Rainbow Apple Logo Sign Appears at Sotheby's Auction

With the original Apple-1 computer sold for approximately $700,000 USD and the first-generation apple iPhone from 2007 selling for $39,000 USD earlier this year, Sotheby’s now offers a large neon Apple store sign that was in use from 1976 to 1998. The distinct Rainbow logo, which followed the first Apple logo depicting Isaac Newton sitting under an apple tree, was launched to symbolize the introduction of the Apple II,  the brand’s first personal computer which supported color graphics. Measuring 36 1/2 inches wide by 36 1/2 inches tall, the rainbow Apple sign is suspended within a square acrylic shadow box with the transformer positioned on top.

Origins of the bitten-apple motif that we’ve come to associate with the tech giant are widely debated. While from a technical standpoint, graphic designer Rob Janoff revealed that the bite was meant to demonstrate scale and differentiate the Apple from other fruits, many have speculated that the logo is a reference to the mathematician and computer scientist Alan Turing. Among a great number of accomplishments, Turing created the Universal Turing Machine, the basis for the first computer, before ultimately committing suicide from eating an apple laced with cyanide

The Apple Computer Inc. “Large Original Neon Apple Sign,” listed as Lot #48, is estimated to sell for between $10,000 and $15,000 USD and is now open for bidding on the Sotheby’s website until December 14. With Apple memorabilia evidently in high demand and enthusiasts willing to pay steep premiums, early adopters of the brand might want to think twice before clearing the garage.

In other news, Epic Games’ RealityScan turns real-world objects into 3D models.