HP Forum Archive 15

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29c value Message #1 Posted by Hal on 7 Sept 2005, 7:04 p.m. Hello out there in HP land. Can anyone give any input on the value to collectors of a 29c? The unit has the original box, manuals, softcase, etc, is virtually in mint condition and works fine. I did notice that there are no 29c's on E-Bay...This either means they're very rare, or commonplace to the point of total disinterest. Opinions appreciated. Thanks, Hal

Re: 29c value Message #2 Posted by Gerson W. Barbosa on 7 Sept 2005, 8:44 p.m., in response to message #1 by Hal Not very rare, but definitely no commonplace. Take a look at the Prices & Rarity section: http://www.hpmuseum.org/collect.htm#diff Regards, Gerson.

Re: 29c value Message #3 Posted by hugh steers on 8 Sept 2005, 7:32 a.m., in response to message #2 by Gerson W. Barbosa out of interest, how often do these figures get updated? i noticed that in the slide-rule market, they use a robot that collates past sale prices of makes by month. FYI, http://www.voidware.com/calcs/hp29c.htm cost me about $240 and i'm happy with it.

Re: 29c value Message #4 Posted by Gerson W. Barbosa on 8 Sept 2005, 10:09 a.m., in response to message #3 by hugh steers I don't know how often Dave updates these figures or whether he has automated this task. But they seem to be update. For example, I am currently looking for a 34C ($46-$150, $177, $202, $205, according to Dave's list). The most recent 34C's on eBay sold for $49.99 (calculator and case, untested), $87.51 (not so good), $178.50 (complete with manuals, no box - thought it would sell for much more and quit), $207.50 (it appeared to be excellent and the seller told me it passed the self test, I quit when the price went over $200 - still expect to get it for less than $150). Anyway, Dave's list and the price information you have provided (yours looks excellent) may give Hal a reference price.

Re: 29c value Message #5 Posted by don wallace on 9 Sept 2005, 6:26 a.m., in response to message #4 by Gerson W. Barbosa The 34C is a nice machine. I like the FREE LIGHT SHOW you get when you get it to run a program or particularly to do a SOLVE... A bit slow though... I had a friend who dismantled one... integrated circuits went everywhere! And in 1979 (?) you couldn't just log onto the internet to find out what went where... He is now an ELECTRICAL ENGINEER... (Nice guy, though and quite clever [and a bit bent...{Hi Peter! How was Tibet?}]). DW

34C (Was: Re: 29c value) Message #6 Posted by Gerson W. Barbosa on 9 Sept 2005, 5:45 p.m., in response to message #5 by don wallace I've heard a story like that before, a 34C being dismantled and the user not being able to put it together again. That's why I'd like to get an European 34C: DECIMAL POINT IS COMMA (as it should be :-), so I wouldn't have to open it to cut the radix selection jumper. As of speed, isn't it just slightly slower than the 11C/15C?

Re: 34C (Was: Re: 29c value) Message #7 Posted by don wallace on 9 Sept 2005, 9:42 p.m., in response to message #6 by Gerson W. Barbosa Hi Gerson. Doing a solve or running a program which implments a function (to use solve or integrate on) it runs about 1/4 (maybe 1/3?) as fast as a 41CV. I'm not bagging it but it IS quite slow. Only a few program steps per second (about four to five?). same or faster from what I can remember than the 33E. Long time ago... DW

Re: 34C (Was: Re: 29c value) Message #8 Posted by Gerson W. Barbosa on 9 Sept 2005, 10:57 p.m., in response to message #7 by don wallace Hello Don! According to the benchmarks in the link below, let us not discuss whether they are adequate or not, the 41C/CV runs twice as fast as a 34C. Of course, the tasks you have mentioned may be accomplished even faster than this on the 41C/CV depending on the algorithms you use. http://www.thimet.de/CalcCollection/CalcPerformance.html What I'd like to point out is that the 34C can be occasionally used even today, the same way we may occasionally use an 11C or a 15C, since they have comparable features. I was pleased to be able to use a red LED display calculator again, when I received my HP-35 early this year, which incidentally came from Australia. My first HP calculator was a 15C (a replacement for a stolen TI-59). For I matter of months, it could have been a 34C... Yes, a long time ago...

Re: 34C (Was: Re: 29c value) Message #9 Posted by don wallace on 10 Sept 2005, 3:38 a.m., in response to message #8 by Gerson W. Barbosa Hi Gerson. Yeah that would be right... I am also a bit biassed ;-) The 34C is a nice little calc though... DW

Re: 34C vs. 15C Message #10 Posted by Karl Schneider on 11 Sept 2005, 12:23 a.m., in response to message #8 by Gerson W. Barbosa Gerson posted, Quote: My first HP calculator was a 15C (a replacement for a stolen TI-59). For I matter of months, it could have been a 34C... Yes, a long time ago... Hey, me too! I bought the 15C in November 1983, fully intending to buy a 34C, which I had seen several years before. The improved version of the 34C was still for sale, but the young salesman eventually persuaded me to buy the 15C instead. I could see that the 15C was clearly the superior product, but I had to come to terms with the change in paradigm and expectations. The 15C was my only HP until 2002, when I started a collection with an older 34C and a 41CV from a local used-electronics seller. -- KS

Re: 34C vs. 15C Message #11 Posted by Gerson W. Barbosa on 11 Sept 2005, 10:51 a.m., in response to message #10 by Karl Schneider Quote: I bought the 15C in November 1983 Hi, Karl! I am almost sure I bought mine the same year and month. My 15C has serial 2343B75099, that same year I bought one of my brothers an 11C, just before Christmas as a gift (his only calculator until today). Then I had the bad habit of selling my HP calculators in order to buy newer models (15C => 28S => 48GX, trying in between the 32S and 42S). Fortunately that 15C had beed with my youngest brother all these years and has eventually returned to me. I don't remember ever having seen a 34C on the shelves. Anyway, at the time I didn't miss the LED display because the 15C Liquid Crystal Display was impressively excellent, and I never had to look for a seat next to a power outlet again :-)

Re: 29c value Message #12 Posted by Bram on 9 Sept 2005, 5:09 a.m., in response to message #1 by Hal Quote: any input Well, I still own the HP-29C that I bought on November 7, 1977 for ƒ680 (=€300). It matches your description and any reasonable price will be far too low to make me sell. A 29C and its owner hardly ever part. That may explain the lack of them on eBay.

Re: 29c value Message #13 Posted by don wallace on 9 Sept 2005, 6:22 a.m., in response to message #12 by Bram I remember having heard of those beasts. They were pretty smooth, I think... It was a long time ago. DW

Re: 29c value Message #14 Posted by Hal on 9 Sept 2005, 5:03 p.m., in response to message #12 by Bram Thanks everybody for your responses. I think Bram hit the nail on the head when he said a 29c and it's owner never part and that's why they're not on e-bay. I've had mine since it was new in '77 and was not thinking of selling, just wanted to get an idea of what they're worth. Cheers, Hal

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