Bolt Modded Industrial SSK - $1,150 BIN

[1391406]

This one's supposedly in pristine condition.

[nubbinator]

[katushkin]

I seem to be seeing a lot of these... Are there not just like, half a dozen circulating on eBay?

[meiosis]

I seem to be seeing a lot of these... Are there not just like, half a dozen circulating on eBay?

Dude go to sleep..

[katushkin]

I seem to be seeing a lot of these... Are there not just like, half a dozen circulating on eBay?

Dude go to sleep..

I'm at work. I can't yet. Not for another 3 hours...

[TastaturenAuslese]

This one's supposedly in pristine condition.

This one's been up for a while. I've been looking at it, and I notice that whenever Time Left is like a day or two, he usually lowers the price to around $1,000. Then if no one bites, he reposts at $1,150.

[1391406]

Just 25 easy payments of $46.

[XMIT]

This is Ellipse. Gotta fund those F62 and F77 recreations somehow I guess.

[nubbinator]

This is Ellipse. Gotta fund those F62 and F77 recreations somehow I guess.

Been selling at those prices for a long long time.

[fohat.digs]

Been selling at those prices for a long long time.

Don't laugh too hard. He put that one up shortly after another industrial SSK sold for $2K, less than a year ago.

[nubbinator]

Been selling at those prices for a long long time.

Don't laugh too hard. He put that one up shortly after another industrial SSK sold for $2K, less than a year ago.

Doesn't make the price any less obscene.

[digi]

The pinnacle of buckling spring-sprong nirvana. She is purty!

[fohat.digs]

And I have a nice beige one ready to go for less than a quarter of that price in the classifieds.

I would even toss in an RGB set and a red Escape as a bonus.

[Melvang]

The pinnacle of buckling spring-sprong nirvana. She is purty!

I don't think I would call this the pinnicale of buckling spring, as it is still membrane and not capacitive pcb.

[nubbinator]

The pinnacle of buckling spring-sprong nirvana. She is purty!

I don't think I would call this the pinnicale of buckling spring, as it is still membrane and not capacitive pcb.

Model F BS is the one true BS.

[digi]

ooo sorry, I'm a buckling spring srub  Melvang, I've never tried a capacitive pcb w/ buckling spring, is that whats inside a Model F??

[Signature]

[fohat.digs]

That last Kishsaver only sold for something in the $450 range, as I recall, which is quite low historically.

Prices on ancient IBM iron spiked about a year and a half ago, and have never gotten that high since.

[njbair]

It's a nice looking board. It really is. But that's a lot of money.

It doesn't cost him to keep listing it, right? Eventually some rich person will buy it just to have it, like people who buy a Vita-Mix as a display piece.

[fohat.digs]

like people who buy a Vita-Mix as a display piece.

WTF?

I lust after a Vita-Mix because I really want a super-powerful blender for juicing and similar processes. But I do not want to pay considerably more than I have paid for a computer keyboard for a blender.

But, in the blender world, the Vita-Mix is the Model M while the Blendtec https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBUJcD6Ws6s is is the Model F.
 

[wlhlm]

But, in the blender world, the Vita-Mix is the Model M while the Blendtec https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBUJcD6Ws6s is is the Model F.

I always wondered if the Blendtec blenders are actually any good or if it's just an extremely brilliant marketing campaign.

[fohat.digs]

I always wondered if the Blendtec blenders are actually any good or if it's just an extremely brilliant marketing campaign.

What is the difference?

[XMIT]

You can always get a Chinese knockoff blender through AliExpress.com for like $150 shipped.

[njbair]

like people who buy a Vita-Mix as a display piece.

WTF?

I lust after a Vita-Mix because I really want a super-powerful blender for juicing and similar processes. But I do not want to pay considerably more than I have paid for a computer keyboard for a blender.

But, in the blender world, the Vita-Mix is the Model M while the Blendtec https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBUJcD6Ws6s is is the Model F.

Here in Cleveland (Vita-Mix HQ), the Vita-Mix is hugely popular. But there really are a lot of people--at least around here--who buy one just to say they have one. They're like the Gatsbys of the blender community.

[XMIT]

Yeah. I have a VitaMix. We got ours to make baby food. Ii used one in a commercial kitchen for about a year making smoothies, sauces, etc.

Speaking of Blendtec and staying sort of on topic - does anyone want to see if an SSK will "blend"?

[njbair]

Yeah. I have a VitaMix. We got ours to make baby food. Ii used one in a commercial kitchen for about a year making smoothies, sauces, etc.

Speaking of Blendtec and staying sort of on topic - does anyone want to see if an SSK will "blend"?

Normal SSKs blend just fine, but the industrial ones will break your blender. It gets its grey color from the adamantium used to make the case.

[fanpeople]

This is now a blender thread, everyone post your blenders....



low tier Kmart brand.

[njbair]

This is now a blender thread, everyone post your blenders....

Show Image

low tier Kmart brand.

I like how you brought your blender into the office instead of taking your HHKB into the kitchen.

[Vanilla]

That's expensive..... continuing the blender discussion:

while the Blendtec https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBUJcD6Ws6s is is the Model F.

When I saw them at costco I knew I had to buy one.
Jamba Juice uses their commercial blenders.

The youtube blenders are customized ones with industrial internals in a consumer shell. It's a good conversation piece nonetheless.
Many times has "hey is that the blender from youtube?" been dropped in this household.

[fanpeople]

I like how you brought your blender into the office instead of taking your HHKB into the kitchen.

Of course, I am a firm believer that keyboards have no business being in the kitchen....

[Ellipse]

Seller here - yes the F62 Kishsaver/F77 Industrial project is coming along.  I am ordering the prototype parts starting tonight.  Please do fill out the interest form on my Interest Check thread if you'd like one - right now I will be making them for $325 each if you bring your own keys, or $350 including keys and likely fully assembled.

There was a long great finds thread a few months ago discussing the pricing of these Industrial SSKs.  The bottom line is these do sell for within 100-200 of the list price.  The bolt modded ones sell faster in my experience.  I'm a patient guy and am happy to relist it each week even if it takes a couple months to sell.  If you take a look at the serial numbers you'll see there have been a few of these that were listed and often sold off eBay (GH, r/MK and DT).

In summary, pointing out that the price is high for a collectible item does not help anyone.  Many collector's items of any category go for far more than most people can afford or are willing to pay.  Those who have bought one understand that this is the rarest and most in demand Model M keyboard model.  Check out eBay's sold listings for "collectible" something or other and sort by highest price to see examples. 

Last year I came across some of these out of commission Industrial systems soon to be ground up at a recycler.  I couldn't save some of them, which I was told by the company went to the grinder a year or so before I inquired. 

I think I listed $900 in my classified ad here for a non bolt modded one (the one on eBay currently is another one that has been bolt modded).  I'm always open to fair offers.

IBM Industrial automation type equipment is rare because the machines are often thrown out when the new line comes along and the factory upgrades.  That's why most of these see no secondary markets in my view, even though this particular keyboard is compatible with regular computers.

[nubbinator]

Sorry, but pointing out the price is high lets people know not to buy it because the price is obscene.  It helps those who might be new to the hobby or might not know better.

Also, this is the great finds section.  If a great find isn't a great find, people should know.

[fohat.digs]

lets people know not to buy it

Anybody who is willing to drop a grand on a decades-old keyboard will jolly well know what he is buying.

[TastaturenAuslese]

Also, this is the great finds section.  If a great find isn't a great find, people should know.

More of a great find in the sense that it's "Rare" and hard to find, but not a great find in the sense of it's price, which is usually more of what's posted in this subforum.

[nubbinator]

lets people know not to buy it

Anybody who is willing to drop a grand on a decades-old keyboard will jolly well know what he is buying.

Agreed, but you also get the people who want to be cool and pay way too much for things to be part of the "club".

[njbair]

lets people know not to buy it

Anybody who is willing to drop a grand on a decades-old keyboard will jolly well know what he is buying.

Agreed, but you also get the people who want to be cool and pay way too much for things to be part of the "club".

Like that guy who paid thousands for a Slashdot account with a low UID. He could never post anything again without the discussion eventually shifting to his paying for the UID.

[1391406]

Whether this is a "great find" is relative. For someone who has the money and is in the market this might indeed be a great find.

[1391406]

lets people know not to buy it

Anybody who is willing to drop a grand on a decades-old keyboard will jolly well know what he is buying.

Agreed, but you also get the people who want to be cool and pay way too much for things to be part of the "club".

To be honest, I'm not sure it really matters.

[njbair]

I guess economics are such that you either can't afford this board, or you can afford a dozen of them. So the person who buys this may be getting ripped off, but in their perception it will be worth it to have something more special than the average Model M.

[Melvang]

What the hell guys, why does it turn into a **** storm every timeone of  Ellipse's eBay posts ends up here.  If there is some sort of intentional misdirection, or misrepresentation, fine.  But if it is an accurate eBay listing, leave the poor guy/gal alone. 

All this seems to be is butthurt that you can't afford it.  Guess what, neither can I.  The only post I had here was when someone else called an SSK the pinnicale of buckling springs.

[nubbinator]

I think Model Ms feel cheap and flimsy, so I could care less about the board.  It has nothing to do with not being able to afford it and everything to do with the ridiculous markup.

tl;dr:  Don't want a "****storm"? Stop posting overpriced stuff in here.

[Melvang]

I think Model Ms feel cheap and flimsy, so I could care less about the board.  It has nothing to do with not being able to afford it and everything to do with the ridiculous markup.

tl;dr:  Don't want a "****storm"? Stop posting overpriced stuff in here.

I feel it was posted in great finds due to the rarity and condition of the piece, not the price.

And who gives a damn what Ellipse sells his boards for on external sites.  If he wants to set his price high and sit on it a whole until it sells, who cares?

Anyone who is going to be spending this kind of money on a keyboard, is going to know exactly what they are buying and chances are it won't be an impulse buy.

From what I have seen all of his items he has for sale are in exceptional condition, and always accurate descriptions and clear pics.  Granted his prices are probably on the high side, but that is his choice.

[nubbinator]

And who gives a damn what Ellipse sells his boards for on external sites.  If he wants to set his price high and sit on it a whole until it sells, who cares?

That's completely fine.  Just don't be posting it here as a great find and expect people to not say anything about it being overpriced.  If he wants to post to member auctions, that's fine.  If he wants to sell on eBay, that's fine.  If someone posts it here, of course people are going to say something about the price.

[fohat.digs]

I am pretty sure that an industrial SSK sold for around $2K shortly before he listed this one at $1K, so based on historical precedent the price is not out of line.

[1391406]

It has nothing to do with not being able to afford it and everything to do with the ridiculous markup.

Well, how do you figure it's ridiculously overpriced if that's what some of them have been selling for?  For example, the very same board sold for $1,045 in May. There are a lot of things I think are overpriced because I personally don't think they're worth the asking price, but that's independent of whether they actually are.

[ander]

AFAIK, IBM made these boards gray so people could use them in shops and factories, as they wouldn't show as much dirt and grime as beige boards.

Isn't it a bit ironic, then, that collectors would end up putting higher values on certain boards just because they were expected to get dirtier? Would you automatically value a dirt bike more than a motorcycle?

I guess economics are such that you either can't afford this board, or you can afford a dozen of them. So the person who buys this may be getting ripped off, but in their perception it will be worth it to have something more special than the average Model M.

I like vintage KBs as much as anyone. But frankly, it boggles my mind that people would think a keyboard's worth 15 or 20 times more just because it's made of gray plastic instead of beige plastic. I mean, really, just think about that for a moment: Same company, same design—just gray instead of beige.

I suppose everyone has to decide what they consider fun, and what they consider good uses for large sums of money. But going for something as superficial as this just strikes me as shallow, gullible and/or hysterical.

[fohat.digs]

So when a 200-year-old dime sells for a million dollars to a coin collector, what is that?

Collectors' markets follow their own patterns of supply and demand. And there are a lot of "sour grapes" out there.

And people who crow about finding one in a barn for $25 last year just add to the frustration.

[1391406]

AFAIK, IBM made these boards gray so people could use them in shops and factories, as they wouldn't show as much dirt and grime as beige boards.

Isn't it a bit ironic, then, that collectors would end up putting higher values on certain boards just because they were expected to get dirtier?

The value is correlated with the color, rarity, and condition, not the expectation of uncleanliness.

[1391406]

I like vintage KBs as much as anyone. But frankly, it boggles my mind that people would think a keyboard's worth 15 or 20 times more just because it's made of gray plastic instead of beige plastic. I mean, really, just think about that for a moment: Same company, same design—just gray instead of beige.

I suppose everyone has to decide what they consider fun, and what they consider good uses for large sums of money. But going for something as superficial as this just strikes me as shallow, gullible and/or hysterical.

In various collector circles color plays a non-trivial role in determining value. A green diamond is more valuable than a clear diamond. Cobalt is more valuable than amber to bottle collectors. Same diamond, same bottle, different color. Superficial or not, that's the way it is.

[ander]

So when a 200-year-old dime sells for a million dollars to a coin collector, what is that?

More hysteria, I guess... It doesn't have anything to do with intrinsic value. It's all based on a form of status based on scarcity—that I have something you don't. If you ask me, that's actually a negative value. I never really understood that, but it's a trait some people just have, for some reason.

The value is correlated with the color, rarity, and condition, not the expectation of uncleanliness.

But the reason they were made that color in the first place was so they wouldn't show as much grime. I just think it's funny that a quality as mundane as dirt-hiding would lead to something being worth that much dough, no matter why it ends up being considered so "collectable".  :?D

In various collector circles color plays a non-trivial role in determining value. A green diamond is more valuable than a clear diamond. Cobalt is more valuable than amber to bottle collectors. Same diamond, same bottle, different color...

Sure, I realize all that. I just think it's goofy, the whole notion of people coveting things just because they're superficially different from similar, more plentiful things.

I think it may be a kind of low-level anxiety. You feel compelled to have something because you hate the idea of someone else having something you don't. It has very little to do with the item itself; it's more about the lack of it.

There's a great movie called "The Gods Must Be Crazy" (1980) about a remote tribe of African bushmen that lives in harmony, taking care of each other and sharing what they own. One day a plane flies over their village and someone tosses a Coke bottle out of it. The bushmen, who've never seen a plane or a bottle, think the bottle must be a gift from the gods—and for the first time, they start fighting over something. They realize that to preserve their tribe's peace and well being, they have to get rid of the bottle. So one tribesman is chosen, and the rest of the film (which is charming, and got very high reviews) is about his journey to return the gods' gift. It's a great reflection on people's desires to own (i.e. hoard) rare things.

I think IBM keyboards are awesome because they're so well made and feel (and sound!) so good to type on. But pay over $1K for one because it's gray rather than beige? Well, it's a free country—but if that's the kind of thing you do to feel meaningful, maybe you should try getting out and doing some volunteering.  :?|