Unissued Microsoft stock sells for $1,300, Pong prototype goes for over a quarter-million dollars
Early mouse prototypes were among the most expensive items at an auction for historic technology.
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What you need to know
Several historic pieces of technology and associated memorabilia wereauctioned off recently. The collection included two mice owned by Douglas Engelbart, the inventor of the mouse, and multiple items connected to Apple founder Steve Jobs. The auction also had an early Pong prototype, which brought in the most money for any single item.
Now that the auctions have closed, the bids have been finalized, and the dust has settled, we can take a look at what people spent on historic gadgets. Topping the list is a Pong ‘Home Edition’ prototype that sold for $270,910. Several pieces of Steve jobs memorabilia went for high amounts as well, including a check signed by Jobs and Steve Wozniak worth $163,923.
The winning bid for an unissued piece of Microsoft stock from 1990 was $1,305. For that price, the purchaser could have obtained more than four shares of actual Microsoft stock, but those wouldn’t have the historic significance of the auctioned certificate.
The mice that were auctioned off were given to Bill Daul by Engelbart. While the inner works of the mice differ greatly from today’s input devices, it’s easy to see a resemblance between them and thebest gaming miceof today.
You can check out theRR Auctionwebsite to see how much people spent on the other big-money items, including a computer manual worth over $42,000.
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Sean Endicott is a tech journalist at Windows Central, specializing in Windows, Microsoft software, AI, and PCs. He’s covered major launches, from Windows 10 and 11 to the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT. Sean’s journey began with the Lumia 740, leading to strong ties with app developers. Outside writing, he coaches American football, utilizing Microsoft services to manage his team. He studied broadcast journalism at Nottingham Trent University and is active on X @SeanEndicott_ and Threads @sean_endicott_.
