42S -How much did you pay for it?

[revwillie]

$57.72 USD in Jan 2017

The ebay listing was not flattering. It was clear that it needed some cleanup and the foil around the keys was dented and bent. I spent some time gently rubbing off pencil marks with a small eraser and straightening the foil parts. The name 'Scott' is still scratched in the back. However, it works perfectly and the display is still 100%

I originally bought my first one in 1989 from Educalc. I think it cost about $90. It served me well in engineering school. I was unloading stuff for cash in the late 90s and sold it for $40 to a student (I think. I might have been scammed by a collector). Once ebay came on line and I started paying more attention, I realized what a mistake it was to sell that one.

[John Casper]

Instead of the DM42,I have decided to purchase it's downgrades from Swiss Micros,perhaps DM15L or DM41L.
Perhaps a two line display is available on DM 15L

[rprosperi]

(12-07-2024 12:23 PM)John Casper Wrote:  Instead of the DM42,I have decided to purchase it's downgrades from Swiss Micros,perhaps DM15L or DM41L.
Perhaps a two line display is available on DM 15L

Not quite yet, but it will be soon... Discussed in my HHC presentation in September:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADUmQ5LX8gU

[John Casper]

Impressive,Great work, you and your team putting on these calculators!Will wait for further developments.

[Jonas Sandstedt]

Hello,
About 10 years ago I had collected some Texas calculators, but did not own any HP calculator at all. During lunch on Tuesdays I used to visit a local flee market who among many other things sold electronic devices. Large electronic devices (DVDS etc.) had a fixed price of 40 SEK (about 4 USD) and small electronic devices had a fixed price of 20 SEK (about 2 USD). There I found an HP calculator and did not have any clue about the specifics of the model which turned out to be a fully functional HP42S. I bought it only for being given the opportunity to collect an HP calculator, and of course it did not stop there, and today I have several in my collection. The price? Yes, it was the price for “small electronic devices”.
Best regards Jonas

[Csaba Tizedes]

I have no 42S but I own few 41xx. My best price was 500.-HUF (approx 1.5 EUR) for a 41CX with card reader - I traded it for a really great CASIO , what I sold later, of course. The highest price was 10000HUF (approx. 30.-EUR) for a 41C with 4x RAM PACK installed. Both workable but there were a corrosion on the battery foils inside of 41C.

IMHO if you want something really cheap go to the local markets. If you like thumb rules: see Geoffrey West's book "Scale"

https://www.amazon.com/Scale-Universal-I...1594205582

Cs.

[vaklaff]

One for well above $100, like 160 or 180 IIRC, the second one for $80. I thought the latter was a cheap, lucky buy. Now I read this:

(Yesterday 09:17 AM)Jonas Sandstedt Wrote:  ... small electronic devices had a fixed price of 20 SEK (about 2 USD). There I found an HP calculator and did not have any clue about the specifics of the model which turned out to be a fully functional HP42S.

Can't be unseen! Not without envy, I can only say: Congrats to the find, Jonas!

[Jonas Sandstedt]

Thanks. When I discovered that the calculator had an IR port, I bought an HP82240B, i think it was about 20 USD, ten times more expensive than the calculator. If memory serves, the next HP calculator was an HP-97 ... but that is another story.

[John Casper]

Recently got the WP 34S,but find the 42S more intuitive.Perhaps,I should get a HP 35S instead.

[battlecoder]

(Yesterday 08:31 PM)John Casper Wrote:  Recently got the WP 34S,but find the 42S more intuitive.Perhaps,I should get a HP 35S instead.

I have the HP 35S, and while I quite like it, it has some weird behaviors and inconsistencies that I'm not quite a fan of. In fact, after recently acquiring a 42S I sold a spare 35S that I had, mostly because the 42S feels less finicky than the 35S (although the 35S screen has a superior contrast and it's generally more straightforward to use)