ZX81 packaging

Discussions about Sinclair ZX80 and ZX81 Hardware
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msellan
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Re: ZX81 packaging

Post by msellan »

Moggy wrote: Sun Mar 26, 2017 9:46 pm Quite unlike any packaging I've seen here before with early issue one cassette leads(A ZX80 hangover) a nice almost custom box plus a flat bound as opposed to a spring bound manual which I suspect is a US thing,a very very nice example thanks for sharing. :D
I wondered about the cassette leads myself. This was an ebay purchase. They guy said he was the original owner. But who knows, it's ebay afterall ;)

I definitely recognized them as the same ones that came with the ZX80. And since this 81 is definitely an issue 3 it seems unlikely that these cassette leads are original. I took it apart because it had a dead keyboard. So when I replaced it with one of RWAP's amazing replacements (thanks Rich!) I noticed the board issue number.

Everything else about it seems in order though. This box is very similar to the one I received with my ZX81 and even my original ZX80. Both came in these plain unmarked cardboard boxes. Were the containers in the UK fairly different for the 80/81s?
3 ZX80s (1 UK issue 2, 1 US issue 2 & 1 US issue 1), 5 ZX81s, 1 TS1000, 2 Memotech 16k RAM,
2 ZX81 16k RAM, 2 TS 16k RAM, 1 ZX81 unbuilt kit, 1 TS2040 printer, 2+ ZX8-CCB and counting
Lardo Boffin
Posts: 2160
Joined: Sat Nov 26, 2016 2:42 am

Re: ZX81 packaging

Post by Lardo Boffin »

I've had a quick look at the manuals I have knocking about and have:-

Spiral bound:-

1st edition, Kings Parade, 212 pages
2nd edition, Kings Parade, 212 pages
2nd edition, 1st reprint, Kings Parade, 212 pages (* 2)

Perfect bound (normal book binding):-

2nd edition, 3rd reprint, Willis Road, 160 pages
2nd edition, 3rd reprint, Willis Road, 160 pages
2nd edition, OttosraBe 28, Deutschland, 212 pages

I have another one somewhere but it is sealed in a box as I am in the process of trying to move house...

Note that the number of pages is based on the last printed page number.

Lardo
Last edited by Lardo Boffin on Mon Mar 27, 2017 3:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.
ZX80
ZX81 iss 1 (bugged ROM, kludge fix, normal, rebuilt)
TS 1000 iss 3, ZXPand AY and +, ZX8-CCB, ZX-KDLX & ChromaSCART
Tatung 81 + Wespi
TS 1500 & 2000
Spectrum 16k (iss 1 s/n 862)
Spectrum 48ks plus a DIVMMC future and SPECTRA
Moggy
Posts: 3231
Joined: Wed Jun 18, 2008 2:00 pm

Re: ZX81 packaging

Post by Moggy »

Full house there Lardo You've got the lot!! :lol:

(Except the perfect bound 212 page 2nd reprint)
Moggy
Posts: 3231
Joined: Wed Jun 18, 2008 2:00 pm

Re: ZX81 packaging

Post by Moggy »

msellan wrote: Mon Mar 27, 2017 5:01 am
Moggy wrote: Sun Mar 26, 2017 9:46 pm Quite unlike any packaging I've seen here before with early issue one cassette leads(A ZX80 hangover) a nice almost custom box plus a flat bound as opposed to a spring bound manual which I suspect is a US thing,a very very nice example thanks for sharing. :D
I wondered about the cassette leads myself. This was an ebay purchase. They guy said he was the original owner. But who knows, it's ebay afterall ;)

I definitely recognized them as the same ones that came with the ZX80. And since this 81 is definitely an issue 3 it seems unlikely that these cassette leads are original. I took it apart because it had a dead keyboard. So when I replaced it with one of RWAP's amazing replacements (thanks Rich!) I noticed the board issue number.

Everything else about it seems in order though. This box is very similar to the one I received with my ZX81 and even my original ZX80. Both came in these plain unmarked cardboard boxes. Were the containers in the UK fairly different for the 80/81s?

The leads are probably kosher as a lot of ZX80 stock(antenna/cassette leads) were shipped with early 81's so all good there I would think.
This is the packaging we had this side of the water.

The sleeve over the poly type box in the last frame is,thanks to some nice detective work by Fwapp,the earlier packaging whilst the box in frame three the later one used.

The poly inserts are the same in both and frame four is what was found on the rear of both boxes in roughly this form.

I have to say the US packaging seems a lot more robust to my eyes than the UK stuff and doesn't suffer from polystyrene bits being immutably stuck to the antenna/cassette leads which was always a problem when left packed away for too long.
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Moggy
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Joined: Wed Jun 18, 2008 2:00 pm

Re: ZX81 packaging

Post by Moggy »

Typical ZX80 package.

Poly's with plain brown box.
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Lardo Boffin
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Re: ZX81 packaging

Post by Lardo Boffin »

Moggy wrote: Mon Mar 27, 2017 11:57 am Full house there Lardo You've got the lot!! :lol:

(Except the perfect bound 212 page 2nd reprint)
Argh! Now I have something else to have to try to collect! :(
ZX80
ZX81 iss 1 (bugged ROM, kludge fix, normal, rebuilt)
TS 1000 iss 3, ZXPand AY and +, ZX8-CCB, ZX-KDLX & ChromaSCART
Tatung 81 + Wespi
TS 1500 & 2000
Spectrum 16k (iss 1 s/n 862)
Spectrum 48ks plus a DIVMMC future and SPECTRA
Moggy
Posts: 3231
Joined: Wed Jun 18, 2008 2:00 pm

Re: ZX81 packaging

Post by Moggy »

....And the hand tooled vellum Cantab De-Lux first edition and the......
Lardo Boffin
Posts: 2160
Joined: Sat Nov 26, 2016 2:42 am

Re: ZX81 packaging

Post by Lardo Boffin »

Moggy wrote: Mon Mar 27, 2017 3:37 pm ....And the hand tooled vellum Cantab De-Lux first edition and the......
Stop! Please stop! My wallet cannot take it!
ZX80
ZX81 iss 1 (bugged ROM, kludge fix, normal, rebuilt)
TS 1000 iss 3, ZXPand AY and +, ZX8-CCB, ZX-KDLX & ChromaSCART
Tatung 81 + Wespi
TS 1500 & 2000
Spectrum 16k (iss 1 s/n 862)
Spectrum 48ks plus a DIVMMC future and SPECTRA
User avatar
msellan
Posts: 60
Joined: Wed May 26, 2010 9:39 pm
Location: St. Louis Missouri, US
Contact:

Re: ZX81 packaging

Post by msellan »

Lardo Boffin wrote: Mon Mar 27, 2017 3:59 pm
Stop! Please stop! My wallet cannot take it!
:lol: Boy, I know how that feels!
Moggy wrote: Mon Mar 27, 2017 12:16 pm
This is the packaging we had this side of the water.

The sleeve over the poly type box in the last frame is,thanks to some nice detective work by Fwapp,the earlier packaging whilst the box in frame three the later one used.

The poly inserts are the same in both and frame four is what was found on the rear of both boxes in roughly this form.

I have to say the US packaging seems a lot more robust to my eyes than the UK stuff and doesn't suffer from polystyrene bits being immutably stuck to the antenna/cassette leads which was always a problem when left packed away for too long.
Cool, that's really helpful. I hadn't seen UK ZX80 packaging before and I wasn't sure if the pictures showing the ZX81 with the colorful box were used in the UK also. Although my ZX81 came in a plain cardboard, I purchased a kit ZX81 from a guy about 15 years ago really inexpensively (I wish I'd have bought two or three now ;) ) and it has the same box as your images show - from the poly inserts to the full color outer box.
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I had intended to build it but never got round to it and so it got packed away until today. What I didn't realize (and hadn't ever thought about) was the issue of the bare board inside the kit. I just unearthed it from storage and the board is a UK issue 1. :D I'll take some pictures of the board and its parts tomorrow.

Best,

-mark
3 ZX80s (1 UK issue 2, 1 US issue 2 & 1 US issue 1), 5 ZX81s, 1 TS1000, 2 Memotech 16k RAM,
2 ZX81 16k RAM, 2 TS 16k RAM, 1 ZX81 unbuilt kit, 1 TS2040 printer, 2+ ZX8-CCB and counting
Moggy
Posts: 3231
Joined: Wed Jun 18, 2008 2:00 pm

Re: ZX81 packaging

Post by Moggy »

Look forward to seeing that board. :D
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