23 April 2021
|
Prototype bear has a pre-sale estimate of £800 - £1200
Vectis Auctions will present for sale a unique piece of Apple computing history which has a pre-sale estimate of £800 - £1200.
The beige plush bear was the prototype created by Clara Toys for a small number of bears destined to be gifted to a small by a senior group of Directors from Apple HQ in California. The gift was to commemorate the visit to the first Apple facility built outside of the US in 1980.
Robert Haire, the then General Manager of Apple in Ireland, approached a local toy company based on the same street (Millstreet), to produce a souvenir gift. This 21” / 53cm, fawn, synthetic plush bear proudly sported the iconic Apple Computers rainbow logo to his chest.
The logo used for the bruin was the second one the company used; the first, short lived one was seen to be too complicated. Co-Founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniac felt it old fashioned and once Wayne departed, aimed for a more modern logo. Graphic designer Rob Janoff was tasked with the job and created the now iconic bitten apple design in 1977, the missing section a pun on bite /byte. To him it also represented the fruit of creation in its simplest form. The addition of the rainbow’s colours reflected the new revolutionary addition to the Apple range – the Apple II, having the world’s first colour display monitor.
It is probably a unique piece from the period as use of the apple logo was fiercely guarded by the company. Today, early Apple collectables are now keenly sought after, even the mass produced and sold badges and jewellery fetching a premium. Interest has been increasing for vintage computer items. In 2013 an Apple 1 sold for £390,000 and a year later a similar model fetched $905,000 at auction.
Specialist Kathy Taylor said ““We’re really excited to be selling this unique piece of Apple computing history and am sure he would make a talking point for any computer collector”.
The unique, prototype ted was being sold on Thursday 29th April