Older smartphones aren’t usually worth much more than their base components, but one mint-in-box iPhone has earned its owner a generous payday at auction. An unopened and factory-sealed version of the first iPhone model from 2007 sold for $39,339.60 according to LCG Auctions, making the original purchase of $600 (roughly $860 when adjusted for inflation) pay off handsomely.
According to Gizmodo, bids on the phone only really began pouring in during the final days of the listing and jumped from just over $10,000 to almost $40,000 by the time the auction closed. The factory-sealed condition had been inspected by LCG Auctions, with the company noting that the box had the “correct seam details and tightness” on the plastic wrapping.
“This factory sealed, first-release example is in exceptional condition,” the listing read. “Virtually flawless along the surface and edges, the factory seal is clean with correct seam details and tightness. Labels on the reverse are correctly pristine beneath the seal. All original–no aftermarket stickers or UPC labels on this one. Brand-new, never activated.”