Great/Interesting Finds

User avatar
Menuhin

20 Nov 2016, 23:36

Nuum wrote: Selling it at a high price to "deter scrappers" sounds just like an excuse to make more profit on it. I think it's on the owner's discretion what he wants to do with his keyboard.
Spoiler:
I, for example, have keyboards around I don't want to take apart, since they are a collectible to me and I want to preserve them, but those only have sentimental value to me and no real use. I tend to think that using old things to create something new and usable is better than just letting it sit around for display or even keep it in a save. If you had created one of those keyboards would you want it to be repurposed and reused or just kept away from everyday use just because it simply is unusable nowadays, may it be because there is no converter or the layout is not to your liking or the switches under those keycaps are crap or vice versa?
Also, where do you draw the border between keeping it original and repurposing it? Is it ok to tear down G80/G81s with nice doubleshots or dyesubs because they aren't rare (at least in Germany)? I mean those look beautiful on their own and even feature a useable layout, but nobody would complain here. Being a work of art and keeping it original for the sake of its design isn't a thing of rarity but personal preference. It's not that the keyboards we play around with daily have real historical value, they are usually neither the world's firsts nor one of their kind.

Maybe cars are a good parallel to this problem as well; some like them original, some like them modded to the max, some like them old and rusty (Rat Rods, I'm looking at you), some like sleeper cars etc., but in the end every car enthusiast worships cars and that's what it's all about.

So there is no general answer but everybody has to decide on his own. It's a hobby, you decide what to do and what you like and it doesn't hurt anybody in an existential way when you do things different than it would be considered "OK".
Or in other words: Make it yours! I don't care how, as long as you feel good about it.

In general I find all paths interesting in their own way, be it cars or keyboards.
I'm saying, I can donate to a real purposeful museum or a community-owned collection, but if I sell it to the public, one way to ensure that it won't be scrap for parts is to make it sell at a price no longer profitable for harvesting its parts.

Re-purposing a piece of unused equipment through making use its parts will be a noble act. That's definitely at a more meaningful level than just be scrapped for its metal.

User avatar
Menuhin

20 Nov 2016, 23:48

seebart wrote:
Menuhin wrote: That also means, if I really want to ensure this (rare? or not so rare?) Tektronix board be safe, I should resell it at a price beyond 125€ which deter scrappers for just the caps and the switches. Or I should sell it or trade it or gift it to someone who promises to do a conversion or has it as part of a collection. If DT has a donation center, I will consider that. Sadly, everyone is selfish about their time and money volunteering.
Triple NO! DT does not have a "donation center". DT does not have a museum or a "room" in Berlin or anywhere in the world for something like what you mean. Who do you think we are? Also you can be quite sure there will most likely be no conversion the Tektronix. Also what is "money volunteering"? Giving money away? Of course people are "selfish" about that. :?
Are you Swabian? I am not in particular referring to donation just from you. ;)
High price is bad for collectors, and sellers who just want to sell quickly. However, we can see that the SkiData keyboards at a new price of 125€, instead of 55€, and with the availability of GMK SkiData caps elsewhere, is no longer such a lucrative source of SkiData caps and Clear switches. Pretty effective.

It's totally feasible to organize a community collection just like the keyboards sending around to for members try - as long as people are willing to put in their time and effort to make it happen. I understand there are lots of people not trying hard enough but still want to put themselves in a high moral ground - just like myself who doesn't have enough time and space and money. Similarly true for the Tektronix conversion. Re-purposing a rare keyboard as a whole piece of equipment, and having a community shared collection or even a showroom sponsored by resourceful keyboard / switches / key caps companies is just a remote fantasy, in which many key enthusiasts will be quite happy.

User avatar
mike52787
Alps Aficionado

21 Nov 2016, 01:51

Menuhin wrote:
seebart wrote:
Menuhin wrote: That also means, if I really want to ensure this (rare? or not so rare?) Tektronix board be safe, I should resell it at a price beyond 125€ which deter scrappers for just the caps and the switches. Or I should sell it or trade it or gift it to someone who promises to do a conversion or has it as part of a collection. If DT has a donation center, I will consider that. Sadly, everyone is selfish about their time and money volunteering.
Triple NO! DT does not have a "donation center". DT does not have a museum or a "room" in Berlin or anywhere in the world for something like what you mean. Who do you think we are? Also you can be quite sure there will most likely be no conversion the Tektronix. Also what is "money volunteering"? Giving money away? Of course people are "selfish" about that. :?
Are you Swabian? I am not in particular referring to donation just from you. ;)
High price is bad for collectors, and sellers who just want to sell quickly. However, we can see that the SkiData keyboards at a new price of 125€, instead of 55€, and with the availability of GMK SkiData caps elsewhere, is no longer such a lucrative source of SkiData caps and Clear switches. Pretty effective.

It's totally feasible to organize a community collection just like the keyboards sending around to for members try - as long as people are willing to put in their time and effort to make it happen. I understand there are lots of people not trying hard enough but still want to put themselves in a high moral ground - just like myself who doesn't have enough time and space and money. Similarly true for the Tektronix conversion. Re-purposing a rare keyboard as a whole piece of equipment, and having a community shared collection or even a showroom sponsored by resourceful keyboard / switches / key caps companies is just a remote fantasy, in which many key enthusiasts will be quite happy.
Why not just keep the prices low and let whoever buys them do whatever they want with them? everyone would be happy that way.

User avatar
seebart
Offtopicthority Instigator

21 Nov 2016, 08:50

Menuhin wrote: Are you Swabian? I am not in particular referring to donation just from you. ;)
WOT? :lol: What does Swabian have to do with anything. I am not Swabian BTW. Also when I was a noob here I wasn't nealy as obnoxious in loooooooooooooooong posts that make almost no sense whatsoever.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swabia
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Menuhin, how about doing a teardown thread of your Tektronix instead of these loooooooooooong posts...I'm looking foreward to it (in a Swabian way) , we could use the pictures for our wiki which you told me you "love".

User avatar
kbdfr
The Tiproman

21 Nov 2016, 10:50

eG80-11900 LUMSF (forget auction title, see text and pic),
i.e. MX black switches, lasered keycaps, Swedish/Finnish layout,
for 13.80€:
http://www.ebay.de/itm/132009217956

Could proxy if seller really doesn't ship outside Germany.

User avatar
Menuhin

21 Nov 2016, 11:47

@mike52787, @Scarpia,
Everyone can do anything towards what they have or what they have control over, unless protected by law, e.g. a person vs a slave. It's not a call out for all the vintage keyboard white knights or something, and I agree with the aspects of a vintage keyboard to assess when considering its 'collectibility' elaborated above by more serious collectors; plus, it is subjective as in what is a suitable way to re-purpose a piece of artifact, so even DocuTech (even with its protocol decoded) torn down for the rare blues, or the unknown Tektronix for its not so rare linear greens can be reasonable. However, seeing so many vintage and potentially useful keyboards, built better than 90% of modern keyboards dismantled is for me almost as sorrowful as seeing old historical coffee shops or buildings torn down and replaced by McDonald's.

I will try to hold on to the SGI Granite for similar nostalgic reason, despite I find TKL or less more comfortable. Of course I can become a collector or sponsor when I have more time and space and money.

@seebart, for sure I would love to take some pictures of the constructions of Tektronix for our Wiki when I have more time. ;)

User avatar
Menuhin

21 Nov 2016, 11:49


User avatar
seebart
Offtopicthority Instigator

21 Nov 2016, 11:51

With your loooong posts...I have my doubts it will ever happen...

User avatar
miloica

21 Nov 2016, 12:56

Unicomp has free shipping during "Cyber week". Also, 40% off on warehouse liquidations. I just bought industrial grey case for $18 and a new model M keyboard for $44.40. No mention of the discount anywhere on the site until you add the product to cart.
http://www.pckeyboard.com/page/category/Surplus

User avatar
Khers

21 Nov 2016, 14:32

Too bad the free shipping is only valid within the US (one is allowed to dream, right :D ); $70 shipping for a $18 item was a little steep as it makes for a rather expensive case in the end.

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seebart
Offtopicthority Instigator

21 Nov 2016, 15:27

Khers wrote: Too bad the free shipping is only valid within the US (one is allowed to dream, right :D ); $70 shipping for a $18 item was a little steep as it makes for a rather expensive case in the end.
If those shipping deals were valid in the EU I would have ordered by now...instead I ordered with hammelgammler:
Spoiler:
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User avatar
tentator

21 Nov 2016, 18:00

Menuhin wrote: This is an 'interesting find':
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dell-OEM-Alienw ... Sw3YNXb79G
Oh my gosh and it's a rubberdome or at least MX red??

User avatar
mike52787
Alps Aficionado

21 Nov 2016, 18:28

tentator wrote:
Menuhin wrote: This is an 'interesting find':
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dell-OEM-Alienw ... Sw3YNXb79G
Oh my gosh and it's a rubberdome or at least MX red??
Rubberdome.

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alienman82

21 Nov 2016, 19:41

removed.
Last edited by alienman82 on 02 Mar 2018, 03:15, edited 1 time in total.

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Hypersphere

21 Nov 2016, 20:19


User avatar
emdude
Model M Apologist

21 Nov 2016, 23:13

miloica wrote: Unicomp has free shipping during "Cyber week". Also, 40% off on warehouse liquidations. I just bought industrial grey case for $18 and a new model M keyboard for $44.40. No mention of the discount anywhere on the site until you add the product to cart.
http://www.pckeyboard.com/page/category/Surplus
I'm very tempted to pick up another industrial case and one of those 1391580s, those blue sub legends are delicious.. :? :oops:

User avatar
Hypersphere

22 Nov 2016, 00:04

I'm quite annoyed with myself that I made a substantial purchase from Unicomp last week, without realizing that they were going to run a sale this week. Had I known, I surely would have waited! Nevertheless, now I'm tempted to go back for more....

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Tuntematon

22 Nov 2016, 03:17

Well damn. Not in great shape, but still: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Focus-Electroni ... 7675.l2557

One of you?

User avatar
Darkshado

22 Nov 2016, 03:51

I wonder: were these in a fire at some point? (3 M13s)

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Lot-of-3-IBM-M13 ... SwXeJYM4wH

User avatar
Tuntematon

22 Nov 2016, 04:05

Darkshado wrote: I wonder: were these in a fire at some point? (3 M13s)

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Lot-of-3-IBM-M13 ... SwXeJYM4wH
Sold for $100. Cheap, but the warping is a problem for anyone looking to do any kind of restoration. Looks like at least 2 of the 3 have warping and they are all in pretty nasty shape overall.

User avatar
//gainsborough
ALPSの日常

22 Nov 2016, 04:33


My $120 bid lost at the last second =(

One day, blue alps... one day...

On the bright side my de-soldering equipment came in the mail today!

User avatar
lot_lizard

22 Nov 2016, 06:02

Unicomp is starting to release a few more things from the warehouse. They will do a few more bits every day or so until the end of the month (not all of these will be discounted btw):

User avatar
Wingpad

22 Nov 2016, 06:07

lot_lizard wrote: Unicomp is starting to release a few more things from the warehouse. They will do a few more bits every day or so until the end of the month (not all of these will be discounted btw)
Hmm, with this news I might hold off on ordering some stuff from them 'til we get a better idea of what's coming. I'm not saying I'm waiting for SSK-related merchandise but, actually though, I'm waiting for SSK-related merchandise :lol:

hkrak

22 Nov 2016, 12:26

Someone here that got this? :)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/232150970963? ... EBIDX%3AIT

Beamspring sure is interesting, but sadly it would never be accepted in my home.

User avatar
E TwentyNine

23 Nov 2016, 02:33

Unicomp has added ISO M's to their liquidation section, $50.40 each + free ship in US:

IBM Latin American Layout

Lexmark branded French Canadian

User avatar
lot_lizard

23 Nov 2016, 21:03

E TwentyNine wrote: Unicomp has added ISO M's to their liquidation section, $50.40 each + free ship in US:

IBM Latin American Layout

Lexmark branded French Canadian
Add the IBM 82G5920 to the list. Hard to beat these prices for "new" M's... even if they might need some adaptor updates. The model he was excited about (7 total available) is coming yet, but I don't know how many of you will really find a need for it. Neat board though. No idea what they will charge, but looking favorable based on the others

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E TwentyNine

23 Nov 2016, 21:19

lot_lizard wrote:
E TwentyNine wrote: Unicomp has added ISO M's to their liquidation section, $50.40 each + free ship in US:

IBM Latin American Layout

Lexmark branded French Canadian
Add the IBM 82G5920 to the list. Hard to beat these prices for "new" M's...
Remember to keep an eye on which ones include a cable. The 82G is attached so it does. The SDL ones (ISO and ANSI) do not include a cable. The Lexmark ansi one does.

User avatar
webwit
Wild Duck

23 Nov 2016, 22:14


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Scarpia

23 Nov 2016, 22:48

Clicky russian (USSR) Hall Effect keyboard at a decent price:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/USSR-clicky-mec ... 2110059275

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XMIT
[ XMIT ]

23 Nov 2016, 23:52

Scarpia wrote: Clicky russian (USSR) Hall Effect keyboard at a decent price:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/USSR-clicky-mec ... 2110059275
I saw this beautiful board earlier and don't think it is Hall effect. You would need at least three connections per switch for that and this board only has two.

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