8 limited-edition Apple products you won’t find anywhere

BY Killian Bell

Published 13 May 2015

Some of Apple's limited edition products

If you think the Apple Watch is difficult to get hold of, you should try obtaining a limited-edition Apple product from the past. They’re almost impossible to find, and those that do pop up inevitably sell for a fortune. Here are 7 limited-edition Apple products that you’ll probably never own.

Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh

2012-12-03-TAM

Let’s kick off with perhaps my favorite product on this list, the Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh, which was introduced at the January 1997 MacWorld Expo to celebrate Apple’s 20th birthday. I lusted after one of these as a kid, but with only 12,000 ever produced and a $7,499 price tag, I was never going to get one.

The Twentieth Anniversary Mac had a 250MHz PowerPC 603e processor, 2MB of VRAM, ATI 3D Rage II graphics, 2GB of storage, and a Superdrive. Its most unique features included a built-in TV and FM tuner, and an included Bose sound system made up of two ‘Jewel’ speakers and a subwoofer.

Apple IIGS ‘Woz Edition’

Apple IIGS 'Woz Edition'

Ten years before the Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh came the Apple IIGS ‘Woz Edition’, which was almost identical to the regular Apple IIGS, but had Steve Wozniak’s signature emblazoned on its casing. The machine also came with a certificate, and a personal letter from Woz himself.

Only 50,000 Woz Edition machines were produced, however, those who purchased a regular Apple IIGS were able to convert theirs to a limited edition machine by buying second-hand casings.

Product Red Mac Pro

Product Red Mac Pro

The rarest Mac on this list is the Product Red Mac Pro, which was designed by Jony Ive for a 2013 charity auction. Only one model was made, and it sold for a whopping $977,000 at Sotheby’s, which makes it the most expensive computer ever sold.

Product Red EarPods

Solid gold EarPods

For the same charity auction, Ive also designed a pair of Product Red EarPods, which were made out of solid gold — like the Apple Watch Edition. Like the Mac Pro, only one set was ever made, and they sold for $461,000.

Special Edition U2 iPod

U2 Special Edition iPod

Back in 2004, Apple teamed up with U2 to produce a Special Edition iPod, which had a distinctive design with a black enclose and bright red Click Wheel. It was also engraved with signatures of the U2 band members, and held up to 5,000 songs.

Despite being a Special Edition device, the U2 iPod sold for just $349 through the Apple Store, and was readily available. It’s not so easy to get hold of today, however, and some units sell for as much as $90,000.

Apple Clothes

The Apple Collection clothing line

Yes, Apple really did make clothes. ‘The Apple Collection‘ went on sale in 1986, when John Sculley was CEO of the Cupertino company, and it was made up of sweaters, shirts, polos, windbreakers, and caps. You could even buy Apple clothes for your kids.

Every so often Apple clothes will pop up on eBay, and some items can be had relatively cheaply. But would you really want them?

Apple Collection Accessories

Apple Collection accessories

Clothes weren’t the only items that made up The Apple Collection; it also offered a wide range of Apple-branded accessories, too — including the very first Apple Watch. Other items included bags, mugs, pocket knives, umbrellas, and even beach towels.

Apple Wall Hangings

Apple logo wall hanging

If you thought the clothes and accessories were strange, this Apple wall hanging will really confuse you. It’s one of a series of hand-crafted hangings featuring the rainbow Apple logo that were designed by artist Myra Burg and sold in 1983 through the Apple gift catalog.

Each one cost $350, and only 25 of them were made.

With the exception of the Product Red items that were designed for a charity auction, Apple doesn’t really offer limited edition products these days; it’s all about producing things on a large scale and serving as many customers as it can. The closest you’ll get to a rare Apple product now is the Apple Watch Edition.

[Hat tip: BusinessInsider]