Great/Interesting Finds

[ZedTheMan]

Neat Zenith Data Systems Numpads



https://www.ebay.com/itm/292738003418

EDIT: Not Green or Yellow Alps, is Alps integrated dome/ common mount low profile.

[mike52787]

Neat Zenith Data Systems Numpads

NOS, IDK if Green or Yellow Alps.

Can get seller down to $10 before shipping.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/292738003418

Neither

[wiki]Alps_common_mount_low_profile[/wiki]

[ZedTheMan]

Neat Zenith Data Systems Numpads

NOS, IDK if Green or Yellow Alps.

Can get seller down to $10 before shipping.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/292738003418

Neither

[wiki]Alps_common_mount_low_profile[/wiki]

Oof, thanks for the correction!

[mike52787]

Neat Zenith Data Systems Numpads

NOS, IDK if Green or Yellow Alps.

Can get seller down to $10 before shipping.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/292738003418

Neither

[wiki]Alps_common_mount_low_profile[/wiki]

Oof, thanks for the correction!

No worries, I fell for one of those a long time ago, but learned what it was before purchasing.

[JP!]

I got one anyways as a neat keypad.

[Gnohio]

I got one anyways as a neat keypad.

Are the switches (domes) in those even any good? Ive never had the chance to type on alps integrated dome but ive been looking for a (preferably mechanical) external numpad thats not terribly expensive.

[Slom]

Micro Switch SW board: https://www.ebay.com/itm/273489143494

way cheaper Micro Switch SW board:
https://www.ebay.com/itm//192645008136
has no sculpted key caps, but has no missing key caps either

also way better chipping, for 90$ chipping you could almost expect a monitor to come attached with your Micro Switch keyboard, like this:
https://www.ebay.com/itm//183415770695
(I think the spacebar is broken what a shame)

[Slom]

Just saw this come up a few minutes ago. Nice looking board, though I am not sure what type of switches it would have. Looks to have a metal case.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/183463143176

Its a Honeywell hall effect keyboard. It has the tell tale bent spacebar and flat top 3.

The flat top 3 I would not rely on ... I have a Hi-Tek TI Silent that also has it. Not sure if all keyboards with this space bar have Micro Switch switches, but a lot of the Micro Switch switches have normal space bars. The little dash on the Q might also be a sign to look for: on my Hi-Tek it is a wave, on the Micro Switch it is a straight line.

What i find confusing is the led windows, I have never seen these on Micro Switch boards.

You are lost in a sea of vintage spherical key caps, all a little different ...

[xxhellfirexx]

The flat top 3 I would not rely on ... I have a Hi-Tek TI Silent that also has it. Not sure if all keyboards with this space bar have Micro Switch switches, but a lot of the Micro Switch switches have normal space bars. The little dash on the Q might also be a sign to look for: on my Hi-Tek it is a wave, on the Micro Switch it is a straight line.

What i find confusing is the led windows, I have never seen these on Micro Switch boards.

You are lost in a sea of vintage spherical key caps, all a little different ...

I am sure one can write a book on keyboard manufacturer/switch identification. This is just my simplified way of quickly identifying gems in the sea of endless keyboards. More accurate identification will of course require a model number and additional pictures.

[Slom]

The flat top 3 I would not rely on ... I have a Hi-Tek TI Silent that also has it. Not sure if all keyboards with this space bar have Micro Switch switches, but a lot of the Micro Switch switches have normal space bars. The little dash on the Q might also be a sign to look for: on my Hi-Tek it is a wave, on the Micro Switch it is a straight line.

What i find confusing is the led windows, I have never seen these on Micro Switch boards.

You are lost in a sea of vintage spherical key caps, all a little different ...

I am sure one can write a book on keyboard manufacturer/switch identification. This is just my simplified way of quickly identifying gems in the sea of endless keyboards. More accurate identification will of course require a model number and additional pictures.

It is definitly nice to be able to skip everything with a rounded 3 when you are looking for Micro Switch keyboards. My comment was meant to provide additional information to yours, not to negate it.

[Elrick]

Check out this enormously attractive beastie;

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Texas-Instrume ... 0010.m2109

You can covert this into a fine piece of hardware when emailing or contacting anyone .

[Noobmaen]

The flat top 3 I would not rely on ... I have a Hi-Tek TI Silent that also has it. Not sure if all keyboards with this space bar have Micro Switch switches, but a lot of the Micro Switch switches have normal space bars. The little dash on the Q might also be a sign to look for: on my Hi-Tek it is a wave, on the Micro Switch it is a straight line.

What i find confusing is the led windows, I have never seen these on Micro Switch boards.

You are lost in a sea of vintage spherical key caps, all a little different ...

I am sure one can write a book on keyboard manufacturer/switch identification. This is just my simplified way of quickly identifying gems in the sea of endless keyboards. More accurate identification will of course require a model number and additional pictures.

The keycaps look like keytronic to me

[Engicoder]

A couple of 122 key space invaders.

4th gen, should be black, clicky
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Model- ... 3478245455

1st/2nd gen, should be white linear
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Model- ... 3478226321

The latter is a beast

[Wintermute1974]

If anyone is looking to replace the capacitive pads in his foam and foil keyboard, then I think I just found the site for you:
https://texelec.com/product/foam-capaci ... keytronic/

According to the page itself, these new pads should be good for the:

Apple Lisa 1 and 2, Compaq Portable, Compaq Deskpro 286 AT keyboard, Compaq Enhanced Keyboard, Curvus Concept, DEC, Franklin Ace 1000/1100/1200, GenRad, IBM PCjr (some), Kaypro II, Key Tronic Model F clone series, Machintosh XL, Mainframe Terminals (some), Miniterm 1203, Northstar Advantage, Sirius 1, Sol-20, Sol-220, SUN Type 4, Tandberg Data TDV 2115C, Tandy TRS-80, Tektronix 4107, Unisys F420800, Victor 9000, Visual Technology 1050, Wang

[DatOtherJosh]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/283193208939
Some keeb with skcl cream

[//gainsborough]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/283193208939
Some keeb with skcl cream

Before it went to auction only I put an offer in for $125, which was declined with the message "just listed it." So I offered $145 with the message "what are you hoping to get for it so I know what ballpark I'm swinging at" and got an $800 counter offer with the message "why not just bid?"

Friggin' guy... Why even have an offer section if you're just gonna be a douche about it?

[Engicoder]

If anyone is looking to replace the capacitive pads in his foam and foil keyboard, then I think I just found the site for you:
https://texelec.com/product/foam-capaci ... keytronic/

According to the page itself, these new pads should be good for the:

Apple Lisa 1 and 2, Compaq Portable, Compaq Deskpro 286 AT keyboard, Compaq Enhanced Keyboard, Curvus Concept, DEC, Franklin Ace 1000/1100/1200, GenRad, IBM PCjr (some), Kaypro II, Key Tronic Model F clone series, Machintosh XL, Mainframe Terminals (some), Miniterm 1203, Northstar Advantage, Sirius 1, Sol-20, Sol-220, SUN Type 4, Tandberg Data TDV 2115C, Tandy TRS-80, Tektronix 4107, Unisys F420800, Victor 9000, Visual Technology 1050, Wang

I can vouch for these pads. The maker took feedback from people in various communities to continuously improve their product. These are definitely the best Key Tronic replacement pads I have come across yet.

[JP!]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/283193208939
Some keeb with skcl cream

Before it went to auction only I put an offer in for $125, which was declined with the message "just listed it." So I offered $145 with the message "what are you hoping to get for it so I know what ballpark I'm swinging at" and got an $800 counter offer with the message "why not just bid?"

Friggin' guy... Why even have an offer section if you're just gonna be a douche about it?

That would trigger me and I simply wouldn't bid at all.

[fohat]

"why not just bid?"

I simply wouldn't bid at all.

I must be missing something here.

Why not just bid?

< But in snipe mode, of course >

[Muirium]

Because the seller is a douchebag wrapped in a canoe. You know what to expect.

[wobbled]

It's a shame there's a bid on it now, we could've showered him with $1 offers

[fohat]

I still don't understand. I am (or was) a moderately active ebay buyer and seller.

90%+ of what I sell, I know what it is worth and sell it "Buy-It-Now" at a fair price to move it quickly.

Or perhaps I start with an overly optimistic high price, but then I drop about 10% per week until it sells.

When I put an item up for auction, I do it deliberately because I literally do not know what it might bring, and I am always curious to see what will happen. I start a 10-day auction on Thursday so that it will run across 2 weekends to get the maximum exposure. I also assume that everyone who is not a moron is sniping, and if I have zero bids an hour before closing I do not worry.

Ebay hates sellers like me, because it short-circuits their desire to make their site seem like a place to find bargains.

[Damonskv]

Ibm 5556 in deep china https://2.taobao.com/ul-item/?id=577830 ... serId=null sorry for shitty link, work well only if you use app

[njm]

IBM System 32 for sale here https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/IBM-System-32/163299791778

[FXT]

IBM System 32 for sale here https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/IBM-System-32/163299791778

Shame it's all the way in Australia. Really cool find though.

[Bass]

Something I have never seen before, a NOS beamspring, 3276 in this case:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/332832070246

Same model as the German one which sold for over $3.5k just recently, so I am surprised this still hasn't sold yet at this price.

[darkcruix]

Something I have never seen before, a NOS beamspring, 3276 in this case:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/332832070246

Same model as the German one which sold for over $3.5k just recently, so I am surprised this still hasn't sold yet at this price.

NOS Beamspring - WWWWOOOOWWWWW

[Bass]

Something I have never seen before, a NOS beamspring, 3276 in this case:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/332832070246

Same model as the German one which sold for over $3.5k just recently, so I am surprised this still hasn't sold yet at this price.

NOS Beamspring - WWWWOOOOWWWWW

Actually, I just noticed from looking at the pics more closely, although it is labeled as NOS, there does seem to be several parts of the case where the paint is chipped. I guess this is the "wear and tear" mentioned in the description. Very common on 327x models of beamsprings, but I wonder how it happened with this one since it seems like it was stored with the original packing material intact.

[webwit]

https://www.marktplaats.nl/a/computers- ... -6580.html

[Gamuholic]

Something I have never seen before, a NOS beamspring, 3276 in this case:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/332832070246

Same model as the German one which sold for over $3.5k just recently, so I am surprised this still hasn't sold yet at this price.

More info: ebay-com-f67/vintage-ibm-beam-spring-ke ... 19907.html