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geekhack Marketplace => Great Finds => Topic started by: ander on Wed, 12 December 2018, 18:18:00

Title: Two refurb'd 1st-gen terminal Model M's
Post by: ander on Wed, 12 December 2018, 18:18:00
Qty-2 IBM 3196 / 3197 Keyboards Refurbished & Guaranteed Working  (https://www.ebay.com/itm/Qty-2-IBM-3196-3197-Keyboards-Refurbished-Guaranteed-Working/162183002751)


(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/Y8oAAOSwHoFXwjXn/s-l1600.jpg)


(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/D9sAAOSwIWxasYlw/s-l1600.jpg)


"Professionally Refurbished and Guaranteed working", $99.00 OBO + free shipping (continental US)

Not everyone will be interested in these. You'd need a convertor for these here right-angle DINs:


[attachimg=1]


But otherwise, consider that if the seller accepted an offer of, say, $70, you'd get two (presumably) like-new, heavy-plate 1st-generation Model M's (comparable to p/n 1390131) for $35 each, delivered. That's not bad.
Title: Re: Two refurb'd 1st-gen terminal Model M's
Post by: rowdy on Wed, 12 December 2018, 20:03:08
[attachimg=1]

[attachimg=2]

:confused:
Title: Re: Two refurb'd 1st-gen terminal Model M's
Post by: ander on Fri, 14 December 2018, 20:31:09
Well, I did specifically say "free shipping (continental US)".

But that's good, right, shipping two Model M's all the way to OZ for $20-something? Wouldn't it normally be several times that? Maybe that was your point. You can be cryptic sometimes, mate, like your avatar.

Title: Re: Two refurb'd 1st-gen terminal Model M's
Post by: rowdy on Mon, 17 December 2018, 20:24:21
Well, I did specifically say "free shipping (continental US)".

But that's good, right, shipping two Model M's all the way to OZ for $20-something? Wouldn't it normally be several times that? Maybe that was your point. You can be cryptic sometimes, mate, like your avatar.

Yes, normally postage would be at least 4 times that, usually more like 10 times that.

It is suspiciously cheap.
Title: Re: Two refurb'd 1st-gen terminal Model M's
Post by: ander on Wed, 19 December 2018, 00:15:56
Yes, normally postage would be at least 4 times that, usually more like 10 times that... It is suspiciously cheap.

Sometimes shipping just comes up cheap, dunno why. Maybe the seller didn't bother actually weighing them—or maybe, thinking PC keyboards all weighed about the same, they just grabbed the nearest one (likely a flimsy membrane) and weighed that.

Like I mentioned, US shipping's free—that's even cheaper.  :?)
Title: Re: Two refurb'd 1st-gen terminal Model M's
Post by: HotRoderX on Wed, 19 December 2018, 01:14:12
The other thing that comes to mind specially when I see free shipping. I think the person is either factoring in the cost of shipping to the product or more likely they have a business account. Ship enough products and shipping company is happy to give a STEEP discount on products.
Title: Re: Two refurb'd 1st-gen terminal Model M's
Post by: ander on Fri, 21 December 2018, 05:19:16
The other thing that comes to mind specially when I see free shipping. I think the person is either factoring in the cost of shipping to the product or more likely they have a business account. Ship enough products and shipping company is happy to give a STEEP discount on products.

Or they're just in for a rude surprise when they discover that, no, there isn't a special super-cheap Vintage Keyboard rate.