35S Insanity

[Steve Simpkin]

One reason the HP 35s is in demand, at least in the U.S., is that the HP 35s (and HP 33s) are the only programmable calculators allowed by the U.S National Council of Engineering Examiners (NCEE) for PE, FE, FS and PS exams (see https://ncees.org/exams/). There were companies that sold pre-programmed HP-35 calculators to aid in taking these tests.

Other reasons for the high prices from Bob Prosperi:
1. It was discontinued, availability is limited, so prices naturally rise
2. It's the only HP/RPN machine still authorized for Professional Engineering exams
3. Greed amongst the eBay sellers aware of 1. & 2. above