Thank you very much for this incredible post!
I recently told a friend that I had wanted a 550c for decades and he directed me to your post (I bought a 520 brand new back in the '90s-- and still have it).
Amazing job! Thank you very much for sharing your journey.
If you ever consider selling one, or KanjiTalk, please let me know.
Meanwhile, I'll be perusing Yahoo! Auctions and eBay for a complete system.
I'm glad you enjoy! I've just returned from a trip overseas, and I haven't really checked this thread lately. Yes, the last 550c I've sold was fairly recently; I acquired it on Mercari Japan, taking interest on a PowerPC sticker that was placed above the screen and wondering if it was a stock sticker. Upon inspection, it turned out it was a fan-made badge that the owner probably stuck on, so I sold it not thinking it should be part of my collection.
The last complete in box set that I sold was also fairly recently. The LCD casing was damaged, but it did have the 040 installed, and a complete set of restore disks as well as a CD. A repeat buyer purchased it from me after multiple price drops and a final offer later. I've decided to thin out my collection quite a bit. I have made a complete set of disk image copies of the installation floppy disks, however, as I intended to upload those on Macintosh Garden at some point. I've just never got around to it, and with my big trip now out of the picture, I will start looking into it.
There was a set of two 550c computers on Yahoo! Auctions that ended this morning for 13,500 yen, a little more than $124:
https://www.fromjapan.co.jp/en/auction/yahoo/input/h388282911
If you are the purchaser of those computers, congratulations.
EMS shipping and all fees, including domestic shipping and proxy service, would probably put this at around $250 for total cost (but if you're not that in a hurry, it could be a little cheaper). If you haven't found one, yet, I suggest to keep looking around and checking..they'll pop up eventually.
I wonder, are the 550c plastics as brittle as the 540c plastics?
I would believe so. My Singapore model does not show any case damage, besides the usual scratching on top casing, etc. I always felt like the USA assembled models that I've had briefly in my possession seemed to show more case weakness than my Singapore model. The complete in box one had case damage on the top casing, and two other USA assembled models always had a "drooping front bezel" (bezel piece below LCD: one side, I think right side, sagged lower than the other side on all USA models. Even after I removed the bezel from one unit and reseated, one side always seemed lower).
My Singapore model has an evenly-set front bezel, but one of the swing-out feet broke the day I received it as I was trying to engage it. I've since superglued it, and found no other case issues, but I'm sure other pieces are bound to break with a little force. And time.