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geekhack Marketplace => Great Finds => Topic started by: TexasFlood on Tue, 13 July 2010, 22:20:55

Title: Two new Northgate 101 listings currently at $39.95 + ship
Post by: TexasFlood on Tue, 13 July 2010, 22:20:55
Listing 1 (http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-NORTHGATE-101-KEYBOARD-OMNIKEY-/290453784715?cmd=ViewItem&pt=PCA_Mice_Trackballs&hash=item43a065088b) and listing 2 (http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-NORTHGATE-101-KEYBOARD-OMNIKEY-/250665607199?cmd=ViewItem&pt=PCA_Mice_Trackballs&hash=item3a5cd5a01f).
Title: Two new Northgate 101 listings currently at $39.95 + ship
Post by: kriminal on Wed, 14 July 2010, 08:56:24
hmm watching one right now.
Title: Two new Northgate 101 listings currently at $39.95 + ship
Post by: EverythingIBM on Wed, 14 July 2010, 23:21:49
Quote from: kriminal;202557
hmm watching one right now.


Must be listing 1 because that one doesn't have yellowed feet.
Title: Two new Northgate 101 listings currently at $39.95 + ship
Post by: TexasFlood on Wed, 14 July 2010, 23:32:04
Quote from: EverythingIBM;202833
Must be listing 1 because that one doesn't have yellowed feet.

Normally can't see the feet, :wink:.  Wonder if those could be bleached like the hard plastic with hydrogen peroxide or retr0brite?
Title: Two new Northgate 101 listings currently at $39.95 + ship
Post by: EverythingIBM on Thu, 15 July 2010, 00:36:28
Quote from: TexasFlood;202837
Normally can't see the feet, :wink:.  Wonder if those could be bleached like the hard plastic with hydrogen peroxide or retr0brite?


But someone with ripster's assburgers couldn't have the yellow feet.
(http://www.blazeshadow.net/stash/OtherCrap/FurryAssburgers.jpg)
Title: Two new Northgate 101 listings currently at $39.95 + ship
Post by: ch_123 on Thu, 15 July 2010, 05:37:33
Good seller, he's the guy I got my Model F from.
Title: Two new Northgate 101 listings currently at $39.95 + ship
Post by: kriminal on Thu, 15 July 2010, 13:15:32
i got my, ibm XT 83 key, model m, and space saving model from him..
Title: Two new Northgate 101 listings currently at $39.95 + ship
Post by: didjamatic on Thu, 15 July 2010, 13:44:06
I've bought a lot of boards from him and over time his cleaning and packaging have declined significantly.  Surprising considering what he charges for shipping.
Title: Two new Northgate 101 listings currently at $39.95 + ship
Post by: TexasFlood on Thu, 15 July 2010, 21:53:25
Quote from: didjamatic;203029
I've bought a lot of boards from him and over time his cleaning and packaging have declined significantly.  Surprising considering what he charges for shipping.

Could be worse, could be this Northgate Omnikey 102 for $179.95 plus same high shipping (http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-NORTHGATE-OMNIKEY-102-KEYBOARD-BLUE-ALPS-SLIDER-/250667266143?cmd=ViewItem&pt=PCA_Mice_Trackballs&hash=item3a5ceef05f).  I mean I know it's got the gold label and blue sliders.  So the good side is you get a more collectable keyboard, bad side is you pay through the nose for it.
Title: Two new Northgate 101 listings currently at $39.95 + ship
Post by: ricercar on Fri, 16 July 2010, 00:34:57
Be aware of ncbound10 photos having white balance issues. Yellow plastic shows up as white in his auctions. Ripster pointed it out to nc a year ago here on geekhack, and ncbound never changed anything. I've had a disappointment in that context. YMMV.
Title: Two new Northgate 101 listings currently at $39.95 + ship
Post by: EverythingIBM on Fri, 16 July 2010, 01:50:43
Quote from: ricercar;203225
Be aware of ncbound10 photos having white balance issues. Yellow plastic shows up as white in his auctions. Ripster pointed it out to nc a year ago here on geekhack, and ncbound never changed anything. I've had a disappointment in that context. YMMV.


Yeah you can totally tell he modified some of the blue:
(http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/7/2/5/4/9/6/webimg/389178942_o.jpg)(http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/7/2/5/4/9/6/webimg/390081185_o.jpg)
Title: Two new Northgate 101 listings currently at $39.95 + ship
Post by: microsoft windows on Fri, 16 July 2010, 08:21:45
Who cares if the keyboard's yellow? It'll still work just fine.
Title: Two new Northgate 101 listings currently at $39.95 + ship
Post by: TexasFlood on Fri, 16 July 2010, 09:07:24
Quote from: microsoft windows;203294
Who cares if the keyboard's yellow? It'll still work just fine.

Good point, the feel of the keys is most important.  If there yellowing and it bothers you or looking to increase sales value. can always retr0bright (http://retr0bright.wikispaces.com/) it.
Title: Two new Northgate 101 listings currently at $39.95 + ship
Post by: Jim66 on Sat, 24 July 2010, 07:14:23
Quote from: ch_123;202881
Good seller, he's the guy I got my Model F from.


+1, he is the guy I bought my first Apple extended II from.
Title: Two new Northgate 101 listings currently at $39.95 + ship
Post by: didjamatic on Sat, 24 July 2010, 13:19:30
Quote from: TexasFlood;203199
Could be worse, could be this Northgate Omnikey 102 for $179.95 plus same high shipping (http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-NORTHGATE-OMNIKEY-102-KEYBOARD-BLUE-ALPS-SLIDER-/250667266143?cmd=ViewItem&pt=PCA_Mice_Trackballs&hash=item3a5ceef05f).  I mean I know it's got the gold label and blue sliders.  So the good side is you get a more collectable keyboard, bad side is you pay through the nose for it.

That is one of the rarest keyboars out there and Northgate has a strong collector following.  If I didn't already have 2 of them I'd be a buyer at $179 in a heartbeat because you just don't see these things.  This is one of the first keyboards from Northgate who made the most over-engineered keyboards to date in my opinion.  Only IBM compares in quality and only the PC AT Model F.  (excluding non-AT compatible boards)  And they lacked the insane backplate of Northgates, the multiple PCB's internally in some cases, internal flash and programmability even scan rates can be adjusted, interfacing with every PC known to man at that time - some had ADB and PS/2 ports on them plus an ADB to add a mouse to the keyboard.  It can be argued that you prefer other switches, but no one can dispute that Northgate put more into their keyboards than anyone else at that time.  They are the only company I know of that chose keyboards as their method to stand out from the crowd of PC makers.  The result is they were the most popular replacement keyboard when Northgate was in their prime.  This is why you see them fetch up to $500 when rare ones pop up.  The only keyboard that consistently beats the rarer Northgates in auction prices is an IBM M13.

Quote from: microsoft windows;203294
Who cares if the keyboard's yellow? It'll still work just fine.

You should always know what you're getting when you bid.  If you think you're getting an unyellowed board and a banana shows up in the mail, that's not cool.  "Simply retr0brite it" takes multiple applications and several hours in the sun each time.
Title: Two new Northgate 101 listings currently at $39.95 + ship
Post by: didjamatic on Sat, 24 July 2010, 13:33:53
Haha, after I posted I went to see if he listed any more and saw that auction finished at $224.

But check out the new one he's listed (http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-NORTHGATE-OMNIKEY-102-KEYBOARD-BLUE-ALPS-SLIDER-/250671768990?cmd=ViewItem&pt=PCA_Mice_Trackballs&hash=item3a5d33a59e#ht_7348wt_1137).  Holy smokes that is one clean 102!!!  I'm actually considering it.
Title: Two new Northgate 101 listings currently at $39.95 + ship
Post by: kriminal on Sat, 24 July 2010, 15:13:46
>_>
Title: Two new Northgate 101 listings currently at $39.95 + ship
Post by: ch_123 on Sat, 24 July 2010, 15:17:27
I have a Blue Alps keyboard, and it looks better than that too. It can be yours for only $200.
Title: Two new Northgate 101 listings currently at $39.95 + ship
Post by: microsoft windows on Sat, 24 July 2010, 16:15:26
Maybe you should go to Japan instead of Chimera15. That's the only place where you could sell your keyboard for that much.