Great/Interesting Finds

[User101]

I stand corrected, I have a similar looking board that has rubberdomes.

I have a 46010A and its FLS. I also have a 46011A which is rubber dome and they look identical. I think this one is FLS

[Rauha]

Feels like I have seen this Focus 727 with Blue Alps appearing on Ebay many times within few months from the same seller in Ireland. And maybe the seller has just had many of these, but few times I have bid on his/her Blue Alps board, then it gets relisted for much higher price, disappers, gets relisted low auction starting price, taken off market, relisted for high price and forth.
Fucking endlessly

Just yesterday it was on auction sale, taken off today and again relisted for high "Buy now price".
Sort of like an irish reinvention of cock tease for the high end vintage keyboard market.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Focus-727-Blue ... SwI49eVpUB

[snacksthecat]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Univac ... 1438.l2649

As someone who knows nothing about super old machines, is that possible to be converted? How old is it?

According to this site, it could be as early as 1969. Which is crazy to imagine!

I'm not sure if much is known about the earlier Micro Switch iterations. I do think it could be converted. I can think of a handful of members here who would probably be able to do it. I'd love to see that happen!

[//gainsborough]

Feels like I have seen this Focus 727 with Blue Alps appearing on Ebay many times within few months from the same seller in Ireland. And maybe the seller has just had many of these, but few times I have bid on his/her Blue Alps board, then it gets relisted for much higher price, disappers, gets relisted low auction starting price, taken off market, relisted for high price and forth.
Fucking endlessly

Just yesterday it was on auction sale, taken off today and again relisted for high "Buy now price".
Sort of like an irish reinvention of cock tease for the high end vintage keyboard market.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Focus-727-Blue ... SwI49eVpUB

Huh... that's very strange. I thought eBay did this thing where if an item has a bid on it then it can't be taken down?

[John Doe]

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre ... 3507535820

[xxhellfirexx]

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre ... 3507535820

I believe that is Cherry foam and foil.

wiki/Cherry_solid_state_capacitive

[Validus]

Feels like I have seen this Focus 727 with Blue Alps appearing on Ebay many times within few months from the same seller in Ireland. And maybe the seller has just had many of these, but few times I have bid on his/her Blue Alps board, then it gets relisted for much higher price, disappers, gets relisted low auction starting price, taken off market, relisted for high price and forth.
Fucking endlessly

Just yesterday it was on auction sale, taken off today and again relisted for high "Buy now price".
Sort of like an irish reinvention of cock tease for the high end vintage keyboard market.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Focus-727-Blue ... SwI49eVpUB

I think this is the same guy who was doing the same with another Blue Alps keyboard that looked like some kind of Ortek keyboard.

[Aran.E99]

Feels like I have seen this Focus 727 with Blue Alps appearing on Ebay many times within few months from the same seller in Ireland. And maybe the seller has just had many of these, but few times I have bid on his/her Blue Alps board, then it gets relisted for much higher price, disappers, gets relisted low auction starting price, taken off market, relisted for high price and forth.
Fucking endlessly

Just yesterday it was on auction sale, taken off today and again relisted for high "Buy now price".
Sort of like an irish reinvention of cock tease for the high end vintage keyboard market.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Focus-727-Blue ... SwI49eVpUB

I think this is the same guy who was doing the same with another Blue Alps keyboard that looked like some kind of Ortek keyboard.

Can confirm, I noticed this too with the other blue Alps board. The Focus board had about 8 bids on the other day, disappeared then suddenly got relisted. Thought I was having déjà vu. I wonder why he's doing this...

[John Doe]

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre ... 3544164107

Hope u guys enjoy...

[CL4P-TP]

https://www.ebay.it/itm/Mechanical-keyb ... 2929988557

Model M industrial

[depletedvespene]

https://www.ebay.it/itm/Mechanical-keyb ... 2929988557

Model M industrial

Industrial, Italian (141) layout... it even has the "Fine" key. I'd love to get my hands on this one.

[JP!]

Model M APL key caps
https://www.ebay.com/itm/OEM-IBM-Keyboa ... 1438.l2649

[depletedvespene]

Model M APL key caps
https://www.ebay.com/itm/OEM-IBM-Keyboa ... 1438.l2649

45 out of 48. I wonder where the other three did go to.

[Weezer]

Model M APL key caps
https://www.ebay.com/itm/OEM-IBM-Keyboa ... 1438.l2649

I'd posit these are actually model F era. Noting the lack of guidance bumps on F and J.

[depletedvespene]

Model M APL key caps
https://www.ebay.com/itm/OEM-IBM-Keyboa ... 1438.l2649

I'd posit these are actually model F era. Noting the lack of guidance bumps on F and J.

I agree with this observation.

[E3E]

Model M APL key caps
https://www.ebay.com/itm/OEM-IBM-Keyboa ... 1438.l2649

I'd posit these are actually model F era. Noting the lack of guidance bumps on F and J.

I was curious about that myself.




This being part of an M. Also, just at a glance, I've seen Ms with what seems to be no homing as well.

I'm not a IBM/Model M expert, so these are just cursory observations.

[Weezer]

Model M APL key caps
https://www.ebay.com/itm/OEM-IBM-Keyboa ... 1438.l2649

I'd posit these are actually model F era. Noting the lack of guidance bumps on F and J.

I was curious about that myself.

This being part of an M. Also, just at a glance, I've seen Ms with what seems to be no homing as well.

I'm not a IBM/Model M expert, so these are just cursory observations.

Well, I'm definitely not an expert either by any means I don't want to come off as an authority here.
I have noticed though that the sets that are seen on unsavers and F122s have similarities with this set. The comically wrong representation of the alpha character on A so that it looks like a fish is one, and the small size of the numbers above the alpha block is another.
In my observations both these appear to be changed on later IBM key sets with the numbers being larger and the α character being fixed, like on this model M from 1988 found here: https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/ ... 1791342877

Here's an example of an F122 that sold on ebay recently and an unsaver that has an F era APL set. Note the fish and comparatively smaller numbers above the alpha block

Here's an example of a complete IBM model M apl keyset that JP! posted on geekhack, noting again the correct α and the size of the numbers:

It would be my guess that IBM took unused stock they made during the model F production and packaged it for sale as an option for model Ms. But these are as well anecdotal observations, and merely my guess as to what is going on.

EDIT: adding a picture of the different font sizes for anyone who's unable see the difference because it's quite subtle
https://drive.google.com/file/d/10H0Kyy ... sp=sharing

[depletedvespene]

Model M APL key caps
https://www.ebay.com/itm/OEM-IBM-Keyboa ... 1438.l2649

I'd posit these are actually model F era. Noting the lack of guidance bumps on F and J.

I was curious about that myself.




This being part of an M. Also, just at a glance, I've seen Ms with what seems to be no homing as well.

I'm not a IBM/Model M expert, so these are just cursory observations.

Your M122 with APL keycaps (and mine as well) came from the same vendor, who had four of those up for auction; the serial numbers for those M122 was 1389162, which isn't out of the ordinary; also, my unit does NOT have an F8 with the "APL" front-printed legend.

Back when those keyboards were for auction, and later on, when we got our hands on them, I had a heavy suspicion that these were run-of-the-mill M122 keyboards that had their original keycaps replaced by the APL stuff... from a package rather like the one on auction now.

[E3E]

The pictures aren't from my M122. They are of an M found here: https://clickykeyboards.com/product/198 ... -apl-keys/

Yeah, these might've been replaced as well. The M122 keys did have homing bars, but neither this M here nor the ones on eBay seem to. For the record though, my first impression was that they were from the Model F era too, which is why I searched for other examples to compare.

It would be my guess that IBM took unused stock they made during the model F production and packaged it for sale as an option for model Ms. But these are as well anecdotal observations, and merely my guess as to what is going on.

Thank you for this post and all the information you've shared! I missed it earlier, but this certainly offers some really good comparisons to note the differences.

[depletedvespene]

The pictures aren't from my M122. They are of an M found here: https://clickykeyboards.com/product/198 ... -apl-keys/

Yeah, these might've been replaced as well. The M122 keys did have homing bars, but neither this M here nor the ones on eBay seem to. For the record though, my first impression was that they were from the Model F era too, which is why I searched for other examples to compare.

Those are, indeed, replacements as well. The keyboard in that page is a 1391401, but the keycaps are clearly from a terminal unit (see the ¢/! and the ,/, and ./. keys).

[E3E]

Alright, that certainly clears it up! Thanks for the additional information.

[JP!]

It's back
https://www.ebay.com/itm/F62-Model-F-Ke ... SwXYxeV0C1

[Wiggles]

It's back
https://www.ebay.com/itm/F62-Model-F-Ke ... SwXYxeV0C1

What was the winning bet for the previous listing?

[keyboardcircle]

It's back
https://www.ebay.com/itm/F62-Model-F-Ke ... SwXYxeV0C1

What was the winning bet for the previous listing?

420

[dcopellino]

Please, stop all that. It seems a clear lack of respect for ellipse and it's valuable efforts. The relisting is due to an unfulfilled payment of the winning bidder, but anyway lower than the original cost. I am wondering what's the meaning of all this?
Is someone testing the market demand? Maybe....

[kmnov2017]

It's back
https://www.ebay.com/itm/F62-Model-F-Ke ... SwXYxeV0C1

Hahahahahahaha

[kmnov2017]

Please, stop all that. It seems a clear lack of respect for ellipse and it's valuable efforts. The relisting is due to an unfulfilled payment of the winning bidder, but anyway lower than the original cost. I am wondering what's the meaning of all this?
Is someone testing the market demand? Maybe....

Winning bidders have 48 hours to pay. Unless the buyer made a clear indication that they won't be honouring their winning bid, an immediate relisting by the seller shows a desperation to sell - this is only going to result in lower winning bids in subsequent relisting(s).

Unless, of course the seller refused to sell the item at a winning bid and cancelled the sale.

I wonder which may be the reason in this case...

[John Doe]

Please, stop all that. It seems a clear lack of respect for ellipse and it's valuable efforts. The relisting is due to an unfulfilled payment of the winning bidder, but anyway lower than the original cost. I am wondering what's the meaning of all this?
Is someone testing the market demand? Maybe....

Winning bidders have 48 hours to pay. Unless the buyer made a clear indication that they won't be honouring their winning bid, an immediate relisting by the seller shows a desperation to sell - this is only going to result in lower winning bids in subsequent relisting(s).

Unless, of course the seller refused to sell the item at a winning bid and cancelled the sale.

I wonder which may be the reason in this case...

Exactly.

Seller relisted the kbd so fast, I think thats about 5-10mins after the previous bid ended.

[kmnov2017]

Please, stop all that. It seems a clear lack of respect for ellipse and it's valuable efforts. The relisting is due to an unfulfilled payment of the winning bidder, but anyway lower than the original cost. I am wondering what's the meaning of all this?
Is someone testing the market demand? Maybe....

Winning bidders have 48 hours to pay. Unless the buyer made a clear indication that they won't be honouring their winning bid, an immediate relisting by the seller shows a desperation to sell - this is only going to result in lower winning bids in subsequent relisting(s).

Unless, of course the seller refused to sell the item at a winning bid and cancelled the sale.

I wonder which may be the reason in this case...

Exactly.

Seller relisted the kbd so fast, I think thats about 5-10mins after the previous bid ended.

Well then it's a blessing in disguise for the winning bid as it's actually worth a LOT less.

[orihalcon]

I haven’t come across this too often as a seller, but it at least used to be that for auction items that the winning buyer cancelled, second highest bidder could be offered a “second chance” to the next highest bidder. Would think they’d have gone that route unless the >$420 bid was a fake bid by a known party in order to set a “reserve” if sorts? That would explain relisting it 10 minutes later, but who knows? Maybe there was a big gap between top bidder and next highest bidder, so maybe they wanted to reauction for that reason?