geekhack
geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: ThirdLap on Sat, 21 August 2010, 22:53:14
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Only one keyboard today, but it's a fairly cool one. Will post pics tomorrow.
Apple Extended Keyboard II (http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/gadgetlab/Apple_Extended_Keyboard%201.jpg) (M3501) with white Alps switches $2.95
Microsoft Sidewinder Strategic Commander (http://journal.mycom.co.jp/news/2000/09/29/03l.jpg) (BNIB) $3.95
PC-Trac Deluxe Tracball (http://images.fixya.com/M/Microspeed/177x150/20301529.JPG) (New, but this thing is SLOW) $2.95
Unitrex 1200 Calculator (http://www.dentaku-museum.com/calc/calc/15-eiko/unitrexd/unitrex1200/b-1.jpg) (C. 1972, this thing is AWESOME) $2
Canon Palmtronic LD-81 (http://www.vintage-technology.info/pages/calculators/canon/canld81.jpg) (C. 1975, excellent condition) $1
And a few other neat techy items here and there. Spent less than $20 for everything.
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Nice haul! That Sidewinder looks neat!
Where do you usually look for thrift stores that carry that kind of stuff?
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Where do you usually look for thrift stores that carry that kind of stuff?
I've had the best luck at non-chain (or small chain) thrift stores. Best bets are the larger private thrift stores and the mega thrift stores run by religious organizations (Deseret Industries, large Catholic churches, etc). SPCA thrift stores generally seem to have very fair prices and good selections.
Another favorite of mine is a small chain of ~6 stores here in California called 'EcoThrift'. Lots of good quality / interesting stuff, often new (or lightly used), and CHEAP. It is not unusual to see fairly high end audio equipment for sale for a fraction of the original cost.
Goodwill is so-so, and The Salvation Army thrift stores almost never seem to have anything interesting. Either they're hit too frequently, or the employees know what to keep an eye out for. i stop in, but rarely find any decent tech stuff.
I originally started going to thrift stores just for the keyboards, but now it's become a treasure hunt for items that the general public fail to realize is collectible/valuable/high quality.
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Just today I decided to check out a local Value Village store just down the street from me....and when looking at the computer stuff, I see this model M-looking keyboard, but with a Dell logo on it.
Pick it up to have a closer look, weighs a ton, so I give a few keys a hit, and there is that familiar ping sound that we all recognize...turn over to see the label...says Model M, manufactured by Lexmark, 28-Mar-95, part #1369050.....and for the price asked...$5.99.....sold!
Take it home, plug it in through a PS/2 to USB thingy...works ok, and online reading tells me it is essentially an M keyboard..but the key caps do not come off as in a true M.
Good condition, no legend fading, works fully, but still needs a bit of a cleaning, all keycaps present...and I am typing this message on it.
A happy geekhacker here....
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Spec_57
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Just today I decided to check out a local Value Village store just down the street from me....and when looking at the computer stuff, I see this model M-looking keyboard, but with a Dell logo on it.
Pick it up to have a closer look, weighs a ton, so I give a few keys a hit, and there is that familiar ping sound that we all recognize...turn over to see the label...says Model M, manufactured by Lexmark, 28-Mar-95, part #1369050.....and for the price asked...$5.99.....sold!
Take it home, plug it in through a PS/2 to USB thingy...works ok, and online reading tells me it is essentially an M keyboard..but the key caps do not come off as in a true M.
Good condition, no legend fading, works fully, but still needs a bit of a cleaning, all keycaps present...and I am typing this message on it.
A happy geekhacker here....
...........
Spec_57
Congrats! I hit up several last weekend with no luck.
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I've had luck with St. Vincent De Paul, Value Village, and a few others.
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that sucks :( I was just thinking of going to one.
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I have been to several VV in southern Ontario, they certainly all stocked some form of old computer ****, but I haven't been very lucky as of yet. Salvation Nation on the other hand, im pretty sure they don't take any compy **** anymore, so that's a waste of time. Don't bother.
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Any one from around NYC? I might take a day trip and see what I find.
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Any one from around NYC? I might take a day trip and see what I find.
There's a junk electronics store near the A/C/E subway station, at 399 Canal Street: Google StreetView (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=argo+electronics&sll=40.722063,-74.004014&sspn=0.003781,0.009559&ie=UTF8&hq=argo+electronics&hnear=&ll=40.724502,-74.004014&spn=0,0.009559&t=h&z=17&iwloc=A&layer=c&cbll=40.722077,-74.004984&panoid=7J0BH-XndOWDGsiR_CwUkg&cbp=12,168.2,,0,5.03)
They sell keyboards for $6, old mice for $5, and tons of random parts and cables. Lots of stereo equipment if you're into that.
I caution you, though. The owner wouldn't show me all the keyboards they have. He stepped out and his non-English-speaking worker figured out what I wanted to see and started taking them out. The owner came back in and started yelling at the poor Chinese girl.
Even when I offered $15 for two keyboards, he wouldn't let her take them all from the "display" case for me to examine. Once I finally found a Model M, he charged me $8 for it. I didn't argue; it was just two bucks.
He did recognize me when I went in last week (a month later) and was nicer to me. I wasn't keyboard-shopping, though: I was picking up a bunch of ScrollPoint Optical mice for future mods. He probably still has a lot left.
I'm pretty sure he has some Apple mechanical keyboards. It's worth a visit.
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.Take it home, plug it in through a PS/2 to USB thingy...works ok, and online reading tells me it is essentially an M keyboard..but the key caps do not come off as in a true M.
Good condition, no legend fading, works fully, but still needs a bit of a cleaning, all keycaps present...and I am typing this message on it.
Nice, a Model M for $6 is an awesome deal. And it IS a true Model M, it's just that in later years a switch was made to single-piece keycaps. Aside from losing the ability to quickly rearrange or replace the keys, the consensus is that there is little to no perceptible tactile difference.