Maybe a joke ?

[Raymond Del Tondo]

Hi,

here's the number of an interesting eBay auction: 5774402609

Just take a look and smile;-)

Raymond

[Pio]

Del Tondo,

The guy simply doesn't mind the real price for this 42S at this shape. BTW I have the ugliest 42S due to humidity I'm thinking in selling it for about 400 bucks what about? ;)

Pio

[Namir]

This is one of the ugliest 42s sold on eBay. It needs the following:

1) Power wash, done ONLY by a professional
2) Paint job. I suggest taking the 42s to a car body shop for the paint job.
3) New pictures to include the seller.

WE WILL BE WATCHING!!!!

PS: For the asking price I suggest replacing the 42s CPU with that of a Cray.

[JDH]

Yep, bit of an ugly duckling that one, I sold a true mint HP 42s for less. Maybe the seller is a used car salesman too. He could of made some attempt to clean it up a bit more if nothing else.

[Erik Ehrling (Sweden)]

Ah... come on... the seller clearly states that the *manual* is in very good condition :-)

Regards, Erik

[Namir]

Hi Erik,

You nailed in it right on! The auction is mainly for the pristine (always thought of that word as a name of a beautiful woman that I'd like to meet) manual. The calculator (probably found in a liberated Fallujah insurgent hideout ... due it's sorry shape) is just an accessory for the manual!!!

Namir

[Pio]

Erik,

Mine 42s is the ugliest in the world. So if the most ugly the most expensive, I'm selling it for 400 bucks. What about?

http://br.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/marxpio/detail?.dir=2381&.dnm=c067.jpg&.src=ph

cheers,

Pio

[Erik Ehrling (Sweden)]

I have a fair collection of HP-42S's, but I can't beat you on that one...

Regards, Erik

[Namir]

Looks like the 42s that Anakin Skywalker had with him when he went to the hellish planet in the new Star Wars!!!

[Namir]

I think there is a "wave" of fashionable mega-overinflated prices (and yes we know who started it). However, this is a supply and demand market. The GENERAL eBay buyers are looking for deals!! There are always the newbies who are too anxious to start a collection of vintage calculators and who are willing to pay crazy prices (only to realize later on they have been had). The GENERAL demand for vintage calculators on eBay will not support the rise in calculator prices. I predict sellers will realize that if they want to parade (and recycle their auctions over and over .. until the rest of us are bored to tears with them) their hardware and pay eBay, then fine. But the majority of sellers who want to actually sell will have to ask for reasonable prices. I for one, when I sell on eBay or Amazon, I try to be competitive and ask for what the typical buyer can pay. On Amazon I am even more compettive and strive to offer calculator at the lowest price possible. I want my calculators to move out of my den.

Namir

Namir

[Namir]

To add insult to injury .. when you look at the enlarged picture you see the low-battery announceiator! I think the buyer of this 42s should first take it to an ER so they can jump-start it's batteries.

Moreover, has anyone paid very close attention to the numbered displayed in the picture? Most likely not! If you are a master cryptographer (like mois!) then the values displayed TWICE encode a secret message from the calculator which says "Please kill me!" That calculator must be in agonizing pain ... poor thing!

We are sure getting a lot mileage out of that auction!

Namir