Why aren't "Base" sets more basic?

[nickw]

I've been experimenting with some non-standard keyboards and layouts lately, and I've realized that it's super expensive to buy any kind of keycap set.

If you have a planck, for example, you end up buying a full base set with F-keys, numbers, home/end pgup/down, etc.  and then another set with the modifiers, and I would end up with a pile of bright blue keys that I'll never use.

Wouldn't it make more sense for the base set to be a minimal base set, with just alphanumerics, then have a "standard TKL modifiers" set, which add up to be the equivalent of a standard "base set"  Those of us who just want a nice set of sculpted SA alphas on an oddball keyboard would be buying a lot less wasted keys, and I expect both the alphas, and the "standard" set would sell in large enough numbers to make little to no difference to the total for a TKL board.  The alphas would probably sell better, since lots of us experimental types would probably shell out $40 for a set of alphas, but $80 for the alphas we want, and a bunch of extras we'll never need is just a bit too much when we'll need to fill it out with $25 of blanks.

Modern Selectric was broken down this way, and I'm sure it sold like hotcakes.  Why don't others do it the same?

[crickclackman]

How much did Modern Selectric sell?  Pulse is over a thousand.

[rowdy]

Alphas only?

Would that be ANSI, Dvorak or Colemak alphas?

[f1xedgear]

How much did Modern Selectric sell?  Pulse is over a thousand.

PuLSE has sold 586 base kits so far:

http://www.massdrop.community/mechkeys/pulse/

[Niomosy]

Cost.

It's a discussion that goes on in many group buys during the IC phase.  In general, it ends up more cost-effective to create a larger base kit than to split things up due to the volume of buys within the base kit.  TKL is a not-uncommon base kit as large number of buyers out there are running with either a full or TKL board and trying to simplify things for the masses can typically result in better sales. 

[user 18]

Some buys have done this -- often when there are multiple sets of mods. Deep Space was split up this way, and I actually only bought the alphas and a bunch of blanks. I wouldn't have been upset about having to buy the mods as well though, I just would have gone for fewer blanks.

[nickw]

Alphas only?

Would that be ANSI, Dvorak or Colemak alphas?

qwerty.  I'm guessing that the demand for the others is fairly low,  and much as I would love to get a nice colemak set in SA for cheap,  that is obviously pretty niche,  and will always be a relatively pricy add.

In general, it ends up more cost-effective to create a larger base kit than to split things up due to the volume of buys within the base kit.  TKL is a not-uncommon base kit as large number of buyers out there are running with either a full or TKL board and trying to simplify things for the masses can typically result in better sales. 

yes,  but I wonder how much difference there would be between 2 very popular kits making up the majority of orders (alphanumeric +tkl mods)  as opposed to a single larger base.   And also, I wonder if there might be more sales in total.  I know that If the pulse buy had them broken up this way,  I would have ordered it and the colemak/Dvorak add.   As it is,  I just can't justify shelling out that much money to get the 48 1u keys I want. I  don't know how common that is,  but I am sure I'm not alone.

Some buys have done this -- often when there are multiple sets of mods. Deep Space was split up this way, and I actually only bought the alphas and a bunch of blanks. I wouldn't have been upset about having to buy the mods as well though, I just would have gone for fewer blanks.

Yes I have a deep space set on its way in the mail now.   I know there are a few done that way,  but they seem to be the exception,  not the norm.

[Niomosy]

Alphas only?

Would that be ANSI, Dvorak or Colemak alphas?

qwerty.  I'm guessing that the demand for the others is fairly low,  and much as I would love to get a nice colemak set in SA for cheap,  that is obviously pretty niche,  and will always be a relatively pricy add.

In general, it ends up more cost-effective to create a larger base kit than to split things up due to the volume of buys within the base kit.  TKL is a not-uncommon base kit as large number of buyers out there are running with either a full or TKL board and trying to simplify things for the masses can typically result in better sales. 

yes,  but I wonder how much difference there would be between 2 very popular kits making up the majority of orders (alphanumeric +tkl mods)  as opposed to a single larger base.   And also, I wonder if there might be more sales in total.  I know that If the pulse buy had them broken up this way,  I would have ordered it and the colemak/Dvorak add.   As it is,  I just can't justify shelling out that much money to get the 48 1u keys I want. I  don't know how common that is,  but I am sure I'm not alone.

Some buys have done this -- often when there are multiple sets of mods. Deep Space was split up this way, and I actually only bought the alphas and a bunch of blanks. I wouldn't have been upset about having to buy the mods as well though, I just would have gone for fewer blanks.

Yes I have a deep space set on its way in the mail now.   I know there are a few done that way,  but they seem to be the exception,  not the norm.

The smaller-sized keyboards are still niche market products within the mechanical keyboard world.  If you're looking for sales, a few people not buying a TKL base because they only use a 60% or smaller board is insignificant in comparison to the masses of TKL and Full size keyboard users out there that bought their Razer or similar MX compatible board from Amazon, Fry's, Microcenter, or Best Buy. 

The more popular sets can handle such a split as the high volume ensures discounts are still good.  Smaller sets can have problems with splitting up like this.  While I won't say it's the only problem this set had, Otaku's split into multiple child kits was heavily criticized.  Since then, sets have seemed to focus more on a TKL base since the price of the modifiers on Otaku was pretty insane and even with discounts was not impressive.