Is the HP-75c valuable at all?

[rprosperi]

(06-12-2015 09:40 PM)ostego Wrote:  Hi,

My father was going through his old gear, and asked me to sell his pristine condition HP-75c for him.

I've listed it on eBay for quite a low starting price, and it did occur to me whilst listing that I could inadvertently be giving away a massive bargain if this is a super collectible item!

The calculator works perfectly, has the owners PAC magnetic strips and some games, and has all of the accessories.... Would this have a high value to a collector? Or is it just an old calculator in your eyes?

It does seem to carry some history with it as from what i understand it's the first "computer" ever made or something like that (can't remember exactly what my dad said)

Thanks for your help on this!

Though debatable, HP claimed it was the first Portable Computer.

The 75C/75D was never a popular machine, due mostly to its very high cost. When the 71B came out less than 2 years later, smaller, cheaper and more modular, plus having all its internals/design info available in the IDS Docs, the high-end community moved to the 71B and didn't really look back.

There definitely were 75C fans, and a fair number of programs appeared in the PPC Journals, etc. but interest faded, and only a few fans remain, it seems. Several of us here at the MoHPC Forum dabble with them, since we couldn't get one to use back in the day. A nice machine, but it's quite different from the 71B, and going back and forth can be frustrating.

I recently observed a 75C listed on ebay for $50, working fine, nice cosmetic shape, leather case included. It ran for 2 weeks but never got any bids. A bit shocking, IMHO.

But you've found the right place to inquire and ask around.