How does keyboard hobby compare to other ones?

[IceCandle]

Inseparable from capitalism, leisure is structured by the economic system and the related markets it creates. Commodified consumption is directly connected to the production process. An analysis of the model airplane hobby industry illustrates how technical advancements transformed this fun activity. The postwar introduction of plastics reorganized the traditional core of this hobby: the construction and flying of model airplanes. For many years, enthusiasts focused on the flying aspects, and the model display was primary. Being able to construct and fly a model plane required extensive skills and aeronautic knowledge; thus, the market was small. But the introduction of molding to modeling created a shift in focus. The use of plastics altered the hobby by creating two distinct groups of fans. On the one hand, there were fans who were interested in model display. On the other hand, there were fans for whom model-building meant being able to fly the plane. In addition, the introduction of the plastic molding made it easier to meet the skill sets of eager younger enthusiasts. In fact, plastic kits helped fuel the popularity of making model airplanes, since mass production of prefabricated parts eased the assembly process. As the leisure industry’s capital flowed more vigorously, the market expanded into modeling of other objects, such as ships and cars. Advertisements included the distribution of these kits through general department stores, making them part of the children’s toy market. The “deskilling” of the hobby shows how within capitalism “the mode of production shapes cultural activities in a form consistent with its own needs.”

While reading this passage, I could find many similarities between keyboard and model airplane hobby, although the features described in this article may be general and could be applied to various other hobbies. Custom keyboard hobby is largely focused on collecting, and I've seen many users here interested in watches, audio systems, and such. What makes the keyboard hobby differ from other collecting/purchasing hobbies?
My take is that there are some DIY aspects to building your own, albeit not much is there to be learned. I hope this hobby accumulates 'depth', especially researches about what makes a keyboard feel good, over time.

[Sintpinty]

I think it’s just very expensive and has enthusiast parts and terms

[Leslieann]

Custom keyboard hobby is largely focused on collecting

While it may seem like "collecting", I suspect most who have a collection, myself included, didn't acquire them so as to build a collection but to experience new things.
People who enjoy bicycles accumulate bicycle parts, people who enjoy cars accumulate car parts... There are collectors who could be called collectors but I suspect they are over represented because those people tend to stay active to continue building their collections while most others will flutter in and out as they find what they're after. 

I enjoy messing with computers in general and keyboards are just a part of that, more importantly, it's one of the few physical aspects of a computer you can tune.

[tp4tissue]

it's the same as any other accumulation hobby/pokemon . at some point we fail to grow physically, and then mentally, so we externalize our "perception" of gain.  this vanity then drives waste, which ultimately culminates in the destruction of the biosphere,  then we all die horribly.

[Findecanor]

I have seen many similarities between keyboard building/collecting and my prop replica hobby.
Project runs for parts, hunting on eBay, outsiders not understanding, clashes with other collectors who'd want vintage <item> left pristine, "goodbye wallet", getting bit by the "collecting bug", people who buy shiny stuff vs. those who build, communities online and who sometimes meet at prop parties/keyboard parties.

Difference? Many of the keyboard collectors are younger: especially when it comes to "new and shiny" category. Vintage keyboard collectors tend to be older. Prop replicas you could build yourself from "found parts" are often from a decade older movies, with the builders also being a decade older.

BTW. Other prop replica collectors think I'm crazy for being into keyboards, and I'm sure there is vice versa. :-þ

this vanity then drives waste

With collecting vintage keyboards, it is exactly the opposite: using older equipment longer, thus avoiding to buy new crap.

[tp4tissue]

With collecting vintage keyboards, it is exactly the opposite: using older equipment longer, thus avoiding to buy new crap.

we can force the issue and construct corner cases where doing what you suggest MIGHT have some semblance of efficiency.  but you got 1 life, and we got a climate catastrophe,  whatever effort YOU put into collecting keyboards is _more likely_ a waste of the resource / effort past humans (your parents) put into YOU.

So.... Tp4 doesn't have infinite processing power to definitively conclude it one way or the other, but very generally, * this is just an opinion, as someone who's also very guilty of collecting electronics, it doesn't seem any more constructive or less of a waste than pokemon cards.

[ideus]

Custom keyboard hobby is largely focused on collecting

While it may seem like "collecting", I suspect most who have a collection, myself included, didn't acquire them so as to build a collection but to experience new things.
People who enjoy bicycles accumulate bicycle parts, people who enjoy cars accumulate car parts... There are collectors who could be called collectors but I suspect they are over represented because those people tend to stay active to continue building their collections while most others will flutter in and out as they find what they're after. 

I enjoy messing with computers in general and keyboards are just a part of that, more importantly, it's one of the few physical aspects of a computer you can tune.

Customizing the keyboard is probably the best thing a PC user can do to improve his/her computing experience. The layout may improve or diminish the user's productivity. I found that the regional layout that comes with PCs in my country is very bad for certain tasks; therefore, finding that the keyboard could be altered to fit particular typing needs improves my computing experience, greatly. I concur that MK hobby could be a collectors thing; but, it is also a customizer's thing.

[tp4tissue]

Customizing the keyboard is probably the best thing a PC user can do to improve his/her computing experience. The layout may improve or diminish the user's productivity. I found that the regional layout that comes with PCs in my country is very bad for certain tasks; therefore, finding that the keyboard could be altered to fit particular typing needs improves my computing experience, greatly. I concur that MK hobby could be a collectors thing; but, it is also a customizer's thing.

TENTING Keeb + Quantum-OLED + Optical Dac

[treeleaf64]

not as technical as computer hobby  or programming ,   more design oriented like Car .   and also history related  like the car as well 
The collection is not valuable to the fingers  it is valuable to the mind

From The tree leaf.

[Darthbaggins]

not as technical as computer hobby  or programming ,   more design oriented like Car .   and also history related  like the car as well 
The collection is not valuable to the fingers  it is valuable to the mind

From The tree leaf.

Definitely, the Automotive hobby is very similar to the KB hobby (or vice/versa)

[granola bar enthusiast]

i would consider this an "entry hobby" if there is one, not saying its super straightforward, or everyone is kind in it (well most are). but with it you can get interested in lots of other stuff, admittedly i'm not sure to even classify this as a hobby imo or at least for what i'm doing its more of an "addiction" or something to be a nerd while not knowing much at all about.

[treeleaf64]

not as technical as computer hobby  or programming ,   more design oriented like Car .   and also history related  like the car as well 
The collection is not valuable to the fingers  it is valuable to the mind

From The tree leaf.

Definitely, the Automotive hobby is very similar to the KB hobby (or vice/versa)

Less expensive than the car  : ) + no running cost

[jamster]

This is quite an interesting thread.

Keyboards as a hobby strikes me as much easier to enter than many others. The monetary costs are low. It's very easy to to get into the DIY aspect of it- a keyboard is fundamentally very simple to put together or modify from a kit or standardised parts and you don't need more than rudimentary manual skills and tools to work on them effectively. There's certainly nothing that approaches the aeronautics knowledge mentioned in the OP, or with analogue electronics which is required for designing audio.

I appreciate keyboards because I use them so much, more so than any other tool. They are easily the most tactile part of computer use. I can appreciate some of the history- they evolved noticeably (often for the worse) as I grew up. But at the same time, I can also understand why they are of no interest to most of the computer-using population.