Strange recurring HP41CX at $440 on eBay

[sergio]

Did anyone notice this "december" guy on ebay selling "new" hp41cx's one after another, at buy-it-now of $440, for several months?
As soon as one is sold, another appears. Same photos and price and description.
Is this a scam? Are the hp41cx's still manufactured?

[V-PN]

No - the 41 series has been discontinue a long time ago.

The "new" calculator could be in an unopened box.

VPN

[hugh]

i think he has a stash of them and selling one at a time. i bought one from him right at the start (when they were cheaper). they are indeed new in box with unopened manuals.

[sergio]

They are selling like hot cakes (of course); his selling history shows tens and tens of them. This guy discovered a pure stock of gold - governement sale? Ex repaired units? Hidden son of Mr Hewlett or Mr Packard? :-P

[Raymond Del Tondo]

Hi,

I also have one of these new units,
and the person I got it from had at least *ten* of these new units from UK. It seems there's more than one seller,
and if the eBay deals over the last months were real, the stock propably was many hundreds of units.

Raymond

[Randy Sloyer]

The story I heard was a palette load was found somewhere in a storage facility in the UK. It went to auction and the entire load was sold to one buyer. They sold off some of the units in groups of 10 or 20 before they realized the value.

They've been selling one a week or so for the last year. I heard some where sold for as little as $50. The lowest I've seen was about $220 to a high of $660.

It's for real, get one while you still can...

[Michael Meyer]

I bought two for $50 each. I was afraid to buy more then fearing a scam.

Oh well. I just bought a 42S for $225, used. Like everything else....

Michael

[christof (NoVA US)]

There was a stash of them discovered in the UK a while back- like a warehouse lot or something. I also got one- and also at an earlier and lower price.

I'm curious to know when he will run out, but until he does, we are all assured of a way to get a new one if we can pay. (though I think he's scalping a bit, I can't blame him, really)

-Christof

[Iqbal]

I got two, though I wished I had paid $50 [ the price he started out selling at ]. One thing is sure though, if he wasn't a millionaire before he is one now. If he was making a profit selling at $50 and now he sells for $450+ well, I don't need any HP calc. to tell me he's making a huge profit. I am glad, though that somebody found these new units. I am saving these for my two daughters. Unless next 10 years HP comes out with something better [ which I seriously doubt ].

[John L. Shelton]

"Scalping" is such an unpleasant term for a voluntary transaction between two parties who both get something they value. Unless force is involved, there is no reason to criticize the price anyone else pays for something they want.

If you claim that you, yourself were "scalped", you are merely admitting that you regret your voluntary purchase. Auctions are designed to let emotions dictate price, yet you always have the option to consider your bids rationally.

Applause to the profit motive of such trades is due - without that motive, you'd have much more trouble finding the things you want.

[christof (NoVA US)]

Scalping is something that happens. I've used scalpers more than once to get tickets to sporting events. There's nothing derogatory about it.

Profiteering- now that's a different story. Selling water at $5.00 per liter because you are the only one with a clean supply, now that i'd say was 'wrong'.

Scalping is something that happens- and it's a normal part of life. there was no bad intent with using the word.

-C

[Randy Sloyer]

Quote:

---

Profiteering- now that's a different story. Selling water at $5.00 per liter because you are the only one with a clean supply, now that I'd say was 'wrong'.

---

I think there is a big difference between selling at a profit that which people need and that which people want.

I would agree selling water that cost you $0.25/L at $5/L would be morally wrong if you set up your stand in the desert.

Nobody "needs" calculators. The market sets the price because more than one person is willing to pay more than the next guy. I'm always baffled at why people think it is "wrong" to sell at a profit, no matter what the margin. For the seller, it's a once in a lifetime event. Doesn't everybody deserve a little good luck now and then?

[christof (NoVA US)]

Well- that's why I made the distinction.

scalping calcualtors isn't the same thing as profiteering.

If I found a pallet of HP42s calcs NIB, I wouldn't insist on selling them at suggested rtail price. I'd scalp, sure.

[Axel Poqué]

I bought one from him, too. Actually "december64" is quite nice, because he promptly offered to send me a replacement when my CX developed contact problems (I posted about this about a month ago). He even let me the keep the non-working calc for parts (for a minor fee). The calcs are really brand new / mint and the manuals are still sealed. So even if the price seems a bit steep, you can be sure they have never been used, have no corrosion, and do actually work (unlike some other auctions, where used calculators of uncertain condition described as 'mint' are sold for not much less).

Axel