Author Topic: IBM M15 Split Ergonomic Keyboard on Ebay (Read 7977 times)

snerual · « **on:** Wed, 11 May 2011, 14:20:01 »

See here: http://cgi.ebay.com/RARE-IBM-M15-Split-Ergonomic-Keyboard-/220782650698

BIN for $1,500 or bidding starting at $1,000

MissileMike · « **Reply #1 on:** Wed, 11 May 2011, 15:06:00 »

I predict this expires with zero bids.

Laggy-gaga · « **Reply #2 on:** Wed, 11 May 2011, 17:41:15 »

None will bid on it

calavera · « **Reply #3 on:** Wed, 11 May 2011, 18:30:12 »

Hmm...the going price for BIN's like this rare keyboard is around 500~750 isn't it?

DesktopJinx · « **Reply #4 on:** Wed, 11 May 2011, 20:51:54 »

If memory serves, the last New In Box M15 only went for... $1700ish? (I don't remember the exact figure, I only remember it was a bit more than I could stomach.) This one here might be in excellent condition (doubt it) but it's not New In Box. It's not even a sure thing that it's functional.

Didn't the last used M15 go for $700ish, and the one before that $800ish, both considered a bit over the top?

Not that I'm looking for another one at a good price, but I am typing this post on a Kinesis Freestyle...

noodles256 · « **Reply #5 on:** Wed, 11 May 2011, 20:52:20 »

Quote from: Laggy-gaga;345090

None will bid on it

!

calavera · « **Reply #6 on:** Wed, 11 May 2011, 22:08:03 »

Quote from: DesktopJinx;345176

If memory serves, the last New In Box M15 only went for... $1700ish? (I don't remember the exact figure, I only remember it was a bit more than I could stomach.) This one here might be in excellent condition (doubt it) but it's not New In Box. It's not even a sure thing that it's functional.

Didn't the last used M15 go for $700ish, and the one before that $800ish, both considered a bit over the top?

Not that I'm looking for another one at a good price, but I am typing this post on a Kinesis Freestyle...

Wow, these go for higher than I expected. I stand corrected.

Sam · « **Reply #7 on:** Wed, 11 May 2011, 23:12:07 »

There was a used one last year that sold for $1625 I think. See here. After that sale, the NIB one was listed and sold for a similar price. I haven't seen any M-15s lately, so my guess is that this one could go for more than the average, but not as much as that $1625 one. However, the high minimum bid may be enough so that nobody bids on this one. If the starting bid was much less, there'd be a much better chance of it selling and selling for more than $1000, than if the minimum bid is set as high as it is. That's just human psychology at work in auctions. However, KillWill I recall sold one for less than $500. So the range of prices on these is all over the map. Presently the market for rare IBM Model M's seems to be hot, so I think this one would have gone for good money if bidding psychology were given a chance to kick in.

Sam · « **Reply #8 on:** Wed, 11 May 2011, 23:14:12 »

Quote from: ripster;345116

I predict the supply demand curve will come into play here. At some point all these old keyboard collectors will die off like Buckling Springs in the Favorite Switch Poll.

Oh, quick, sell off your IBM Model M collection before that happens! I'll be generous and offer you $300 sight unseen for all your IBM Model M's you've posted about.

False_Dmitry_II · « **Reply #9 on:** Thu, 12 May 2011, 00:13:55 »

Yeah, even if everyone who was around when they were first being made died off, I'm pretty sure new people would start collecting vintage stuff. Most of my stuff is 1992 or earlier.

Jim66 · « **Reply #10 on:** Thu, 12 May 2011, 05:37:11 »

Awful add; worse pictures... I'm sure it will go for loads.

Laggy-gaga · « **Reply #11 on:** Thu, 12 May 2011, 07:48:34 »

this is the one I missed
http://page8.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/h146995953
my friend in Japan fell in sleep and missed auction
should buy it now at that time

DesktopJinx · « **Reply #12 on:** Thu, 12 May 2011, 16:10:54 »

We saw a feeding frenzy late last year, and really nothing since then. M15s are so few and far between that it's hard to predict what individual sales will do -- steady supply and demand (and rational buyers) don't predict one keyboard going at $800, another a couple weeks later going at double that, and a New In Box (which has happened maybe twice in the last four years?) going at... about the same price a couple weeks later.

Shame about this one, really, he's going to scare off sellers, and after my refurb came back basically unimproved, I need another one -- but with the last one going for about half what this seller wants, I'll be holding out for, well, somewhat less, and with less uncertainty as to its condition.

Sam · « **Reply #13 on:** Wed, 18 May 2011, 23:12:36 »

Price reduced. Auction is now for $750 and BIN at $1100. Perhaps it will sell, if those interested in it haven't already written it off as too expensive without checking back.

snerual · « **Reply #14 on:** Fri, 20 May 2011, 09:27:11 »

Just over a day to go on this one. MissileMike's zero bid prediction may still hold, even with the change in price.

Voixdelion · « **Reply #15 on:** Sat, 21 May 2011, 19:53:39 »

another one on auction: 9 days left...

Item number:130522502199

Sam · « **Reply #16 on:** Sat, 21 May 2011, 20:05:55 »

The item didn't sell, though some potential buyers may not have seen the reduced price, and others may have seen the new auction come up with a much lower potential selling price, so not surprising it didn't sell. Plus I guess the market for M15's isn't so hot right now.

Ascaii · « **Reply #17 on:** Sun, 22 May 2011, 00:50:49 »

Whoa, thats Mark Goldstein himself selling the second one.
He made some great posts here about how ergonomic keyboards came into being and how he was screwed over by the bigwigs. I hope he gets a good price for it.

http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?12625-Who-killed-the-M15&highlight=ergomark

Sam · « **Reply #18 on:** Sun, 22 May 2011, 22:21:17 »

The original auction ended and has been relisted for $500, BIN is $1000.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220788640125

So once again two M15's on eBay. At $500, my guess is that it'll sell, although the auction ends before Mark Goldstein's. I would guess Mark Goldstein's board would be the most desirable, so some bidders may hold off on the $500 one, in hopes of getting Mark's board.

ricercar · « **Reply #19 on:** Sun, 22 May 2011, 23:24:23 »

hopefully the entry price is stabilizing at or below $500 so mortals can have a hope of owning one.

Sam · « **Reply #20 on:** Mon, 23 May 2011, 23:16:27 »

Looks like he's got a nibble, with one bid for $500 currently, so this time it will sell, but I doubt it will go over $1000, being there's two board for sale. With six bids on Mark's board, and at $455, my guess is that Mark's will sell for a higher price. Taking a wild stab here, and guessing they'll sell for about $600 and $800 respectively.

False_Dmitry_II · « **Reply #21 on:** Tue, 24 May 2011, 18:16:26 »

Will be interesting to see how close that is.

If I were to get mark's board, just because it's supposed to be him who designed it, I'd want it signed.

Jim66 · « **Reply #22 on:** Tue, 24 May 2011, 18:27:04 »

Quote from: False_Dmitry_II;350940

Will be interesting to see how close that is.

If I were to get mark's board, just because it's supposed to be him who designed it, I'd want it signed.

Apparently he didn't make it though....

http://deskthority.net/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=726

Just saying..

False_Dmitry_II · « **Reply #23 on:** Wed, 25 May 2011, 01:44:47 »

Yeah, I was actually originally going to write that sentence in a much more accusatory/skeptical way but decided to play it safe for fear of flames. Got flamed anyway.

Jim66 · « **Reply #24 on:** Wed, 25 May 2011, 04:48:29 »

I think flamed is very strong! I was just pointing out that there is some doubt as to whether he is actually the designer. I wouldn't want you to win the keyboard, have him sign it, only to find that it really wasn't him who designed it!

EDIT: It turns out he designed the ball and mechanism to connect the two halves of the keyboard.

False_Dmitry_II · « **Reply #25 on:** Wed, 25 May 2011, 12:41:57 »

I said were I to bid. I have no interest in something that expensive.

DesktopJinx · « **Reply #26 on:** Fri, 27 May 2011, 20:48:17 »

$711.00 for the one that was listed a couple of weeks ago at $1000 / $1500 buy-in-now.

DesktopJinx · « **Reply #27 on:** Sat, 28 May 2011, 11:44:04 »

And the one for sale in Vancouver (the one in Canada) by Mark Goldstein, the man who patented the idea of using a ball and socket joint under tension to hold two ergonomic keyboard halves in place, now has a new photo showing the mfg date and serial number --

ID no. 0000099
06-OCT-94

and is up to $635.

BTW, before you cream your jeans over that low serial number, remember there are older-still Lexmark-branded M15s with a different part number and their own serial number sequence. So that might be the 99th 13H6689 but it's not the 99th M15. But it does come with that neato retail/shipping box with the "Works on your PC!" which sadly may no longer be true, at least without a blue cube adapter.

DesktopJinx · « **Reply #28 on:** Tue, 31 May 2011, 15:18:01 »

And the second one went for $665.

Will someone hurry up and offer a blue-label IBM version?

Sam · « **Reply #29 on:** Tue, 31 May 2011, 20:25:35 »

I was thinking of trying to snipe Mark's board, but figured it would go for considerably more than it did, and I was tied up and wasn't able to. I doubt I'd use an M-15 ever, but it would be nice to have one and I would have chosen that board over the other one, being I'm guessing it saw the least amount of use. Anyways, surprised it went for as little as it did.

DesktopJinx · « **Reply #30 on:** Wed, 01 June 2011, 11:37:09 »

I, too, was surprised. But I guess if everybody but one person sits on the sidelines thinking about it, then somebody gets a better price.

DesktopJinx · « **Reply #31 on:** Wed, 01 June 2011, 12:00:55 »

You know, I was thinking about mentioning the curve, but figured the thread would languish for considerably longer than it did, and I was tied up and wasn't able to.

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Author Topic: IBM M15 Split Ergonomic Keyboard on Ebay (Read 7977 times)