Great/Interesting Finds

[Lalaland124]

https://www.ebay.de/itm/Zenith-Alpen-SK ... 890.l49286

Don't know if it really is Zenith or Heathkit, but looks pretty nice.

[zrrion]

that'll be zenith, heath, or morrows most likely

[dr-lipschitz]

People forcing caps onto Beamspring switches deserve to have their fingers burnt. Bad, bad!

Did you buy some?

I didn't. i have the mini 3278, so no need for the num keys.

[Muirium]

Same here. Well dodged!

[ekeppel]

While I'd absolutely love to try brown Alps, this one's a tad too steep at $500 US. It's a "new old stock" replacement for an IBM 5140 luggable.

And one for $299. I do realize that the seller has a bit of history here ...

Yeah, that's pretty high. I just sold a complete working 5140 a couple of weeks ago for about $150 shipped. The keyboard was perfect on that thing, and felt like new. Personally, I prefer to keep working items like that together rather than swapping out the switches or selling just the keyboard on its own.

[vdublove37]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/402778376248

That price is outrageous, those go for $50-$75 from what I have seen in the past year

Ha! I bought a used one at $50 and it needed cleaning and one of the switches in finicky and sometimes doesn't register key presses. One is NOS condition is worth the premium if you enjoy these clicky space invaders like I do. In fact I'd buy this if I didn't already have a couple of these.

I just know that I had seen a couple of NOS or near NOS space invaders boards, including an erase-eaze, go for $50-$75 here in the US around last October-November. Perhaps they did not go for that amount after all and it was a fake bid but that is what I saw.

[nearsky]

That price is outrageous, those go for $50-$75 from what I have seen in the past year

Ha! I bought a used one at $50 and it needed cleaning and one of the switches in finicky and sometimes doesn't register key presses. One is NOS condition is worth the premium if you enjoy these clicky space invaders like I do. In fact I'd buy this if I didn't already have a couple of these.

I just know that I had seen a couple of NOS or near NOS space invaders boards, including an erase-eaze, go for $50-$75 here in the US around last October-November. Perhaps they did not go for that amount after all and it was a fake bid but that is what I saw.

$74 in January: https://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-NMB-RT ... 4844027401 The other sales you saw last year were likely from this same seller, he seems to have a bunch of these boards but is spacing out his listings.

[vdublove37]

Yes, that was the one! I was really on the fence and maybe should have put my bid in.

[hellothere]

Ha! I bought a used one at $50 and it needed cleaning and one of the switches in finicky and sometimes doesn't register key presses. One is NOS condition is worth the premium if you enjoy these clicky space invaders like I do. In fact I'd buy this if I didn't already have a couple of these.

I just know that I had seen a couple of NOS or near NOS space invaders boards, including an erase-eaze, go for $50-$75 here in the US around last October-November. Perhaps they did not go for that amount after all and it was a fake bid but that is what I saw.

$74 in January: https://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-NMB-RT ... 4844027401 The other sales you saw last year were likely from this same seller, he seems to have a bunch of these boards but is spacing out his listings.

Y'all can blame me. I had started pointing them out a few months back then stopped when they seemed to pop-up on ebay consistently.

I wouldn't mind trying a tactile or clicky Hi-Tek. It's just that it's (AFAIK) impossible to tell just from looking at the slider.

[Muirium]

The clicky ones are beautiful. Once they hit a higher price point maybe I’ll sell one.

[jsheradin]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/MEGA-RARE-SIEM ... 3327632587

Some predecessor switch to Sasse/Rafi?

[jbtb077]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-Extended ... 2782919431

[vdublove37]

I know clicky SI's and Montereys are next on my switch list once I have this DC-2014 for a while. Really trying to find my favorite clicky switch between those and capacitive buckling springs.

[motoko]

Chicony 5181 with Monterey Blues for $35
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Chicony-KB-518 ... SwuFhgb2XQ

[jbtb077]

Damn sold already.

[vdublove37]

Well, I missed that really sweet deal!

[MMcM]

Milspec USB keyboard

https://www.ebay.com/itm//294110603483

I imagine this has some kind of rubber barrier to make it sand-proof and some shielding to make it HEMP-proof, all of which probably means it's horrible to type on.

[Rayndalf]

Milspec USB keyboard

https://www.ebay.com/itm//294110603483

I imagine this has some kind of rubber barrier to make it sand-proof and some shielding to make it HEMP-proof, all of which probably means it's horrible to type on.

And here I thought I might go a week without buying anything
I bet the only mechanical switches are the 3 keys above the ball

Previously I'd been eyeing this (note the similar mil spec connector with a screw on cap on the side)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/General-Dynami ... 3725407034?
since I figured I could remove the top plate and replace it with one with MX cutouts, but this was half the price and has a ball.

Sure enough both are Devlin products, and judging by the datasheat not mechanical. https://www.devlin.co.uk/products/input ... s/defence/
It's so weird how boards of certain types seem to be listed in waves. I guess that's the human brain trying to find patterns in chaos. keyboard konspiracy

[Go-Kart]

NIB Focus "Command Post" Deck.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Focus-Enhanc ... Swdipffnpm

[raoulduke-esq]

Anybody living in Maryland? Great deal to be had...

https://washingtondc.craigslist.org/mld ... 23519.html

[hellothere]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-IBM-Mo ... 4078394600

Moar info:
https://www.brutman.com/IBM_LPFK/IBM_LPFK.html
viewtopic.php?t=15399

It's also the same seller from 5 years ago. You can also buy one on Amazon.

There's a note on one of the above pages that says that, unless you're using it with an IBM RS/6000, you need a power adapter.

[hellothere]

Possible blue Alps Chicony KB-5160AT for $169. I'd probably skip this, though. Poor seller rating (some of the positive ratings are actually negative). No pic of an actual switch. Very few ratings.

[hellothere]

Amber Omnom Omron B3G-S Wang KB listed as orange Alps. Currently $80.

[raoulduke-esq]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-IBM-Mo ... 4078394600

Seriously interested in one of those but I’ve been so busy failing at making a MACRO Macro Pad converter... I don’t think I have room to fail at 2 converters at once!

[dr-lipschitz]

for anyone in germany, I believe this keyboard will have micro switch SC switches:
https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-anz ... ref=search

my reasoning is the keycaps are very similar to wiki/ITT_Courier_1700

[ddrfraser1]

Nabbed this yesterday

AC03ADD5-C50C-4951-AFB6-FC17620C3766.jpeg (234.85 KiB) Viewed 5203 times

I already have an M 122 but I have a specific project in mind and this is a great deal!

[Rayndalf]

This looks pretty neat, but I'm pretty sure it'll be gone before I decide if I want to buy it.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Keyboa ... 4677252972

[John Doe]

for anyone in germany, I believe this keyboard will have micro switch SC switches:
https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-anz ... ref=search

my reasoning is the keycaps are very similar to wiki/ITT_Courier_1700

I know how bad the ITT MS SC keyfeel could go, but this keyboard, damn, it's so cool.

[MMcM]

This looks pretty neat, but I'm pretty sure it'll be gone before I decide if I want to buy it.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Keyboa ... 4677252972

There's a story there on why the CTRL key says CTRL KEY.

[Muirium]

There's a story there on why the CTRL key says CTRL KEY.

Maybe if you press it with CTRL it sends the KEY code…