.

The Atari CX3000 bridges the gap between the vintage computers and video game consoles on this list of vintage tech items that could be worth a fortune. What looks like a standard computer keyboard was a revolutionary add-on to the popular gaming console, designed to transform it into a personal computer. Designed in the early 1980s, the goal of the CX3000 was to launch the Atari brand into the growing space of affordable personal computers, which were quickly becoming standard. Despite the brand's big plans, the keyboard was never released, leaving Atari a primarily video game brand. However, stopping shy of production helped skyrocket the value of the CX300 keyboard prototype. In 2023, RR Auctions put up this exceptionally rare vintage piece of tech for sale.

Initial predictions suggested the unit could fetch a respectable $1,500, which would still have secured a considerable gain from the original intended sales price of around $90. Although a 15-time return would still have been something to brag about, the CX3000 ended up landing dramatically higher bids. The final sales price reached a towering $61,141, which is 40 times more than the initial estimate. The original owner of the keyboard locked in an astounding gain of 67,834%.

Atari may have earned a spot as one of the most expensive game consoles ever, when adjusted for inflation, but one of its games boasts an even more exceptional price tag. The Atari Air Raid is a simple shoot-'em-up video game in which the player must protect New York City from enemy bombers. Initially launched in 1982, the game was designed for the popular Atari 2600. IGN describes Air Raid as a "deeply unremarkable game," attributing most of the game's value to niche collector demand and the mystery surrounding its production. 

More specifically, not much is known about the company behind the game, and experts believe that only 20 copies of the game were ever created. Furthermore, the unique handle design on the cartridge adds some collector appeal. While other Air Raid games have been sold in the past for respectable prices, one particular model fetched much higher bids because it included a manual and box, which had never been seen with a cartridge before. 

There's no clear documentation on the game's original sales price, although another seller claimed he paid between $5 and $10, according to a CNN interview. That particular Air Raid copy sold for $31,600. However, the highest sales price was secured in 2012, when the owner earned $33,433. Assuming the purported original retail price is correct, this sale secured the prior owner with a virtually incomprehensible return between 334,000% and 668,000%. Even the most successful stock of all time doesn't come close to reproducing these numbers, indicating just how valuable some vintage tech items can be.

On Christmas in 2001, a teenager from the small town of Plano, Texas, unknowingly made perhaps the single-best investment decision of his entire life. Instead of tearing open the packaging and enjoying his brand-new iPod, he simply placed it on the shelf and forgot about it. Following his dad's passing, the original owner rediscovered the factory-sealed, first-generation iPod when clearing out his childhood home. Instead of selling the product directly to a buyer, the iPod was held by a limited liability company (LLC) as its sole business asset. This structure allowed the value and subsequent profits to be shared amongst a larger group of people. Overall, 360 different people purchased 5,000 shares at $5 each. This interesting structure shows how collectibles can boost your net worth without having to buy these super expensive items outright.

After only a few months, a private buyer scooped up all the shares for $29,000. For perspective, the original owner's parents purchased the iPod for $399 in 2001. The jump between these two figures represents a stellar 7,168% increase in a matter of two decades, an infeasible yield for most traditional assets. Even when you adjust the initial purchase price for inflation, the returns are mind-boggling. $399 in 2001 equates to about $736 in 2026. That works out to a growth of 3,840%. The unexpected value of your old iPod today may not reach this remarkable price, but you might still be able to turn a healthy profit on something you don't use.