How much is an 472 worth?

[twox]

So, i think that i have found an genuine 472 (Spanish keys). With atrocious destruction of my 464, i was looking for a CPC to satiate my CPC hunger (with fixes to my original still in mind). I found a 472 for about 210Euro - is it a fair price for a 472? Will its prices rise in future or has it yet stagnated? Or am i better of to bid a 100Euro 6128 (with prospects of price rising in excess of 150Euro)?

[ComSoft6128]

Hi twox,

I have been reading you're recent posts with a feeling of sympathy and dismay. I have a non working 6128 (disc drive failed years ago - probably the usual drive belt fault) and will sell it you for 50 euros + postage. This is for the keyboard only. If this interests you please PM me.

Cheers,

Peter

[twox]

Well, if everything spare the disk drive works im in
The disk drive repair will propably be more so mechanic than electronic, so i guess i wont have nearly as much chance to screw it up like last time. And, i dont have any 3" disks to begin with...I'll PM you shortly.

[||C|-|E||]

The 472 is a strange machine, yep, but you will probably have way more joy from a 6128  Price wise I don´t really know how much they are nowadays, but since they are quite rare probably too much (as you already saw). Funnily enough, I found the one I have in Spain in a dumpster. That was looong ago...

[Bryce]

The 472 is just a 464 with a stupid (non-functional) PCB added. Fine for collectors, but as far as a usable machine goes, it's just a 464.

Bryce.

[dragon]

There are two versions of the 472 the english version have the extra pcb and basic 1.1 and the spanish with ñ, basic 1.0 and don't have the pcb.


But 210e is exagerated. Mostly around 80e. Is the normal price, and is much for a 464 type.


Thats only keboard, i view now one with box for 140e, another with monitor with games 150e..

[00WReX]

There are two versions of the 472 the english version have the extra pcb and basic 1.1 and the spanish with ñ, basic 1.0 and don't have the pcb.

All 472's have the extra PCB.
I have the spanish with ñ key and BASIC 1.0
It has the PCB.

Cheers,
Shane

[AMSDOS]

Silly query, I gather nobody has attempted connecting the PCB because there's nothing on the Board to Connect it to? 

[Gryzor]

There's some interesting info here: http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/472#The_Daughterboard


Btw I didn't realise the 472 was rare, I thought it was almost bread and butter for Spanish users...

[Velociraptor]

I think that they only did the 472 for a short period to avoid tax, but a longer term fix was to change the keyboard. I may have picked that up incorrectly though.

[deepfb]

I think that they only did the 472 for a short period to avoid tax, but a longer term fix was to change the keyboard. I may have picked that up incorrectly though.

You are right: a Spanish company, Eurohard, bought Welsh Dragon Data and lobbied the Spanish government to protect their computers; the government passed an act aiming to satisfy Eurohard during 1985 summer. Amstrad "made" the CPC 472 in a rush so Eurohard couldn't spoil their 1986 Christmas sales.

By January 1986 Spain was a full member of the Common Market, so the tariffs enacted by the Spanish government on home computers were not worth the paper they were written on -that's why I think it is not unfair to say that the CPC 472 was made just for the 1986 Christmas season.

The decision came from Amstrad UK, with the spanish management disagreeing with it. More info here, mostly in spanish: it includes links to the acts involved, a fragment of Alan Sugar's memories, the reply by José Luís Domínguez and some prose filled with sarcasm

[Gryzor]

Yup, it says so in the article I shared (duh), that the law changed very soon thereafter so things went back to normal.

[deepfb]

Yup, it says so in the article I shared (duh), that the law changed very soon thereafter so things went back to normal.

The fact is that *everybody knew* that the things would back to normal from January 1986, since that was the date for Spain & Portugal to join the EEC -it was known years in advance that Spain had to drop its tariffs against other EEC coutries by then.


The tariff was erected just to protect Dragon computers for four months (from september to december 1985, the Christmas sales season), and the CPC 472 was just created as a response to it. A computer with a lifespan of four months, shorter than the 664 xD

[zhulien]

If i had a 472 i would probably put a working multiface 2 in it and remove the existing ramboard if it isnt needed so it truely was a useful 472. (multiface 2 has a functioning 8kb)