Vintage Keyboard Dealer

[adevriesc]

TL;DR - I sell cleaned vintage keyboards regularly and at reasonable prices.

http://www.ebay.com/usr/devrial

I've found several sources of vintage keyboards in my area and I can't keep them all... So I figured I'd sell them. I should have at least 5 units per month; it depends on what my supply chain provides.

I clean most boards before sending them to you:

-The case is disassembled and thoroughly cleaned via a trade secret (no, I don't retrobrite things)
-The keycaps are pulled and soaked in denture cleaner to disinfect/clean them
-The plate is gently brushed and vacuumed to remove non-sticky dirt/debris (I don't de-solder the switches, etc.)
-I DO NOT mess with cords, as they are heinously annoying to clean
-I DO NOT lube stabilizers or keys (unless keys are stuck, in which case they get a drop of Faderlube)

My listings are designed to be BS free:

-I list the vital stats (branding, model #, etc.)
-I list whether the item is tested/working/untested/not working
-I photograph the front/back of the board
-I specify the connection type
-I specify and photograph the switch type (to the best of my knowledge)
-I specify and photograph the keycap type (to the best of my knowledge)
-I list flaws (especially if they aren't obvious in the photos)

I hope to see some business from the forum!

[rowdy]

Do you offer a discount to GH members?

[fohat.digs]

Depending on your supply, you might consider the category of "complete, clean, and tested" items as well as the "incomplete, dirty, and/or untested" items.

As long as you are accurate and up-front about what you are selling, many people will greatly appreciate a bargain.

And there is profit in turning a quick flip without going through the fussy, time-consuming effort of a good testing/cleaning/repairing/refurbishing job.

Last, you never know when someone is buying a "parts donor" and doesn't care what you have done to spruce it up.

[njbair]

Depending on your supply, you might consider the category of "complete, clean, and tested" items as well as the "incomplete, dirty, and/or untested" items.

As long as you are accurate and up-front about what you are selling, many people will greatly appreciate a bargain.

And there is profit in turning a quick flip without going through the fussy, time-consuming effort of a good testing/cleaning/repairing/refurbishing job.

Last, you never know when someone is buying a "parts donor" and doesn't care what you have done to spruce it up.

This is sound real estate advice as well.

[adevriesc]

I just ditched eBay after many, many people requested that I not use it. Thanks for all the advice.

I'm holding my sales on Reddit.

https://www.reddit.com/r/mechmarket/comments/3ojbwo/usmi_h_keyboards_model_m_space_invaders_fujitsu/

[fohat.digs]

I just ditched eBay

Thanks for all the advice.

Avoiding ebay is a big mistake, in my opinion. For better or for worse, it is the marketplace of the world in these endeavors.

You just have to play the game in a well thought-out manner.

https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=51443.msg1132476#msg1132476

[Kompanion]

I just ditched eBay

Thanks for all the advice.

Avoiding ebay is a big mistake, in my opinion. For better or for worse, it is the marketplace of the world in these endeavors.

You just have to play the game in a well thought-out manner.

https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=51443.msg1132476#msg1132476

I definitely agree. I don't think completely leaving ebay was a good idea. You will have the niche in communities like GH and mechmarket, but it isn't necessarily where the money is at or where everyone who is an enthusiastic is looking. If you find a way to advertise in multiple places, you'll get the best of the entire community.

[fohat.digs]

it isn't necessarily where the money is

80%-90% of the time I get the best price on ebay, even after paying their 10% tribute.

People on forums are too deep into the minutiae of the hobby and way too price-conscious (=cheap).

Your bargain-basement stuff might sell pretty well here, but put the high-end stuff on ebay.

[saturnotaku]

While you shouldn't put anything on fleBay that you can't afford to lose, because the items you have are pretty low risk, I wouldn't have any major reservations about selling your keyboards there. The advice about selling the cheap stuff here or on reddit and the higher-end units on fleBay is sound, as you will have a broader market that might be more willing to pay premium prices.

For the stuff you put on fleBay, I would recommend using their Best Offer function as a way of screening potential buyers. Whenever you get an offer, be sure to check their "feedback left for others" to see if they have a record of leaving negative, neutral, or soft positive (positive comment with some negative words, eg Item as described but slow shipping) feedback. Also, be on the lookout for comments about a seller being easy to work with, as your buyer could be a person who extorts partial refunds from sellers who don't know any better and desperately want to avoid any problems. In the past, I have declined solid offers from buyers because of their feedback left and accepted less money from people who had less potential to cause me a problem.