r/AppleCollecting

Back in 2017 during the 10th anniversary of the original iPhone, one that was covered in paint and stuck in a shadowbox sold for $50K USD.

I remember this being a relatively big deal at the time, and even receiving news coverage. But when I tried to search for this recently, it came up completely empty. While there are some images online and even a completely separate (still live) eBay listing for three painted original iPhones, I couldn’t find any details about this specific sale.

However, I was able to find some screenshots I personally took back in 2017 of the original eBay listing. Literally was looking for these for weeks and thought the whole thing may have been some kind of fever dream, until I finally found them. Figured I would re-share this piece of lost history!

I have a 1st gen iPhone SE running iOS 10.2, and I’m trying to figure out how to open or trigger the Apple Retail Demo app / Retail Demo mode.
The device info is:
Model: 3A844J/A
Carrier: KDDI 27.1
Capacity: 16GB
iOS Version: 10.2
Modem Firmware: 5.32.00
Model Identifier: iPhone8,4
My main question is:
If this device has Apple Retail Demo / Demo App data inside, how can I open it or trigger it?
I do not want to erase, update, restore, or lose the original iOS 10.2 state.
I would like to know:
Is there any known way to launch the Retail Demo app on iOS 10.2?
Does the Demo app exist as a hidden system app, or is it only activated by a retail configuration profile?
After jailbreaking, what should I check with Filza / iFile?
Are there specific folders, bundle IDs, launch daemons, profiles, or configuration files related to Retail Demo mode?
If the Demo app is missing from the Home Screen, is there any way to make it appear again?
What should I avoid doing so I don’t destroy any possible demo-related data?
I’m not mainly asking whether this is a prototype or engineering device. I’m specifically trying to preserve the system and find out how to access the retail demo environment if it is still present.
Any help from people familiar with Apple Retail Demo units, iOS 10 demo devices, or legacy jailbreak tools would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

I managed to get this 4th gen iPod Touch Display that was meant to be put in the glass display at the tech area. When they were remodeling the Walmart (which I worked at for a few months in-between jobs) they said I could take it if I wanted it.

It seems these are hard to find as every time I try to look up comps I get thrown for a loop.

I really would like to get it framed, but man it's a huge frame haha.

I have no clue what something like this would even be worth. Or if I'm the only person interested in this kind of stuff.

Hopefully I'm using the right flair, not really sure how or what to ask. I have this charity color iPhone here and I just found out that the line was discontinued. Are these collectible in any way?
There are some scuffs/scratches around the edges of the camera lenses (on the metal not the glass) and around the charging port.
The front of the screen also has some scratching but it does still work (though I think the battery is at 80% capacity), and all of the glass is original (if that even means anything, I don't rly crack any of my phone screens lmao).
(Also clarifying I do not have the original cable or headphones, just the box with the sim tray ejector and instructions.)

So, its hot out, and i have the ac going in the museum to keep things cool, so decided its g4 play time. I have already maxxed out the memory on these and added ssd’s to them. Just reinstalling os9 and 10.4 on one partition and do all updates. My ti’s include a 1ghz, 867mhz, 550mhz, and a 500mhz. My aluminum are a 17” high res 1.67, a 15” 1.67 high res, and my 12” powerbook 867. These were some of my favorite apple products during steve jobs comeback. Works of art.

I also love my g3 laptops… from the bondi g3 till 2011 when jobs passed away was a great run.

As a side note: all my laptops stay open in a cool environment to help prevent vinegar syndrome. Also, some of these laptops can get problems developing in the hinges etc so i dont open and close stuff. Always on display.

I just found this old girl while cleaning out my old desk. Hunted the house for an old connector to plug it in. I can't believe it turned on! I also can't believe how small it is compared to my iPhone 17 Pro Max. I remember getting this in 2007 and the screen felt so big at the time.

Me, also realizing this phone is almost 20 years old.

I still remember it being epic back in the day. I felt the 14pm was a downgrade somewhat. And alpine green was easy to miss.

Today marks 19 years since the first-generation iPhone officially went on sale on June 29, 2007.
I’m posting this as part of my Apple collection archive because this device is not just another old iPhone. It represents the moment when the modern smartphone era really started to take shape.
By today’s standards, the original iPhone feels extremely limited.
No App Store, no 3G, no front camera, no video recording, and many of the features we now consider basic simply did not exist yet.
But that is exactly why it matters.
The first-generation iPhone was not important because of specifications alone. It was important because of the way it changed the relationship between people and mobile devices: the multi-touch display, the visual interface, the “slide to unlock” interaction, the packaging, the manuals, the accessories, and the entire early Apple retail presentation.
For me, this complete boxed set is not just a phone with accessories.
It is a preserved piece of 2007 Apple retail culture.
The box, manuals, cable, earbuds, stickers, plastic films, and the way everything was presented all belong to a very specific moment in Apple history — a time before the iPhone became normal, before smartphones became everyone’s default screen, and before this design language became part of everyday life.
19 years later, the original iPhone feels less like a piece of consumer electronics and more like a historical object.
This is where the iPhone story really began.
My YouTube channel coming soon…

So i aircooled all my G5’s. The quad was the hardest one to do. I also did 2 dual 2.7’s and a dual 2.5. The quad stays pretty cool which is fantastic.

This iPhone was used by the iPhone chip manufacturer Qualcomm to test the cellular modem of the iPhone. When plugged in, this unit only occasionally vibrates. A fully working unit will be shown in a YouTube video!

This is a Silver 16GB iPhone 6s demo unit from the Chinese market.
Model A1700, part number 3A573CH/A, clearly marked on the rear label:
Demo - Not For Resale
This is not a perfect museum piece.
The box has scratches, pressure marks, dust, and traces of old stock.
But to me, those marks are part of the object.
What interests me is not how new it looks, but what it documents:
the China-market label, the demo part number, the “Not For Resale” marking, the regulatory information, the packaging language, and the way Apple retail demo devices existed in a specific time and place.
Many old Apple devices are activated, opened, restored, repaired, updated, or treated like ordinary used phones before anyone records their original state.
This project is my way of documenting them before that happens.
No restoration.
No polishing.
Just documentation.
ジャンク考古家 / Junk Archaeologist

Episode 1: A first-generation iPod touch.
I’m starting this archive with something that connects both sides of what I care about: vintage Apple hardware and music culture.
This is not a perfect museum piece, and I don’t want to make it look like one. The box carries scratches, pressure marks, shrink-wrap wear, old-stock dust, and all the small traces that show it has survived through time instead of being restored into something artificial.
For me, that is part of the object.
The first-generation iPod touch sits at a very specific moment in Apple history: after the iPod had already changed digital music, but just as iPhone OS and the modern touchscreen era were beginning to take shape. It was not only a media player. It was a bridge between the iPod era and the app-based mobile world that came after.
As a singer and vintage Apple collector, I’m interested in these devices not just as electronics, but as cultural artifacts: the box, the interface, the music shown on the packaging, the regional labels, the software era, and the way Apple presented music and touch technology at that time.
Many older Apple devices are wiped, opened, updated, repaired badly, or parted out before anyone documents what they originally were.
This project is my way of documenting them before that happens.
Not restored.
Not polished.
Just documented.
ジャンク考古家 / Junk Archaeologist