The fate of collected calculators.

[pier4r]

Either you have few or ten or hundreds of calculators, you collected and use them with love. What will happen when you won't care about them anymore? Do you have a plan or a wish?

I'd like mine would be used by others that appreciate their value but so far I didn't instruct anyone else about them.

[Maximilian Hohmann]

Hello!

(01-18-2019 10:33 AM)pier4r Wrote:  Do you have a plan or a wish?

Plan? No.

Wish? Ideally they will go to someone who appreciates their historical and technical value and their rarity. Not just to someone who sees them as a financial investment and tries to make a profit from reselling them.
There are very few museums that would bother to inventarise them. Maybe a couple of special ones (say an HP-35 and 65 because of their possible connection to space flight and because they were the first of their kind) but all the others are worthless in that respect.

(01-18-2019 10:33 AM)pier4r Wrote:  I'd like mine would be used by others that appreciate their value but so far I didn't instruct anyone else about them.

As I have forced my wife and son (who is off to university now) to live with my calculators for many years, they know that the things are not totally worthless. They are both competent internet users and eBay members so I don't think any special instructions will be required. Once they decide what to do (donate them to another collector or auction them off) they will make the best of it.

Regards
Max

[grsbanks]

For my part, I don't think I'll become disinterested. I started the collection about 30 years ago, had to stop for most of the intervening years and started again about 18 months ago. There are still many models that I would like to get my hands on so I'm not done yet

My partner is not in the least interested in calculators but knows the value of some of them, so should I die first, he'll know what to do with them and he knows that I'd rather they went to someone who would appreciate them for what they are rather than just a source of income.

[Carsen]

This instantly reminds me of this video.

Honestly, selling them online is the best way because I believe most purchases online are from buyers who love these machines.

And no, I don't have a plan for my calculators, mostly because I believe I won't die anytime soon being in my 20's. I'm more focused in actually buying them . Of course, that doesn't mean I can't tempt the fates and get killed. I'll think about it.

[Eddie W. Shore]

(01-18-2019 10:33 AM)pier4r Wrote:  Either you have few or ten or hundreds of calculators, you collected and use them with love. What will happen when you won't care about them anymore? Do you have a plan or a wish?

I'd like mine would be used by others that appreciate their value but so far I didn't instruct anyone else about them.

Everyone once in a while I will donate calculators, some end up donated door prizes at HHC conferences.

I would like to find a school in need of some calculators. That would be cool to let calculators that are not in use back into the world for use.

I also gave some to friends and family.

I am thinking of making a list of 10-15 calculators to ultimately keep.

[Csaba Tizedes]

(01-18-2019 10:33 AM)pier4r Wrote:  Do you have a plan?

I'll select some (maybe random) address everywhere in the world and I'll send my machines to them. I hope, I can change the life some peoples. And they can change the life of the people near by them. Some talented people never can be buy these machines via eBay or something similar ways. With this maybe I can help them. BTW: If a calculator has soul, they can grows by this way.

[Maximilian Hohmann]

(01-19-2019 07:59 PM)Csaba Tizedes Wrote:  I'll select some (maybe random) address everywhere in the world and I'll send my machines to them.

90 percent of the people I know have thrown away their calculator right after school (the usual reaction I get when I tell someone that I collect calculators is: "Oh, I should have known that earlier, not long ago I dumped mine in the bin!"). So sending them around randomly might be the death sentence for most of them. Of course if one of them by chance finds it's way to the next Einstein (who otherwise would have become a farmer or fisherman) the future of mankind might take a different direction! The Warp drive fially. Maybe I should start sending out calculators to random addresses. The RPL ones will have to go first ;-)

[Csaba Tizedes]

(01-19-2019 08:25 PM)Maximilian Hohmann Wrote:  ...

Maybe one of my calculator is like that little metal strip in the Vonnegut's 'The Sirens of Titan' a replacement part for something for somebody who is waiting in his/her lifetime and one day it is arrive and the turning point is came in the history of the Universe. There are no coincidences.

[Dan]

(01-19-2019 08:25 PM)Maximilian Hohmann Wrote:  90 percent of the people I know have thrown away their calculator right after school (the usual reaction I get when I tell someone that I collect calculators is: "Oh, I should have known that earlier, not long ago I dumped mine in the bin!").

My brother had an 80's Casio calculator he used in school but rarely used anymore. I asked him not to throw it out and removed the original Casio batteries (which were still working) to prevent damage. Sure enough he threw it out last year. I should have taken it when I had the chance.

[Carsen]

So there is truth to the saying "One's trash is another's treasure".

[Dan]

(01-19-2019 05:30 AM)Carsen Wrote:  This instantly reminds me of this video.

Very relevant video. The presenter talks about what can be done to save calculator collections and the varying success of preserving vintage cars, typewriters, sliderules, Palm Pilots and LP's, and discusses the pros and cons of electronic storage methods.

[EugeneNine]

Its the same with any collection, doesn't matter if its calculators or anything else. most of the time the ones who inherit the collection don't place any value on it and if its not thrown away its sold for well less than its worth.

[pier4r]

Yes indeed, it is the same with any collection (I focused on the main topic here: calculators). Still if people know, they may act differently.

[Maximilian Hohmann]

Hello!

(01-24-2019 02:11 PM)pier4r Wrote:  Yes indeed, it is the same with any collection...

I wouldn't say that. There are collectibles that have a "natural" value to themselves that everyone, even laypersons, recognise immediately. Impressionistic paintings, Chinese porcelaine, Roman coins, ... you name it. Even old books (I mean those big ones bound in thick leather that nobody ever reads because you need a pedestal to support them) would not get thrown away so easily. Bot ordinary commodities like our beloved calculators are use-them-as-long-as-the-battery-lasts items to many people unfortunately.

Regards
Max

[pier4r]

Good point.

[Thomas Klemm]

(01-24-2019 02:24 PM)Maximilian Hohmann Wrote:  Bot ordinary commodities like our beloved calculators are use-them-as-long-as-the-battery-lasts items to many people unfortunately.

Even in this forum: TI-36X Pro—Replace the batteries or just get a new one?

[Massimo Gnerucci]

(01-24-2019 03:32 PM)Thomas Klemm Wrote:  

(01-24-2019 02:24 PM)Maximilian Hohmann Wrote:  Bot ordinary commodities like our beloved calculators are use-them-as-long-as-the-battery-lasts items to many people unfortunately.

Even in this forum: TI-36X Pro—Replace the batteries or just get a new one?

But that is not one of our beloved calculators.

;)

[EugeneNine]

to most people a calculator is a calculator, doesn't matter what brand it is.

[Massimo Gnerucci]

Just like a watch is a watch, a car a car...
Yes, you're right, of course.

[toml_12953]

(01-18-2019 11:41 AM)grsbanks Wrote:  My partner is not in the least interested in calculators but knows the value of some of them, so should I die first, he'll know what to do with them and he knows that I'd rather they went to someone who would appreciate them for what they are rather than just a source of income.

You're lucky! My wife isn't the least bit interested either but she has no idea of the value of any of it. To her, these calculators are just junk I play with when I should be raking the snow, painting the grass, mowing the leaves or shoveling the house or something like that. If I am dying and I know it, I'll make a list of what I have and post it on this forum along with my address so anyone interested can make my wife an offer. She'll accept any offer since she thinks they're all worthless no matter how many times I tell her they're not. Who knows? You could get an HP 9110A for $20.00 or an Altair 8800 with ASR33 TTY for the price of shipping! Don't hold your breath, though. My latest checkup was superb. Low A1C, cholesterol, etc.