deskthority

Nice find! I’m sure a lot of us will be standing by to see more listings/reasonable prices.

BCNR-Scrapper wrote: 28 Feb 2021, 21:53
Definitely not a scammer, I'm a real dude. Ha. Thanks for showing me this thread. As for the 5 stars, by eWaste business only became an entity around the first part of 2020 therefore Don't have too many sales as of yet. I do have a non-business ebay account for reference if anyone needs or wants to verify. We Mainly scrap right now. In regards to the keyboard (s). We recently took over a building that was completely full of vintage Computers. I'm in the IT industry by day so I got the chance to nerd out. Anyway, ran into the terminals without keyboards, but found them along with many many goodies. As far as price, of course my price is high but I wanted to truly see what people say and want these for. Probably going to keep some for my collection and sell the others real soon. Anyway just thought I would verify this from the person I have messaged on ebay. Hauled out a few today.

woof that is a quite a lot of IBM goodness

Welcome BCNR-Scrapper! I'd recognize the back of a GMT800 platform vehicle any day of the week. I'm guessing a 2001 Tahoe? The 'burb has a longer wheelbase. Man I miss my '01 Denali. Best keyboard truck ever.

I won't tell you how to run your business. But, please be reasonable with Deskthority. If you reward us with fair prices, we'll reward you with plenty of business.

There was a time not too long ago that Beamsprings sold for about $400 a pop, if not less. I don't think we'll ever get back to that.

Just remember, that the current high valuation of Beamspring keyboards, is due in no small part to Deskthority forum members! Folks here have, over the years, rescued them, cataloged them, and created hardware and software so as to be able to use them with modern systems.

So I guess the question is, do you want the maximum return on your investment, to be part of a community, or somewhere in between?

If you need help identifying anything please post to the forums or reach out to me personally via PM.

What I can't quite get together is: Expecting $ 2000 for something and at the same time throwing them on top of each other - not giving a f... if keys get bent or broken.
Less of a problem, because there is hardly any demand for them anyhow, but still: Three 5251 terminal screens on top of each other means 80 kg on top of the lowest one. One of the (admittedly very thick) plastic case halfs runs on surprisingly thin and flexible plastic sticks as hinges.

BCNR-Scrapper wrote: 28 Feb 2021, 21:53 Definitely not a scammer, I'm a real dude. Ha. Thanks for showing me this thread. As for the 5 stars, by eWaste business only became an entity around the first part of 2020 therefore Don't have too many sales as of yet. I do have a non-business ebay account for reference if anyone needs or wants to verify. We Mainly scrap right now. In regards to the keyboard (s). We recently took over a building that was completely full of vintage Computers. I'm in the IT industry by day so I got the chance to nerd out. Anyway, ran into the terminals without keyboards, but found them along with many many goodies. As far as price, of course my price is high but I wanted to truly see what people say and want these for. Probably going to keep some for my collection and sell the others real soon. Anyway just thought I would verify this from the person I have messaged on ebay. Hauled out a few today.

Welcome, dude. Here's a good place to share your thoughts, cheers.

Olivetti ANK25-102 (sans cable): https://www.ebay.com/itm/393154379635?

Someone go get it, 'coz I can't justify UK shipping.

XMIT wrote: 28 Feb 2021, 22:29 Welcome BCNR-Scrapper! I'd recognize the back of a GMT800 platform vehicle any day of the week. I'm guessing a 2001 Tahoe? The 'burb has a longer wheelbase. Man I miss my '01 Denali. Best keyboard truck ever.

I won't tell you how to run your business. But, please be reasonable with Deskthority. If you reward us with fair prices, we'll reward you with plenty of business.

There was a time not too long ago that Beamsprings sold for about $400 a pop, if not less. I don't think we'll ever get back to that.

Just remember, that the current high valuation of Beamspring keyboards, is due in no small part to Deskthority forum members! Folks here have, over the years, rescued them, cataloged them, and created hardware and software so as to be able to use them with modern systems.

So I guess the question is, do you want the maximum return on your investment, to be part of a community, or somewhere in between?

If you need help identifying anything please post to the forums or reach out to me personally via PM.

So, close.. 2003 Suburban. Yes my price on the keyboard is sky high. I get that. Did i fail and follow the path of others who have overly priced an item in hopes someone pays what previous items have gone for? Yes. Noone in there right mind is going to pay 2100 for that keyboard I have posted. What is a reasonable price for these? I don't know. There are not many out there. So you have to look at the comps on what people have paid. I am not in the keyboard selling business. This may be the only one I sell. Who knows. I do have quite a few collectible keyboards, but I have never sold. I collect vintage PCs and that's my thing. Being in the eWaste business, i get a lot of this "stuff". So there may be something I have, that someone is looking for. I wasn't going to join this forum but what the heck. So am i out there to maximize profits? Sure who isn't. Am I out here to learn something? Absolutely. To the other User: Stuff wasn't "Thrown" into the back of my vehicle and bounced around . They were placed there, driven 2 blocks and unloaded. Also the IBM terminals were that way when i opened the building, stacked. They are now unstacked and being tested. You would not believe this place and what is in it. Anyway, here I am. May not be too active, but if I get something, may post about it. Just sharing what I ran into. Im not here to be trashed talked to, not my thing. I am simply sharing some gold I found. Other than that, thanks for the input! Cheers!

Jan Pospisil wrote: 01 Mar 2021, 20:21 Olivetti ANK25-102 (sans cable): https://www.ebay.com/itm/393154379635?

Someone go get it, 'coz I can't justify UK shipping.

Thanks for the tip! I call dibs (gotta ask first, whether he ships to Germany or not...)

Oh man, nobody snatched it and now it's relisted for 15 quid. Curse you, Brexit shipping!

UK only. A shame, but understandable. Thank you very much, Brexit.

DataDesk TK-3000. One of the more interesting formats I’ve seen. Looks like it was owned by an enthusiast, as it’s been restored and converted to white Alps.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-Vintage-K ... 3479632191

I think white alps are original in that model:
http://www.kbdmania.net/xe/review/1124675

Looks like the early real ones, not junk clones. Should be great to type on.

thefarside wrote: 02 Mar 2021, 00:11 DataDesk TK-3000. One of the more interesting formats I’ve seen. Looks like it was owned by an enthusiast, as it’s been restored and converted to white Alps.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-Vintage-K ... 3479632191

Double_Shot_ABS wrote: 02 Mar 2021, 04:57 I think white alps are original in that model:
http://www.kbdmania.net/xe/review/1124675

Looks like the early real ones, not junk clones. Should be great to type on.

thefarside wrote: 02 Mar 2021, 00:11 DataDesk TK-3000. One of the more interesting formats I’ve seen. Looks like it was owned by an enthusiast, as it’s been restored and converted to white Alps.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-Vintage-K ... 3479632191

Ooh! Thank you for that link! I had been trying to find it again after seeing it a few years back. The switches in that example are the "mystery" unbranded Alps(?) switches from 1992-1993, which were also used by Datacomp and probably others as well. I have several Datacomp keyboards with those. They do indeed feel and sound like early SKCM, totally different than branded white SKCM switches from the same period. But the markings are a bit different, and there is no Alps branding, top or bottom. The 1x mold number on the upper right suggests whoever made these "started over" when they made the unbranded molds. Again these are from 1992-1993. I'm not sure anyone knows the real story on these switches, but they might have been from Forward/Fuhua using tooling from Alps?

The DataDesk keyboards were a big deal when they originally came out, and they were a quality product. Most of them were for Mac (ADB), as the ebay one apparently is (with USB converter).

Wow! Amazing stuff! Now this kbd is even more intriguing to me (I'll bid on it ). I appreciate your information. Quite frankly, I knew nothing other than info from that link until you introduced the history behind it. Thanks a bunch!!!

Polecat wrote: 02 Mar 2021, 05:23

Double_Shot_ABS wrote: 02 Mar 2021, 04:57 I think white alps are original in that model:
http://www.kbdmania.net/xe/review/1124675

Looks like the early real ones, not junk clones. Should be great to type on.

thefarside wrote: 02 Mar 2021, 00:11 DataDesk TK-3000. One of the more interesting formats I’ve seen. Looks like it was owned by an enthusiast, as it’s been restored and converted to white Alps.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-Vintage-K ... 3479632191

Ooh! Thank you for that link! I had been trying to find it again after seeing it a few years back. The switches in that example are the "mystery" unbranded Alps(?) switches from 1992-1993, which were also used by Datacomp and probably others as well. I have several Datacomp keyboards with those. They do indeed feel and sound like early SKCM, totally different than branded white SKCM switches from the same period. But the markings are a bit different, and there is no Alps branding, top or bottom. The 1x mold number on the upper right suggests whoever made these "started over" when they made the unbranded molds. Again these are from 1992-1993. I'm not sure anyone knows the real story on these switches, but they might have been from Forward/Fuhua using tooling from Alps?

The DataDesk keyboards were a big deal when they originally came out, and they were a quality product. Most of them were for Mac (ADB), as the ebay one apparently is (with USB converter).

TNT wrote: 01 Mar 2021, 23:22 UK only. A shame, but understandable. Thank you very much, Brexit.

I would suggest you ask for a proxy here on DT - I once did it, it worked.
Good luck!

BCNR-Scrapper wrote: 01 Mar 2021, 22:11[…] So am i out there to maximize profits? Sure who isn't.

Wrong approach.

Am I out here to learn something? Absolutely.

Correct approach.

[…] Im not here to be trashed talked to, not my thing.

Go back to step one.

Alps buckling springs for you guys in the UK.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/rm-nimbus-mo ... 3906174515

Sussex is a bit beyond my range. Otherwise I'd be tempted to go pick it up myself!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-HP-Key ... 2429016542
I remember reading their are two models of this board (46010A and 46011A the former Fujitsu Leaf Spring, the later rubberdome), I believe this is also a rubber dome board based on the part number and thinner printing on the number row, but I'm not sure.

Rayndalf wrote: 04 Mar 2021, 03:24 https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-HP-Key ... 2429016542
I remember reading their are two models of this board (46010A and 46011A the former Fujitsu Leaf Spring, the later rubberdome), I believe this is also a rubber dome board based on the part number and thinner printing on the number row, but I'm not sure.

Yes, there are four models:

• 46010A: FLS, clock-scanned
• 46011A: rubber dome, clock-scanned
• 46020A: FLS, HP-HIL
• 46021A: rubber dome,HP-HIL

By clock scanned, I mean that the terminal sends a clock pulse over one line and the state of the next key in rotation comes back over another line. listofoptions wrote a QMK converter. A few other keyboards work that way, too, such as the Geac's that showed up here a few months ago, with slight differences in the exact signal states / timing.

MMcM wrote: 04 Mar 2021, 16:01

Rayndalf wrote: 04 Mar 2021, 03:24 https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-HP-Key ... 2429016542
I remember reading their are two models of this board (46010A and 46011A the former Fujitsu Leaf Spring, the later rubberdome), I believe this is also a rubber dome board based on the part number and thinner printing on the number row, but I'm not sure.

Yes, there are four models:

• 46010A: FLS, clock-scanned
• 46011A: rubber dome, clock-scanned
• 46020A: FLS, HP-HIL
• 46021A: rubber dome,HP-HIL

By clock scanned, I mean that the terminal sends a clock pulse over one line and the state of the next key in rotation comes back over another line. listofoptions wrote a QMK converter. A few other keyboards work that way, too, such as the Geac's that showed up here a few months ago, with slight differences in the exact signal states / timing.

Interesting. It sounds like this arrangment offloads the "keyboard's job" to the terminal, but I'm guessing it's more efficient or cheaper when the keyboard and system are already proprietary.

I really need to finish restoring my Geac...

If I wanted to get a microswitch keyboard in the future are their any you'd reccomend?

if anyone wants an F62 from ModelFKeyboards:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/164742931926 ... 1555.l2649

I didn't know the Microspeed trackballs come with a scroll log.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Micros ... 3920694707

https://www.ebay.de/itm/KEYSWITCHES-RAR ... SwsxxgMuod

It's the "Canada Blue" guy again, I think. Just read the description on this one

TNT wrote: 08 Mar 2021, 19:24 https://www.ebay.de/itm/KEYSWITCHES-RAR ... SwsxxgMuod

It's the "Canada Blue" guy again, I think. Just read the description on this one

It's like what would happen if you trained a machine learning model on data from r/mk and then had it write an item listing...

raoulduke-esq wrote: 08 Mar 2021, 19:29 It's like what would happen if you trained a machine learning model on data from r/mk and then had it write an item listing...

That checks out. AI would likely make similarly heavy use of the Comic Sans font just to spite us humans.

You know, if he's gonna charge $3.50 per switch the least he could do is freakin' clean them and not bend the contacts. Those things are filthy and he apparently put lube on top of the dirt right after yanking them out of his "Model M". Maybe the essay he's so kind as to include with the switches will explain why one shouldn't clean their switches. Thank goodness the item specifics indicate they're compatible with CANADA BLUE because I was really starting to worry....

https://www.ebay.com/itm/303887632489

wtf is this...

John Doe wrote: 09 Mar 2021, 13:10 https://www.ebay.com/itm/303887632489

wtf is this...

Lemme just take out a mortgage and we can find out ...

LMAO this guy was trying to buy blue alps from me for like 2$ a switch I turned him down cus I knew he was just going to resell it on ebay with his crappy listings