geekhack
geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: _Trev on Mon, 19 April 2010, 22:06:39
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I bought my IBM XT Model F at a thrift store for $1.91.
(http://img202.imageshack.us/img202/1015/cleany.jpg)
Where do you you all buy your keyboards at? I really want an AT keyboard so I can actually use it :)
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Doesn't seem like people want to share their stores =/ I bet eBay is problably a favourite. Let me know if you come over something, I am too searching for places to buy decent keyboards (Europe).
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eBay for a few. My original mechanicals (a pair of abused Model Ms) were freebies from my high school.
The Laser ALPS board came from...the side of the road.
Any day now I should be acquiring a new ALPS goodie off a friend.
The peerless that was previously mine was a thrift store find.
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Here are some ideas:
ebay: You have to put in some work to find a really good deal on ebay these days. Most sellers know what they have and price them accordingly. Most buyers know the value of the board and bid (sometimes overbid) accordingly.
online retailers: Fentek (http://fentek-ind.com/), EliteKeyboards (http://elitekeyboards.com/), NewEgg (http://www.newegg.com/), Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/), Deck (http://www.deckkeyboards.com/), Northgate Keyboard Repair (http://www.northgate-keyboard-repair.com/), DSI (http://www.dsi-keyboards.com/index.php), Mattias (http://www.matias.ca/), DataDesk (http://www.datadesktech.com/), ClickyKeyboards (http://clickykeyboards.com/), to name a few
local retailers: any local shop that builds/repairs computers
fellow geekhackers: we have many boards - place a WTB on the classifieds for what you want to buy. Or trade (WTT).
local recyclers: find a contact who'll notify you when they get a bunch of keyboards
local flea markets / swap meets: If you have these in your area
friends / coworkers: If you have friends or coworkers
local schools / businesses: ask if they're getting rid of any keyboards
dumpsters: some members have had luck here, not me ;-)
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dumpsters: some members have had luck here, not me ;-)
In Norway, every electronics store is required to take electronic products in the same category as they sell to recycling if customers comes with it. We sell keyboards in my store and someone just left a computer with a Compaq keyboard a couple of days ago :) I have a small store but the larger electronic store have large containers on the backside of their store where people can stash all of the electronic components they don't want. When the container is full the store ships it off to a recycling station for free.
Anyone can go to this dumpsters and pick up anything. Too bad I didn't think of that idea before. Should try to find something tomorrow...
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eBay is probably the number one source...but as others have mentioned, it takes some work to find a good deal these days. I prefer NIB; not necessarily for the collector value, but because used keyboards are gross and you can't be sure of their condition till you receive them. (of course, the right vintage keyboard shows up, and I'll certainly jump at it)
I like supporting the vendors that have support forums here as well.
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$95 (http://cfusion.com/cgi-bin/getPart_1.cgi?strSearchFragment=6450200)?
That's how much they paid for their website.
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Fentek (http://www.fentek-ind.com/)
Unicomp (http://pckeyboards.stores.yahoo.net/)
Compunation - Ottawa (http://www.compunation.com/main.php?p_uid=L2_259&area=browse&pg=1&vname=CHERRY)
Akihabara is my primary source atm. The best stores being:
Yodobashi-Camera (http://www.yodobashi-akiba.com/info/index.html)
T-Zone (http://www.tzone.com/diy/) - I got a stupid good deal on my MX Red Board here (less than 50% the regular price)
Sofmap (http://www.sofmap.com/) - Has some good deals to be found
クレバリー (http://www.clevery.co.jp/) Pretty much the keyboard store in Akihabara, also has a very good selection of mice/trackballs though T-Zone and Yodobashi are about the same in this regard.
There are a lot more stores in Akihabara that sell mechanical keyboards, though not really anything different than these ones. You still have to search for the rare stuff (duh).
I went to the Yodobashi-Camera in Sapporo, and they also have a decent selection (not quite as good, but a decent number of mechanicals).
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Damn, I never looked at the クレバリー website before. Useful, because the store is usually wall-to-wall people on the weekend.
Triple Foot Pedals (http://www.clevery.co.jp/eshop/g/g4571225046327/)
Topre Key Lock (http://www.clevery.co.jp/eshop/g/g2080422169453/)
Of course they sell the uTron (http://www.clevery.co.jp/eshop/g/g9760014660812/) too.
A quick note Scissor Switch in Japan is referred to as a Pantograph Switch for the google-translate folk. The high-touch keyboards refer to Topre boards.
This page (http://www.clevery.co.jp/eshop/e/e2160300/) has pretty much the complete selection of trackballs you can buy in Akihabara (barring the special order ones of course).
Damn I should get back to work, but holidays start in 6 hours, and everyone else in the office around me went to some long meeting.
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I've never successfully found any good mechanical keyboards anywhere except at dumpsters. And hard drives, SCSI adapters, etc.
Another alternative to ebay is kijiji for local ads; you'd be surprised at what goodies people have!
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I bought my first Model M circa 1995 for $14 from Herb's Software in San Jose, California. He had a pallet or two of them, and was amazed that no one seemed to understand what they were. I did. I bought my second a week later. One is still working; the other is on a rivet replacement holiday.
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Akihabara
is that some magic city under the sea or something?
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is that some magic city under the sea or something?
Yeah pretty much.
ripster's making the pilgrimage in July.
crypticfarm is going soon as well I believe.
My last trip will be on June 14th :Cry:
Oh well, my wallet will thank me.
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I bought my first Model M circa 1995 for $14 from Herb's Software in San Jose, California. He had a pallet or two of them, and was amazed that no one seemed to understand what they were. I did. I bought my second a week later. One is still working; the other is on a rivet replacement holiday.
You should have bought more :kev:
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many different ways~
taobao
retun
and my friends~
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I scour charity shops, It works. Small computer shops too (I have worked for most of them, so that helps).
The classifieds here are good.
I have had a few off ebay (My notable one my cryllic board with doubleshots alps caps and Monteray switches.
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..
I do not have a huge number of keyboards, got most of mine simply by chance and luck when out and about, not looking for keyboards.
In my area, the usual sources mentioned in this thread don't really prove fruitful.
The three terminal boards I've mentioned in other threads here I got at a local electronics-oriented recycler...I simply went internet hunting for recyclers in my area, found a couple and simply made a phone call to ask...and so made the visit.
Geeze...*boxes* full of interesting stuff...in a warehouse...I felt like a kid in a candy store....
...............
Spec_57
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I do not have a huge number of keyboards, got most of mine simply by chance and luck when out and about, not looking for keyboards.
In my area, the usual sources mentioned in this thread don't really prove fruitful.
The three terminal boards I've mentioned in other threads here I got at a local electronics-oriented recycler...I simply went internet hunting for recyclers in my area, found a couple and simply made a phone call to ask...and so made the visit.
Geeze...*boxes* full of interesting stuff...in a warehouse...I felt like a kid in a candy store....
Vintage computer dumps ARE candy stores!
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You guys are so lucky!
There are no electronic recyclers or large computer stores this side of a ride on a ferry or a plane.
On the bright side, there are plenty of offices (2 fujitsu peerless keyboards for free so far) and the net.
Bought from http://www.rsi-shop.co.uk/ and http://www.ergonomics.co.uk/ - but that was before I discovered keyboardco.
Not forgetting ebay.
Oh, I'm on the mainland next week, and will be hunting for keyboards...
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Peerless...why...
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I didn't know they were peerless at the time and they were free.
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Then I suppose it's acceptable, lol
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ebay
geekhack classifieds
I've gone to several recycling centers and used computer parts stores without luck. I don't think mechanical keyboards were very big in Brazil. Even the oldest stuff is membrane, and the keyboards are used and seriously abused before being abandoned.
A guy from my local computer store got me a "mechanical touch" for free though...
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Jesus forgave me for asking a dumb question.
Jesus also forgives you for using cherries over your model M:
(http://geekhack.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=9437&stc=1&d=1272160050)
(I had so much trouble finding a Jesus with short hair per 1 Corinthians 11:14)
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Jesus is easy.
Isn't that what Mary M. said?
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Isn't that what Mary M. said?
Nah, I think it was Caiaphas.