Pricing for beam springs going up up and AWAY:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150512709878
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150512685813
Recycledgoods has been trying to sell that Displaywriter board for that ridiculous price for months now. They just keep relisting it. Sometimes for as little as $105, other times up to $145. Nobody's biting at that level. The Displaywriter boards that I've seen actually sell went for somewhere in the $10 - $30 range + shipping. Recyledgoods' price is simply crazy. For that matter, most of their prices are quite high. I suppose if you need something right away and can't find it anyplace else, then it's a reasonable alternative, being they do have a lot of somewhat hard-to-find stuff. If you're willing to wait though, you ought to be able to get it for much cheaper elsewhere.
As for the old terminal beam spring board, I'm guessing whoever it is that has an interest in them will get this one as well, as the buyer seems to be well funded. The same buyer bought the old Burroughs keyboard today, so my guess is it's someone who likes collecting vintage keyboards. Perhaps Webwit?
it's gonna be hard enough to resurrect model f manufacturing, let alone beam springs :-S
Actually, I'm considering checking into the feasibility of manufacturing beam spring switches. I was able to locate a cheap Displaywriter board and a reasonably priced old terminal beam spring board. I've yet to test beam spring switches, but if they're as good as everyone says they are, then the only sensible way of making them available to keyboard enthusiasts would be to manufacturer new switches as the old boards are simply too hard to get. If someone were to start manufacturing boards using existing switches or make a controller/adapter to use the old boards, it would simply result in sending the prices skyrocketing and very few would be able to afford a board.
Model F switches seem plentiful presently, but any product which would make them be in demand would have a similar, though not nearly so drastic effect I'd think.
Curious if you've thought and explored the possibility of manufacturing beam spring and/or model F switches? I've examined the model F switches and they're pretty basic and I doubt it would be overly expensive to manufacture them. The beam springs though seem much more complex.
Assembling a new beam spring and/or model F keyboard would be somewhat labor intensive and adding to the already high costs of the components, it wouldn't be something for the masses. Maybe a DIY kit with the parts though would appeal to some.
