Apple celebrated its 50th anniversary this year, and RR Auctions has celebrated by holding a two-part auction entitled Steve Jobs & the Computer Revolution: The Apple 50th Anniversary Auction. During the auction, An 8th-grade science project built by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs went at auction for $34,375.
Did YOUR 8th-grade science project sell for that much? Heck, I don’t think I even finished my project.
Steve Jobs’ eighth-grade science fair project was named “What is the SCR?” and included two demonstration circuits. SCR stood for “Silicon-Controlled Rectifier.” The lot included the entire presentations, which was built from plywood and consisted of three explanatory panels and a 10-page report with the same title.
The project is labeled with Jobs’ name, and the accompanying report is titled “What is the Silicon-Controlled Rectifier by Steve Jobs, Science, Mrs. Yakel, Feb. 29, 1968.”
As you might expect, if you know anyhting at all about Steve Jobs, the project included a warning to teachers from Steve.
The note reads:
“Judges, if you wish to see this operate, please plug in Circuit II and oscilliscope and unplug, please unplug!, after using. The oscillipscope should already be set for two to four stationary cycles, but if necessary, judges, please make proper adjustments.”
The item is from the personal collection of John Chovanec, stepbrother of Steve Jobs. Chovanec’s mother, Marilyn, married Paul Jobs in 1990. Steve Jobs served as best man. Following Paul’s death in 1993, Marilyn continued living in the Los Altos home. Steve decided to leave many personal items at the home, telling John to keep the desk and other artifacts that Paul had collected. The science fair project in question remained at the property until now.
There were also several other items up for auction this time around.
An Apple II computer, complete with accessories and software sold for $12,079. The Apple II was of particular note because Steve Jobs gave it to his father, Paul Jobs.
Another Steve Jobs item also connected to his dad is Jobs’ NeXT business card that he left with a note telling his dad he had stopped by. The handwritten note reads: “Hi Dad — just stopped by to say hi, Steve.” It went for $39,726, outselling the science experiment and the Apple II!
Meanwhile, an original October 1989 magazine page featuring a promotional portrait of Steve Jobs with his pioneering NeXT computer system, which was put in a frame and proudly displayed by his father, Paul Jobs, in the living room of the Jobs family home in Los Altos, went for the respectible amount of $4,875.
