HP-11C: What is going on with the asking prices?

[rprosperi]

(03-20-2015 04:08 AM)Les Bell Wrote:  

(03-19-2015 07:17 PM)rprosperi Wrote:  Basically, most (all?) of the 15C-unique features are things I use rarely so they never became familiar.

That's my feeling, as well; there's a lot of functionality "hidden" behind the keyboard of the 15C. It's very cleverly done, and very powerful, but you have to use it a lot to become really familiar and comfortable with it. I have a similar feeling about the 12C - from memory, it has some probably-quite-important toggle to do with "Canadian mortgages" or similar, hidden behind a gold-shifted key that isn't even labeled.

However, there's enough commonality between the 11C and 15C - their keyboard layout for the stuff that is labeled is near-identical - that you can use either calculator for the simple stuff. When the going gets tough, the 11C simply can't hack it, and then I either pull out the manual for the 15C to remind myself, or I grab my 41C with Advantage ROM. That happens pretty rarely, though. And the Pioneers are so small that I can easily carry both the 11C and 16C in my jacket pockets (or even in the hidden pockets of my ScottEVest shirts).

I don't understand any price pressure on the 11C, though - they're common enough that I've picked up two in the last year and a bit. The first one, I got locally for $A100 or so, and the second via TAS for around $US27 plus modest shipping - and that one came with the original box, case and manual. I think that seller (in the Philippines) had a few, and so I'm probably not the only person around here who got lucky. Perhaps some sellers are feeling a bit over-optimistic.

I agree with your comments Les, stated better than my quick reply. But I'm sure you meant "... the Voyagers are so small...".

Pricing on TAS is wacky and no amount of studying or analyzing will ever make sense of it, and this is particularly true for Voyager models. In the past 2 weeks I saw a 16C in near-mint condition sold for $37 and a relatively beat-up one go for ~$160?. (And no, I didn't know about the $37 one until it was gone.)

The keys to buying these, as everything else, is patience and research. Sellers "know" that HP calcs are hotly pursued by collectors, so they throw them out there with silly prices, and unfortunately even sillier buyers pay them. I must admit to being silly from time to time as well, but I'm feeleing much better now.

One tip I can suggest for Voyager buyers - if you are looking for the very nice HP leather cases, don't search for just the case, look for 12Cs and read the details. Often they are sold together far cheaper than the cases do alone. I recently got a 12C with brown leather case, both essentially new, for about $30. Which gave me anothr 'spare' 12C to do a little more Calculator Philanthropy, gifting to a deserving friend or relative to convert them from the dark side.