Re: Collector Responsibility? Message #6 Posted by Howard Owen on 9 Aug 2005, 10:27 p.m., in response to message #1 by Russ in Charlotte
Assuming you'd rather have it working than not, because of your delight as a enthusiast, or your conscience as a collector, then one thing to look at would be risk:benefit. Though the current state of your machine could be described as "a pretty paperweight," that status actually has value in a display piece or conversation starter. So if you don't do anything to screw up this attribute of the device by opening it, then the only risk you run is that the machine won't work, and may be even more damaged, when you put it back together. If you are satisfied with the display piece, then that isn't really a risk at all. On the other hand, if that really is an unacceptable risk, then you can choose to send it off to one of the expert calculator repair people. This could be pricey, but may have a better chance of producing a working machine than if you attempt the repair yourself. Finally, you might get a benefit from opening your calculator, even if yo screw it up. You could end up learning something about how the machine ought to work. If this gives you pleasure, then I wouldn't discount it as a benefit.
Best of luck!
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