HP Forum Archive 13

[ Return to Index | Top of Index ]

Collection photo (very large, 1M) Message #1 Posted by David Ramsey on 17 June 2003, 11:50 a.m. A couple of people have been telling me to put a photo of my collection up here, so here it is. I started collecting HPs in 1983 and pretty much finished the theme (scientific RPN) by 1995 or so. Since then I've been collecting HP-41 accessories, branching out occasionally (the Curta), and in general just having fun.

I have seen the heaven... Message #2 Posted by R Lion (Espaņa) on 17 June 2003, 12:06 p.m., in response to message #1 by David Ramsey ... and I can not to go there, because I am an envious. Raul ;-)

Looks good...including the ... Message #3 Posted by Gene on 17 June 2003, 12:19 p.m., in response to message #1 by David Ramsey 1) the TI-58 or TI-59 on the PC-100A in the lower left corner. :-) 2) I myself might have avoided some of the more recent HP's (my personal anti-bias) such as the HP-6S I see and the 39G-style calculators. I want to refuse calling these things HPs!

Re: Looks good...including the ... Message #4 Posted by David Ramsey on 17 June 2003, 12:26 p.m., in response to message #3 by Gene Yeah, in college, I couldn't afford an HP, so like many of my peers I bought a 59... You're right about the non-HPs. I have a 30s, and some 6s solar and non-solar. Free for the shipping, folks, if anyone wants them!

Re: Looks good...including the ... Message #5 Posted by Paul Brogger on 17 June 2003, 1:44 p.m., in response to message #4 by David Ramsey My son would take the 30s -- not that he needs it, but it's his favorite & the last one got stolen. The only hope for the 6s is that they'll make so few of them, and those will die so quickly, that some day they'll be (rightly) rare! By the way, how do you stand 'em up?

Re: Looks good...including the ... Message #6 Posted by David Ramsey on 17 June 2003, 5:09 p.m., in response to message #5 by Paul Brogger Send me your son's address and I'll send him the calculator. The stands are small Plexiglas things I picked up at a shop in Portland, Oregon. I don't recall the name of the shop but I'll be back in Portland in a couple of weeks and will look it up then. The stands work well for thinner calcs: ...but can handle the thicker ones as well, although they'll fall off easily: The stands themselves look like this:

Re: Looks good...including the ... Message #7 Posted by David Smith on 17 June 2003, 5:28 p.m., in response to message #3 by Gene Yes, dump the 6S... they eminate copious negative waves that causes one all sorts of evil problems... and give cats acid hairballs and scurvy mange.

Re: Collection photo (very large, 1M) Message #8 Posted by Jeff on 17 June 2003, 1:49 p.m., in response to message #1 by David Ramsey Very nice collection. The "stands" look pretty nifty. Did you make them, if so, how? If you purchased and/or adapted from some other use, what is the source?.

Congratulations! Mostly for... Message #9 Posted by Vieira, Luiz C. (Brazil) on 17 June 2003, 5:06 p.m., in response to message #8 by Jeff ... the rarities. I saw it in brief (otherwise I'd start to cry), but the Xpander is a "must see". Is there an HP95C amongst the topcats? Well, for the most, what I see is outstanding. No envy, believe me. Just sincere admiration. Luiz C. Vieira - Brazil

Re: Congratulations! Mostly for... Message #10 Posted by David Ramsey on 17 June 2003, 7:12 p.m., in response to message #9 by Vieira, Luiz C. (Brazil) HP-95C? Ha! I wish! It's a 91, actually. Here's the list: Top row: * HP-35, legends above keys * HP-35 legends on keys * HP-45 * HP-55 * HP-65 * HP-67 * HP-70 * HP-80 * HP-45 in security cradle Second row, back to front, left to right: * HP-20S * HP-20S in packaging * 32SII in packaging * HP-21, 25, 25C, 27, 29C, 19C, 28C, 28S * HP-27S, 10C, 11C, 15C, 16C, 200LX, HP-01 watch ($50 from a friend 10 years ago!) Third row, back to front, left to right: * HP-31E, 32E, 33C, 33E, 34C, 38G, 48S, 48SX, 48G, 48GX, 48G+ * HP-32S, 32S "50th", 32SII, 42S, 39G, 40G, 49G, Expander, OmniGo 120, Type 1 Curta Fourth row: * HP-91, 97, 97S * HP-75C, 75D, 71B (with card reader & HP-IL) Bottom row: * 41C "Blanknut" with overlay * Early 41C with "high top" keys * 41CV connected to tape drive and printer * 82240A printer * Extra 82143 printer * 41CX with card reader

Where's the HP-12C ? Message #11 Posted by Valentin Albillo on 18 June 2003, 10:51 a.m., in response to message #10 by David Ramsey Can't believe you haven't got several of those as well, but it's nowhere to be found in your list ! :-) Best regards.

Re: Where's the HP-12C ? Message #12 Posted by David Ramsey on 18 June 2003, 1:47 p.m., in response to message #11 by Valentin Albillo Valentin, There's no HP-12C because it's not a scientific calculator. There's also no 17, 18, 19BII, etc. You will have noticed the 70 and 80. These were in a huge box of classic HP calcs I found in an army surplus store in Pocatello, Idaho, about 15 years ago. The box had about 40 calculators in it that looked as if they'd been stored in a pot of boiling chicken fat! However, after disassembly and cleaning, most of them proved functional. I kept the best ones and sold the rest-- $25 for an HP-35 and $35 for an HP-45 (most of the calcs were 35s and 45s). Sigh. It was more fun, sometimes, finding these old machines in surplus shops and places like Weird Stuff than it is simply scanning eBay.

Re: Where's the HP-12C ? Message #13 Posted by db(martinez,california) on 18 June 2003, 5:17 p.m., in response to message #12 by David Ramsey David; So YOU are why i never find anything at Wierd Stuff! Thats ok; I have my own happy hunting grounds. btw: you could include the 19bii; it has scientific functions along with the bean counter stuff.

David, are you 100% sure ? Message #14 Posted by Valentin Albillo on 19 June 2003, 5:49 a.m., in response to message #12 by David Ramsey David posted: "There's no HP-12C because it's not a scientific calculator. There's also no 17, 18, 19BII, etc." I would ask you to please have a careful look at the following "exhibits", just in case you might find it appropriate to reconsider your classification of the HP-12C. Please note that said exhibits do not apply to the other models you mention (17, 18, 19BII). Exhibit A Exhibit B Exhibit C I would be very interested to know what you think once you've read (and even tried) them. My points are: a sufficiently programmable calculator can always trascend its intended purpose. classifying mathematical algorithms as "financial" or "scientific" is only in the eye of the beholder, they have no intrinsic meaning per se so seemingly "financial" algorithms can be used for "scientific" computations as well. "Exhibit A" is particularly enlightening, because it shows how a large number of supposedly "financial use only" functions are actually used for purely "scientific" purposes, with no financial meaning whatsoever in sight. Best regards. Edited: 19 June 2003, 5:51 a.m.

Re: David, are you 100% sure ? Message #15 Posted by Trent Moseley on 19 June 2003, 4:01 p.m., in response to message #14 by Valentin Albillo Another tour de force! tm

Thank you, Valentin Message #16 Posted by A grateful 12C on 19 June 2003, 4:10 p.m., in response to message #14 by Valentin Albillo Many thanks for the pointer towards your excellent articles - most interesting and as I can now do trig I can stop the HP-41s that live with me looking down their noses at me and putting on superior airs and graces.

Re: David, are you 100% sure ? Message #17 Posted by David Ramsey on 19 June 2003, 10:35 p.m., in response to message #14 by Valentin Albillo You're quite correct: many of the financial calcs can be used for scientific purposes. But I guess my point is that I'm just not interested in them. Besides, I have no place to put them!

Re: David, are you 100% sure ? Message #18 Posted by Michael F. Coyle on 20 June 2003, 12:27 a.m., in response to message #14 by Valentin Albillo Hi Valentin, No, the 12C is still a financial calculator, not a scientific, your excellent and imaginative articles notwithstanding. Just because a butter knife can be pressed into service as a screwdriver doesn't make it one. Nor would I recommend that anyone purchase a knife when what they really need is a screwdriver. IMHO, pressing a 12C into service as a not-very-good scientific seems like an act of desperation. Does anyone really use a 12C like that? But since The Future of Calculators is Dead (TM) maybe it's a moot point. - Michael

Re: David, are you 100% sure ? Message #19 Posted by Trent Moseley on 20 June 2003, 1:10 a.m., in response to message #18 by Michael F. Coyle Michael, I think Valentin's point is to show the potential of an underestimated resource. It's nice to see such a clear exposition of his thoughts. tm

What's that? Message #20 Posted by Vieira, Luiz C. (Brazil) on 19 June 2003, 9:57 p.m., in response to message #10 by David Ramsey Hey, David; is it "my eyes" or you have a "lost" HP75, on the floor, almost hidden in the bottom of the photograph? You did not mention it... a spare unit? Man, you have an awesome "collection"... Best regards. Luiz C. Vieira - Brazil

Re: What's that? Message #21 Posted by David Ramsey on 19 June 2003, 10:36 p.m., in response to message #20 by Vieira, Luiz C. (Brazil) It's not lost; its an AT&T relabeled HP-75 in a cradle (I don't even think it comes out!) It's pretty beat up but does seem to work. You want it?

Re: What's that? Message #22 Posted by Vieira, Luiz C. (Brazil) on 19 June 2003, 11:01 p.m., in response to message #21 by David Ramsey I'm sending you an e-mail right now...

Re: Collection photo (very large, 1M) Message #23 Posted by Don Williams on 18 June 2003, 3:43 p.m., in response to message #1 by David Ramsey Nice collection and display. I have also mounted a fair collection ( same as your's plus the financials and many of the desktop's ). I have been contemplating some insurance for the collection. It seems prudent to try to protect the actual money and time we have invested but it would seem to me there is a greater value in the whole. Have you or any of the other collectors attempted to find the insurable value of a collection like this ? I would be interested in any of the experience's others may have had.

Calculator Appraisal Message #24 Posted by Michael Meyer on 19 June 2003, 9:20 p.m., in response to message #23 by Don Williams Actually, I was thinking of looking into how one would become an official calculator appraiser through the American Association of Appraisers. Then the insurance companies could "schedule" them with official values. Just a thought. Any interest? I could make the appraisals with some photos, serial numbers, etc. Michael

Re: Calculator Appraisal Message #25 Posted by Don Williams on 20 June 2003, 1:16 p.m., in response to message #24 by Michael Meyer I have always made an effort to keep records to establish the " Provenance " of the collection. That is at least a starting point for value. A quick glance at those records recently made me realize how " out of control " this penchant had become. (and I don't even bother to bid against booklung or therwil or the other "deep pockets" on ebay. At least I learned to practice a little self control. Better late than never ) I think it would be possible to come up with an apprasial value for each individual model but I am not sure the sum of those indivdual values would really reflect the assembled value and I am also not certain you could convince an insurance company to add these items to a policy. Of course the " marketplace " would establish the value immediately, but who wants to sell a collection to find its value. I just realized lately that I probably couldn't afford the time or money it would take to replace these things if anything happened to them. My wife wouldn't allow it. It may be that I am the only one concerned. Just thought I would throw out the question.

Re: Collection photo (very large, 1M) Message #26 Posted by David Ramsey on 19 June 2003, 10:38 p.m., in response to message #23 by Don Williams Good idea re the insurance. As you know, it would be very difficult to rebuild this collection in case of a fire or other catastrophe. But insuring it would be hard, I think. Sure the machines are valuable to you and me, but to the rest of the world they're junk, and so few people collect them that assigning values would seem to be impossible...

Re: Collection photo (very large, 1M) Message #27 Posted by David Smith on 20 June 2003, 5:09 p.m., in response to message #26 by David Ramsey Just point your insurance man to Ebay completed auctions and he will quickly learn of their market value.

[ Return to Index | Top of Index ]

Go back to the main exhibit hall