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geekhack Marketplace => Great Finds => Topic started by: gofil10 on Tue, 16 January 2018, 09:43:25

Title: Vintage (pre 1977) keyboards - Desperate to find
Post by: gofil10 on Tue, 16 January 2018, 09:43:25

Hi! Can anybody refer me to a dealer/marketplace/auction/etc. that has one or more pre-1977 keyboards up for sale? Urgently need one (ideally functioning) for a museum display project.
Thanks!

Title: Re: Vintage (pre 1977) keyboards - Desperate to find
Post by: JP on Tue, 16 January 2018, 10:47:22

Probably eBay if you are in a pinch. I did find one keyboard but it was dated 1977.

Title: Re: Vintage (pre 1977) keyboards - Desperate to find
Post by: chyros on Tue, 16 January 2018, 11:03:13

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/KEYBOARD-VINTAGE-DECISION-DATA-8010-Keyboard-with-Cable-Good-Condition/202147735417?hash=item2f10f1a779:g:aDIAAOSwmnFZ488j

Don't know what year this one is from, but mine is from 1975.

Title: Re: Vintage (pre 1977) keyboards - Desperate to find
Post by: ander on Thu, 18 January 2018, 00:32:10

Most keyboards of that age were built into consoles, rather than freestanding units. So if it's just for a display, I wouldn't bother spending big bucks on a genuine '70s keyboard... I'd just make a little case out of plywood and put a $30 set of retro-styled keys in it, like these on eBay (https://www.ebay.com/itm/104-Keys-SA-Profile-PBT-Keycap-Set-SA-Keycaps/322993415983):


[attach=1]


Who'd know the difference?

Title: Re: Vintage (pre 1977) keyboards - Desperate to find
Post by: gofil10 on Thu, 18 January 2018, 15:08:41

Well, the keyboard should be able to operate the system next to it...
So it's more of a "working display"

Title: Re: Vintage (pre 1977) keyboards - Desperate to find
Post by: hking0036 on Thu, 18 January 2018, 16:30:49

Quote from: gofil10 on Thu, 18 January 2018, 15:08:41

Well, the keyboard should be able to operate the system next to it...
So it's more of a "working display"

That's a much harder task. A lot of 70's boards will have strange formats that don't have any way to convert to newer standards (yet, anyways). Good luck, though. Maybe if you can find a beamspring (were those 70's or just early 80's?) that will fit what you're looking for, but those are pricy. The pretend keycaps may be the best solution in this case.