Your best keyboard find?

[AKIMbO]

So I picked up this F AT for $75 shipped from a trusty source who I will keep close to the chest (you aren't getting the name of my hookup and I don't care if you offer me a KMAC for it).  I was able to pick which F AT I wanted from a couple he/she had.  The first thing that struck me about this F AT is that it had an inordinate amount of texture on the keyboard chasis.  Anyone who has bought late 80s model M's or mid 80s model F's know that a lot have the texture rubbed off or worn down.  This F AT looked like it came straight out of a plastic wrapped box that was kept in a humidity controlled, air conditioned clean room.  The plastic cover was still intact over the case badge.  As I disassembled the keyboard to modify the space bar I noticed that the metal barrel plate (which is usually rusted and pitted to all hell) was neither pitting nor rusting.  In fact, it was in immaculate condition.  Likewise, the insulating foam was in amazing condition as well.  The insulating foam is usually disintegrating and leaves enough asbetos ridden black snow in the air to kill an army of keyboard ubernerds.  This insulating foam was shiny (not dull like I usually encounter) and perfectly intact.  Check out the pictures.

 I consider this keyboard to be my best find yet (price to condition wise).  What's your best find to date?

[poxeclipse]

Congratulations ! Impressive shape, indeed. As I mentioned in another thread, I got one for $5, two days ago. Almost like yours, but one can see that it was used, not hard though. I have an SSK, and now I was able to compare them.
Did you modify the stabilizer of the spacebar, to make it lighter ?

Now, talking about best finds, I have lots of them, but w.r.t. to $ value, this one would be the best.
I used to consider my best find a Monterey International keyboard with Monterey key switches, which I got for $1 at a garage sale.
I also have a set of 10 WYSE keyboards, for free, from a company which switched to PC's.
I'd like to post some pictures, but I don't know how.

[AKIMbO]

Congratulations ! Impressive shape, indeed. As I mentioned in another thread, I got one for $5, two days ago. Almost like yours, but one can see that it was used, not hard though. I have an SSK, and now I was able to compare them.
Did you modify the stabilizer of the spacebar, to make it lighter ?

Yes...I do that to all of my Model F's.  Otherwise, the space bar is way too heavy for my delicate thumbs.

[microsoft windows]

That's a nice old clunker there. Good find!

[dorkvader]

Great find, indeed! You paid, what, 1/3 of it's worth? 1/4?

In terms of price/condition, it's probably the two TG3 BL82's I picked up. Both are in excellent shape, and do not appear to have been used. They were $10/each shipped.

In terms of price/rarity, I got an F-122 from January of 1984 (ID# 363) for $35, though the case is cracked in some places, and it was somewhat dirty when I got it.

[Appeac]

I was trolling craigslist and found a complete IBM PS/Valuepoint w/ Model M for $10.

[ra7c7er]

They are not rare or anything but if you went solely by price at a local auction I just picked up 11 keyboards for 2.50. Nobody else bid. 5 of them are brand new in the box. I just needed one for a couple months till WASD comes out with the TKL version but since nobody else bid on them I got all 11 boards.

[IvanIvanovich]

My set of blue on grey Cherry dyesubs... which came on old TA typewriter with some weird linear white MX switches. I only paid $10 for that too, say whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?

[jwaz]

I got a Chicony with Monterey blue switches for a dollar and when all I had is my card it was just given to me.

[Appeac]

I got a Chicony with Monterey blue switches for a dollar and when all I had is my card it was just given to me.

Damn, I guess you win the thread by divide by zero error.

[davkol]

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[The_Beast]

I guess it would be the Rosewills I bought for $65. Not a super deal but I learned that I didn't like blues without buying a more expensive keyboard.

[jwaz]

I got a G81-3000HAU for free. Well, I paid 4 EUR for shipping, but the keyboard itself was basically given to me.

Then I got eight NIB Chicony keyboards with Cherry MX Blue... for 10 EUR including shipping.

What did you do with 8 of them?

[davkol]

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[Magna224]

My favorite find was a '89 Focus 2001 with Blue ALPS and my second was my AEKII with Japanese ALPS dyesubs.