The new Apple iPhone 3G is advertised in Palo Alto, Calif., Monday, July 7, 2008 Associated Press Photo/Paul Sakuma
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PAUL BUTLER, HOST: Recently a first generation cell phone came up for auction...
MOBILE PHONE EDUCATIONAL FILM: This service is designed to provide a means of communication for those who travel in city areas...
No, no, no, not that first generation. This auction was for an original iPhone—still in its sealed, unopened box. Karen Green has owned the phone since 2007.
GREEN: I got a new job and my friends bought me the latest, newest first generation phone...
But as she had just gotten a new phone, she decided to leave the gift in its cellophane-wrapped package. In 2019, Karen had the iPhone appraised on the daytime television show: Doctor & The Diva.
TV SHOW: It hasn't been touched. It's in its original packaging and it is the higher end of them. What's interesting about it is when it was first given to you it cost about $599 in 2007.
Karen was blown away but off mic asked the expert how much more it might increase in value if she held on to it...the presenter didn't give a specific amount, leaving the audience hanging.
Well, this week we learned just how much it increased in value over the last 3 and a half years—a Louisiana-based auction house just sold the phone for more than $63,000. That's a 10,000 percent increase in value from its original purchase price.
BROWN: Talk about run-away inflation…
BUTLER: It’s The World and Everything in It.
WORLD Radio transcripts are created on a rush deadline. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of WORLD Radio programming is the audio record.
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