Re: Just ask a true collector Message #22 Posted by blurdybloop on 26 May 2006, 6:24 p.m., in response to message #21 by Wayne Brown
I see both sides of the argument.
I do not believe that the reproduction labels intended for use as part of a restoration are "fake" any more than third-party spare parts for a vehicle which is no longer made are "fake".
There's a fundamental difference in intent between a restoration and a counterfeit. Let's face it, the only "counterfeit" HP calculators being produced are those made today at HP's behest...
Let's consider card-reader calculators such as the HP-65. There is, as far as we know, no such thing as an HP-65 with a working card reader with original wheel. All the original wheels have turned to goo. If the card reader works, then someone has replaced the wheel.
Put another, all HP-65s with working card readers have a non-original wheel. That, in turn, entails irrepairable damage to the label. Either the label shows signs of having been peeled back (which impairs the cosmetics), or the label is replaced with a new one.
Remember that when HP repaired the calculators, they removed the label to access the screws, and then put on a new label. This idea of preserving the label is strictly one of the collector community.
So, what is more valuable: a fully-restored, cosmetically perfect HP-65, or an HP-65 with a gooey wheel? That all depends upon the individual's perspective.
Suppose we're talking about a classic car; is one with the original oil and tankful of gas (that has turned to gel) more valuable than one which has been maintained and restored? Again, it is perspective.
My conclusion is that well-made reproduction labels are not fake; they are simply new production spare parts as much as replacement wheels. It is legitimate to be concerned about the quality of the spare parts; some of these labels have obvious misspellings. But that is a matter to be brought up with the maker of these spare parts.
I also agree with disclosure. Rather than pejorative terms such as "fake" or even "reproduction", I suggest that we advocate terms such as "all-original" and "restored".
In the case of an HP-65, "all-original" means that it's a museum piece but of limited use since the card reader doesn't work. "Restored" implies that everything works; at least the wheel is non-original and if the label is intact then it is non-original as well.
By the way, I happen to own both an "all-original" and a "restored" HP-65. Cosmetically, both are about the same, with a slight edge to the "all-original". I have the original label for the "restored" HP-65, and it looks terrible; I don't regret having replaced it.
I wonder why I keep the "all-original" HP-65. Its wheel is complete goo, and it serves no purpose other than to gather dust. I'll probably end up putting it on eBay just to get rid of it.
The "restored" one, on the other hand, goes with me and gets used. For me, anyway, it's far more valuable.
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