HP 32E collectors value

[jebem]

What would be the acceptable asking price for a working unit?

Would this HP 32E asking price reasonable?

[Maximilian Hohmann]

(10-30-2016 07:10 PM)jebem Wrote:  What would be the acceptable asking price for a working unit?

I have three HP32s for which I paid 15 Euros on average. But yours looks really nice and seems to be complete, so the price looks about reasonable. There are not many brought up for sale lately, so the choice is very limited...

[rprosperi]

(10-30-2016 07:10 PM)jebem Wrote:  Would this HP 32E asking price reasonable?

I would demand to see photos of he battery terminals and battery bay inside the case (i.e. with no batteries installed) as this is the weak spot of the Spice series machines. This should also reveal if there were battery spills in the past.

Assuming they are intact and no spills, the price is a bit high, but not crazy for a complete 32E in nice condition, manuals, case, etc. Of course the charger is missing, which should lower the price a bit, but these are not too hard to find.

You may also ask for a close-up photo of the battery door to see if the small clips on the lower edge (towards the bottom of the machine) are intact. If not, perhaps this is why the door does not stay closed, though often this symptom is due to not "clicking" the door all the way closed.

[jebem]

Thanks for your information, Bob and Max.

I am looking to acquire my first Spice machine and have been looking since some time in the usual sites and on local flea markets as well every time I have the chance to visit them while traveling around.

A few days ago I saw one non working 32E in a hard case at a pawn shop near Barcelona but wasn't sure if the case really belong to the Spice series.
Besides the pouch. charger, and manual, is there a transport hard case for the Spices like the one offered for the Classic series?

[rprosperi]

(10-30-2016 11:18 PM)jebem Wrote:  Besides the pouch. charger, and manual, is there a transport hard case for the Spices like the one offered for the Classic series?

Jose, nice to see you're back!

I believe HP only offered the soft dark brown, zippered cases that came with each model of the Spice series; no hard or other premium cases were offered, though auction listings often show Spice machines with different cases from other series machines.

it seems there were at least 2 different 'versions' of the soft case; at least I own 2 different types. It may be only coincidence of the samples I own, but the 3 'cheaper' models (31E,32E,33C) have a smaller case with no padding, while the 'high end' models (34C, 37E, 38C) all have a bit larger case, which is lined with a felt padding.

[jebem]

Thanks again for your information, Bob!

Lately I'm on the busy side, although I keep checking these forums. This is a excellent source of knowledge with plenty of generous members. Thank you all.

Cheers,
jose

[aurelio]

(10-31-2016 12:50 AM)rprosperi Wrote:  

(10-30-2016 11:18 PM)jebem Wrote:  Besides the pouch. charger, and manual, is there a transport hard case for the Spices like the one offered for the Classic series?

Jose, nice to see you're back!

I believe HP only offered the soft dark brown, zippered cases that came with each model of the Spice series; no hard or other premium cases were offered, though auction listings often show Spice machines with different cases from other series machines.

it seems there were at least 2 different 'versions' of the soft case; at least I own 2 different types. It may be only coincidence of the samples I own, but the 3 'cheaper' models (31E,32E,33C) have a smaller case with no padding, while the 'high end' models (34C, 37E, 38C) all have a bit larger case, which is lined with a felt padding.

Hi jose, a really nice spice, but as Robert already said it's important to investigate on the presence of leakage from battery pack: the ribbon inside is really the is the weak spot of this series.

Robert, I thought that zippered brown cases were the ones offered with the woodstocks, while for the spices the black one showed in the auction, isn't so?
Also I have at least two versions of the black case: a "slim" one and another kind, a bit larger and softer that fits classical and 41c as well

[rprosperi]

(10-31-2016 10:40 AM)aurelio Wrote:  Robert, I thought that zippered brown cases were the ones offered with the woodstocks, while for the spices the black one showed in the auction, isn't so?
Also I have at least two versions of the black case: a "slim" one and another kind, a bit larger and softer that fits classical and 41c as well

Generally called black, it looks (to me) to actually be very dark brown, but you may be right; I'm sure we are discussing the same ones, as the Woodstock cases are medium-to-light brown.

Sounds like we have the same 2 case styles - are your larger ones also lined? I will try fitting a 41C into one of these as well.

[aurelio]

(10-31-2016 01:07 PM)rprosperi Wrote:  

(10-31-2016 10:40 AM)aurelio Wrote:  Robert, I thought that zippered brown cases were the ones offered with the woodstocks, while for the spices the black one showed in the auction, isn't so?
Also I have at least two versions of the black case: a "slim" one and another kind, a bit larger and softer that fits classical and 41c as well

Generally called black, it looks (to me) to actually be very dark brown, but you may be right; I'm sure we are discussing the same ones, as the Woodstock cases are medium-to-light brown.

Sounds like we have the same 2 case styles - are your larger ones also lined? I will try fitting a 41C into one of these as well.

Here they are, the larger at the edges and in the picture I notice a trend to brown colour....although really they look black, they are for me definitively black

[rprosperi]

(10-31-2016 02:16 PM)aurelio Wrote:  Here they are, the larger at the edges and in the picture I notice a trend to brown colour....although really they look black, they are for me definitively black

Yes, they seem to be the same 2 types. I have also confirmed a 41CV fits into the larger (padded/lined) case style. I suppose we have to agree the color appears to be Blackish-Brown to me, while Brownish-Black to you.

[jebem]

(10-31-2016 10:40 AM)aurelio Wrote:  Hi jose, a really nice spice, but as Robert already said it's important to investigate on the presence of leakage from battery pack: the ribbon inside is really the is the weak spot of this series.

Robert, I thought that zippered brown cases were the ones offered with the woodstocks, while for the spices the black one showed in the auction, isn't so?
Also I have at least two versions of the black case: a "slim" one and another kind, a bit larger and softer that fits classical and 41c as well

Hi, Aurelio,
I ended up buying an HP-32E from a Lisbon local seller instead of that TAS item.
As I mentioned in other thread (where this machine is pictured for almost complete tear-down, partial repair and reassembly), I was kind of lucky because the battery leakage didn't destroyed the flat cable, although one battery clip was broken in the process.

Concerning the pouches, my 32E came with a soft pouch but I can't decide on what the actual color is.
I'm not sure if it is black or deep dark brown. It depends on light condition.
One thing is for sure: the zipper is definitely black in color (at least 99% sure ).

Here are the pictures taken in house under natural sun light.

[rprosperi]

(11-13-2016 03:59 PM)jebem Wrote:  I'm not sure if it is black or deep dark brown. It depends on light condition.
One thing is for sure: the zipper is definitely black in color (at least 99% sure ).
....

It appears to be like what I've called the "larger" one, which includes padding/lining. Only my 34/37/38 came with this type pouch, my 31/32/33 came with the smaller type (with no padding/lining), so I guess that the lower end units had the lower case. Perhaps they changed over time, or perhaps differed by factory?

I think this case is very dark brown like mine. It is usually easiest to see this when viewing it under good lighting conditions, while holding it next to something which is completely black.

[aurelio]

(11-13-2016 03:59 PM)jebem Wrote:  

(10-31-2016 10:40 AM)aurelio Wrote:  Hi jose, a really nice spice, but as Robert already said it's important to investigate on the presence of leakage from battery pack: the ribbon inside is really the is the weak spot of this series.

Robert, I thought that zippered brown cases were the ones offered with the woodstocks, while for the spices the black one showed in the auction, isn't so?
Also I have at least two versions of the black case: a "slim" one and another kind, a bit larger and softer that fits classical and 41c as well

Hi, Aurelio,
I ended up buying an HP-32E from a Lisbon local seller instead of that TAS item.
As I mentioned in other thread (where this machine is pictured for almost complete tear-down, partial repair and reassembly), I was kind of lucky because the battery leakage didn't destroyed the flat cable, although one battery clip was broken in the process.

Concerning the pouches, my 32E came with a soft pouch but I can't decide on what the actual color is.
I'm not sure if it is black or deep dark brown. It depends on light condition.
One thing is for sure: the zipper is definitely black in color (at least 99% sure ).

Here are the pictures taken in house under natural sun light.

glad to read Jose that your new calculator is quite in a good ealth!!!
For you I 'm sure will be like "a walk" fixing it
About the dispute about the colour I admit that I bought my spices when already they were discontinued so don't know the original colour
The only spice I met in its time was a 34c without any pouch....simply laying on the work table of a friend of my father, togheter with frequencymeters, signal generators, scopes, spectrum analyzers and hundreds of tools ...all of course made by HP
I was a child at that time and all looks so amazing and so special