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My experiences in collecting HP and how I came to it
Posted by Thomas Kiesewetter on 2 Apr 2000, 9:55 p.m.
How it all began:
My appreciation for HP's began many years ago when it was "really scientific" to work with a calculator as powerful as those old HP's already were. The first one was a HP 33 E, which was very expensive but powerful. I used this one at school and wrote a lot of programs. At this time (around 1979) it was tremendous to call someone owner of a HP-34C. Later after finishing school I bought a 41-CX, one of the first on the market. This one didn't bring it's own handbook but a collection of others to describe all functions. It still looked the same as the HP-41 CV on keyboard and display. It was the best one I ever owned, but someone stole it. So I bought a 71B that I never really "came close to". But of course I like this one too.
At the same time my brother presented me a 11C, that I still use in every day work, looking like new. With that 11C and before with my 41CX in the lab work at University I was always ten times faster than the ones working with non programmables. This one is one of the most perfect HP's ever made. But how did I come to start collecting: Once I found an HP-55 in a cupboard in a Institute. It took me four weeks to find and contact the owner of this calculator which works and looks new. That owner gave it to me for free.
From that point on my brother and me started to collect HP's. Right now we have nearly every one that we really want to own, some of them twice and three times to be able to work with them and still have one not touched at home. What I like in collecting is the fun that comes up with a good deal. That's why I would like to give you some examples which could be a reminder when going on one of those expensive deals on EBAY. It's sometimes worth waiting: We got for example:
HP15C in perfect cond. $30
HP55 in very good cond. Free
HP 67 with all original cards and working reader (perf. Cond. ) $30
Hp 41C perfect cond. Like never used: $28
and so on ...
The last deal was a (not collected business calc) HP19BII never touched, plastic still closed for $35
We got our HP97 for free and for a HP19C I paid $30
This is what makes collecting fun. But the best is to look into the glass cupboard with light and all those HP's in it.
Hope you have the same fun...
Greetings from Thomas Kiesewetter
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