HP Forum Archive 19

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Ignorant TAS Seller! Message #1 Posted by Michael de Estrada on 17 Oct 2009, 6:40 p.m. There is an auction for an HP-67 in which the seller states in part: "I recently purchased the calculator at a local estate sale. I don’t know a lot about the calculator but I’m sure there’s someone out there who can appreciate its complexity.....The calculator does not have a battery or adaptor, so I haven’t been able to see if/how it works. There is also a copper prong missing in the battery compartment. I don’t know if the prongs are essential or if they’re just a cushion or spring for the battery." Also, in another place the magnetic cards are referred to as "labels". Well, I guess that is partially correct. Oh well, maybe someone will pick it up cheaply for parts.

Re: Ignorant TAS Seller! Message #2 Posted by Don Shepherd on 17 Oct 2009, 9:49 p.m., in response to message #1 by Michael de Estrada Perhaps the seller does think that the copper prongs are springs to hold the battery in place. Having an HP-65, I can see where someone not familiar with these HP's might reasonably think that.

Re: Ignorant TAS Seller! Message #3 Posted by Michael de Estrada on 17 Oct 2009, 10:01 p.m., in response to message #2 by Don Shepherd Oh, come on Don. Even my 6 year old grandson knows that batteries need some sort of metal contacts to work, and those are the only metal items inside the battery compartment. Maybe this seller hasn't seen the battery compartment of an HP 65 before, but surely other electronic devices or maybe even changed the batteries in a flashlight. I think you are being too tolerant of just plain intellectual lethargy. Edited: 17 Oct 2009, 10:02 p.m.

Re: Ignorant TAS Seller! Message #4 Posted by Don Shepherd on 18 Oct 2009, 12:44 a.m., in response to message #3 by Michael de Estrada If he has changed the batteries in a flashlight (and I think we can safely assume that anyone beyond the age of about 5 has probably done that), then he knows that sometimes springs are required to ensure a good contact. Most battery-powered devices that use commonly-sized batteries like C, D, AA, and so on, use springs of some sort. He might think that the copper prongs could be springs, I think. I'd give him the benefit of the doubt. He's obviously not knowledgeable about HP calcs. Look, he said one of the copper prongs is missing. Anyone who would spend more than a few dollars for this calc is likely an HP collector or user who would know exactly what that means, so he's not trying to hide anything, it seems to me. I mean, I wouldn't put this guy in the class of the infamous coburlin who sells ratty-looking HP calcs for prices that are extremely inflated (assuming this auction is not BIN for $800). I just don't think this fellow is materially trying to misrepresent this calc, based on the information you provided here. I could be wrong, but since I'm not interested in buying this particular calc, it's a moot point to me.

Re: Ignorant TAS Seller! Message #5 Posted by Michael de Estrada on 18 Oct 2009, 2:48 p.m., in response to message #4 by Don Shepherd I wasn't trying to imply that the seller was attempting to mislead anyone, only that I am amazed that he could think that the "prongs" were merely some sort of spring or retention device and not needed for operation of the calculator. In the vast majority of cases, the springs inside the battery compartments of electronic devices, are essential because they are in fact the electrical contacts as well. Since there were no other metal items or wires inside the battery compartment, then one should assume that the broken "prong" was required. I definitely was not trying to put the seller in the same class as the infamous Mr. C.

Re: Ignorant TAS Seller! Message #6 Posted by bill platt on 18 Oct 2009, 2:15 p.m., in response to message #1 by Michael de Estrada Why care? I don't.

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