Subject: Re: Curta Calculators - Design Marvel

From: [email-masked] (Chris Kantarjiev)
Date: 26 Apr 1996 18:46:06 GMT

I know that the sale happened, and the prices were high - I think a 
type II went for around $800.

Made me feel even better about the used type I we purchased a few
years ago for $75; all it needed was a good cleaning.

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From: [email-masked] (Eagan L Foster)
Date: 26 Apr 1996 00:58:49 -0400

With all the excitement about the auction of Jacqueline Onassis's estate
at Southeby's during this week, I am reminded that there was a mention in
this newsgroup in March that there were some Curta Calculators being made
available for auction soon (or was it recent past?).

Have those items sold, yet?  If so, what was the going rate?

-- 
Eagan

Address(es):    [email-masked]  (preferred) or
                [email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (George Butts)
Date: Fri, 26 Apr 96 13:36:56 GMT

I would be interested in the current value of the Curta, also.  I suspect any 
which are part of the Onassis's estate will be a little inflated.  We have a 
Type II (SN 529527) Curta which we bought for (memory) about $300 when that 
was a pure fortune...  Still have it sealed away in it's reverse-screw, 
waterproof, metal, o-ringed container.  It is a treasure just to hold and 
admire for its precision and craftsmanship.  

Ours was used very little because about a year or so later a fantastic device 
came on the market, a calculator which had a battery in it and a dial read out 
which could add, subtract, multiply and divide.  This new thing cost slightly 
less than the Curta plus you did'nt have to turn the crank!  Of course, it 
didn't have the significant figures of the Curta.

I also have three mint quality deci-duplex multi-trig slide rules I am saving 
to use when the electricity goes off in the shop and I have to do some quick 
trig calcs.

..gtb

>Have those items sold, yet?  If so, what was the going rate?

*---------------------*
* George Butts, KC8T
* Laurie Butts, N8CKI
* [MICROgen]
* [email-masked]
*---------------------*

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From: [email-masked] (James Kirkpatrick)
Date: 26 Apr 96 16:56:32 MDT

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (Eagan L Foster) writes:
|>With all the excitement about the auction of Jacqueline Onassis's estate
|>at Southeby's during this week, I am reminded that there was a mention in
|>this newsgroup in March that there were some Curta Calculators being made
|>available for auction soon (or was it recent past?).
|>
|>Have those items sold, yet?  If so, what was the going rate?

On April 2, Paul Amaranth posted:

   I got the auction results from Sotheby's and thought it might be of
   general interest:

   These were the Curta calculators:
     Type I  #69733  575 pounds
     Type II #511267 517 pounds
     Type II #535960 632 pounds

I'm not sure of the current exchange rate for Pounds to Dollars.

On March 21, Roger Edwards posted:

   For what it's worth, there is a photo of a Curta Model II in the Miller's
   1995 International Antiques Price Guide, page 525.  The price guide for
   the Curta is $300-375.

Jim