42 keyboard pot luck - GOTTA be something

[Voixdelion]

I would think there must be something worth having in this lot:

http://cgi.ebay.com/LOT-42-VINTAGE-KEYBOARDS-IBM-HP-APPLE-KEYTRONIC-/190427614455?pt=PCA_Mice_Trackballs


Anybody have the wherewhithall to make use of a listing like that?

[Morning Song]

Hmmm, in the pictures i see at least an IBM Terminal keyboard, and what i think is something with ALPS.

[WhiteRice]

I see three with mini form factor

[Voixdelion]

I see three with mini form factor

Four.

[WhiteRice]

Four.

Five

[Voixdelion]

Really?  I still only find four, but I did see something looking like an M5-2 or the unicomp equivalent.

[Voixdelion]

Wow, kishy, you really know your keyboards!

[hyperlinked]

I see three with mini form factor

This is a GH Rorschach Inkblot test.

Someone's going to come along and see Red Cherries eventually.

[WhiteRice]

This is a GH Rorschach Inkblot test.

Someone's going to come along and see Red Cherries eventually.

 :3 good call

[sealcouch]

The shipping makes me nervous.

[8_INCH_FLOPPY]

That is so tempting.  I'd take them if there were not quite so many keys missing.

[ch_123]

I think there's at least two AEK IIs in addition to what has been pointed out above.

[Findecanor]

I doubt it would be worth it to have it shipped ...
Anybody from this board who lives in Cleveland?

[Voixdelion]

Well, the only way to know is to find out, so I sent a note asking if they could include some details to calculate shipping  (# boxes, weight, dimension, etc.)  It might be less than we imagine, since I remember shipping something for about 35 bucks that weighed close to 70lbs across the country using UPS, but that was a while back.  Its starting to look like there might be some treasure in all that trash if someone has the patience to sort it out and fix em up.  Who knows?  Maybe we could put together a pool and start a GH library of loaner boards....
(Yeah, I know -way too much time on my hands...)

[Voixdelion]

Wow - Is 42 boards really forklift worthy?  Seems like I could hit that many on my own in another six months at the rate I'm going.  

Let's ask Click-clack!

[Voixdelion]

Well, depends on packaging. I'm inclined to say it exceeds the maximum size couriers will handle even if not the maximum weight (though the presence of even two IBM 122-keys suggests it may be close to that limit too).

Well, they don't ALL have to go into ONE box do they? how a bout 4 boxes of 10 -12 boards each?  (All a moot point, really, if the seller has specified the forklifting, but in theory its doable?)

[clickclack]

You rang? =)

Anybody have the wherewhithall to make use of a listing like that?

Yeah... me! heehee
But I am getting keyboard fat... nom-nom-nom-crunch! Ouch, I think I broke a key =P
The listing is tempting, although I have encountered better ones before...hmm... my back is saying "STAY AWAY"!!!!!!

Wow - Is 42 boards really forklift worthy?  Seems like I could hit that many on my own in another six months at the rate I'm going.  
Let's ask Click-clack!

If they are packed properly or even semi-properly then yes that would easily need to be freight (does not always mean forklift (hand cart, hand truck...). It could just plain be too awkward to move easily.
If not packed properly then it's possible they could ship in a large normal box but it could easily weigh over 150lbs and be very easily damaged (the box and keyboards).
I typically stick to an absolute max of 40 keyboards per storage unit/container (20-30 is my norm). Especially since I cannot move a container of 30 keyboards safely.

Well, they don't ALL have to go into ONE box do they? how a bout 4 boxes of 10 -12 boards each?  (All a moot point, really, if the seller has specified the forklifting, but in theory its doable?)

Since that shipment would be a rather small item for regular freight the price could be ok. If the keyboards sold for $100 then tack on $45-70 for freight. If he really packs (safely bulks it up) it could be well over $100 but probably under $200.
Honestly though shipping costs for doing them in smaller groups through normal mail would probably work out to around the same cost (having experience with this before) and be much more work for them, especially if they do freight often. You can always cheapen the freight shipment if it goes to your work as opposed to your home.

Hope that helps =)
if not, then you can thank me for putting you to sleep =P

[Oqsy]

I want that sweet super huge IBM terminal board with the missing space bar... but I want the space bar too.  So really, I just want one like it.  That keyboard is as big as my ATX case.

[Findecanor]

It is possible that none of these boards could be hooked up and used with a Mac or PC without a special converter. Those that are not Apple ADB boards, are most likely terminal boards.

I see them as interesting for parts, nothing more. If you are not into building or customizing your keyboards with stuff from this lot, then it is a waste of time, in my opinion.
Nice picture though. Too bad that the seller does not sell them off one by one.

[ch_123]

Are you saying this in regards to the IBM terminal keyboards?

[Jim66]

.... It annoys me soooo much when I see people wrap a coiled cable around the keyboard many times..  

YOUR BLOODY STRETCHING IT!!!

[Voixdelion]

Most excellent 411, Clickclack; Thanks!  

Okay folks there you have it,  Seller does provide estimated shipping of the lot to your zip and specs if you send a message too.  If anyone does go for it, let us know how it turns out! (And don't forget about Kishy and the trackball ...) It's been an interesting week for shopping; at least in my case.

[microsoft windows]

.... It annoys me soooo much when I see people wrap a coiled cable around the keyboard many times..  

YOUR BLOODY STRETCHING IT!!!

Who cares if it's stretched though? It'll still work perfectly fine.

[Oqsy]

.... It annoys me soooo much when I see people wrap a coiled cable around the keyboard many times..  

*YOU'RE* BLOODY STRETCHING IT!!!

You, sir, are also doing it wrong.

[Voixdelion]

I could say something about your mother here, but that would be rude.

You're universally disliked enough around here that I'd probably be praised for it.

:shocked:
Now Kishy!  That's likely the first time I've seen a reaction like that from you...  Isn't there some old saying like " if you can keep your head while all about you are losing theirs... "  Pretty sure there is one that starts like that, but for the life of me I haven't any idea how it supposed to end...

[microsoft windows]

I spied a Minitouch and a few Model M's in the lot.

I'd ask the guy about the On-the-ball and see if it's a rubber dome or not.

[8_INCH_FLOPPY]

Could someone ID the board with the colored keys, the board with yellow F-keys, the boards on the left side with the really yellowed keys and the grey board?  A few of those I don't recognize at all.  Hmmmm..... Group Buy?

[jelly]

anyone getting it will be happy~

[8_INCH_FLOPPY]

I can tell they're different.  They just seem to be the ones I'm having the hardest time identifying.  Of course, it could simply be due to the yellowing of everything that I don't recognize them.  Wow, that keyboard in the middle with the missing space-bar looks big, even for a terminal board.

[8_INCH_FLOPPY]

I have a 122-key, but the one in the photo looks unusually large.  It's probably just a combination of low-res pic mixed with the lighting angle though.

[TexasFlood]

Could someone ID the board with the colored keys, the board with yellow F-keys, the boards on the left side with the really yellowed keys and the grey board?  A few of those I don't recognize at all.  Hmmmm..... Group Buy?

I tried to zoom in on the existing pictures but not a lot to work with so haven't figured anything out yet.  Although, after a closer look, I wonder if this thing would be usable as a keyboard since the key labels I can halfway make out seem to indicate extreme customization missing many of the original characters.

[Oqsy]

Enhance 34 to 46
Pull back
Wait a minute ... go right
Stop
Enhance 57, 19
track 45 left
Stop!
Enhance 15 to 23
Gimme a hard-copy right there

[TexasFlood]

Enhance 34 to 46
Pull back
Wait a minute ... go right
Stop
Enhance 57, 19
track 45 left
Stop!
Enhance 15 to 23
Gimme a hard-copy right there

Sooo, that makes me Harrison Ford? Cool! Well, except I can't pull the snake tattoo from the left cheek of a sleeping woman from a tiny bit of a 45 degree angle of a small bit of mirror reflection, :wink:  Guess Harrison had better source material?  Wish there was more to work with here, it would be cool to know what this one is.

hl=en_US&fs=1">

[Oqsy]

No, that makes you Deckard.  Harrison Ford is nowhere near as cool as many of the characters he's played.

[TexasFlood]

No, that makes you Deckard.  Harrison Ford is nowhere near as cool as many of the characters he's played.

Good point, and
Deckard must have been a replicant right?


Anyway.  That colored keyboard reminds me of some of the custom colored keyboards I've seen for specific applications like this one for Canopus Edius video editing software.

After a closer look at the magnified image in my post above, I wonder if it would be usable as a keyboard since the key labels I can halfway make out seem to indicate extreme customization missing many of the original characters.

Perhaps it was custom made for some application by a company like Hooleon, or someone who ordered key caps from them. The key cap colors in the Hooleon images below look like those used in the mystery board.

[TexasFlood]

I want that sweet super huge IBM terminal board with the missing space bar... but I want the space bar too.  So really, I just want one like it.  That keyboard is as big as my ATX case.

Wow, that keyboard in the middle with the missing space-bar looks big, even for a terminal board.

That's a Model F 122-key or the old-style Model M 122-key (you can see the breakdown photos of both in the Pictures subforum). Only the later Model Ms were downsized.

I have a 122-key, but the one in the photo looks unusually large.  It's probably just a combination of low-res pic mixed with the lighting angle though.

It does look like the model f terminal board which I recently bought off ebay, and have done nothing with yet, :sad:.  And it is big.  From the picture, I'm guessing this one is missing at least 5 key function key caps, mine was missing one.

[TexasFlood]

I spied a Minitouch

The minitouch looks to be missing some keys as well.  A lot of these have some damage, although have to zoom to the ragged edge before I can see it. Maybe there's a reason the pictures don't show much detail.  Actually, is that a minitouch?  It kinda looks like one but yet not.  Hmmm.



BTC-5100c maybe(shown below)?

[TexasFlood]

Lack of "hat keys" suggests it's an older generation Model M 122-key, not a Model F. However this doesn't guarantee anything because Model Ms can be seen with "hat keys" as well. Just seems unlikely that an F (inherently older) would have the newer style keys.

I didn't notice that but my Model F terminal keyboard (below) does indeed have hat keys which the one in this lot seems to lack.

[dfj]

The 1390238 typically has hat keys. From its number, you might expect that it is an M, and this would be the case.
 ( I confirmed that the model normally had hat keys before grabbing it - I din' want some hacked-together chimera board.)

Sorry - no pic. Haven't cleaned it yet. It is still laden with mysterious, sticky, hairy messes.

dfj

[TexasFlood]

About 2 1/2 days left, not a nibble...

[Findecanor]

I have asked the seller. If he does not get any bids for the lot, he will sell the keyboards one by one.

[8_INCH_FLOPPY]

Anyone want to organize a group buy?  That shipping is such a killer.  We could have the keyboards delivered to the closest member.  Then, the people who split the bill could take turns choosing a keyboard until they are gone.  Of course, they would still have to pay for the separate shipping, but the volume would be soooo much less.  Is there anyone interested who lives close to the seller?

[microsoft windows]

It does look like the model f terminal board which I recently bought off ebay, and have done nothing with yet, :sad:.  And it is big.  From the picture, I'm guessing this one is missing at least 5 key function key caps, mine was missing one.

Show Image

That one's a Model M. You can tell because it doesn't have the hat keys (All Model F's had the hat keys but not all the model M's).

[TexasFlood]

I'd go for that On-The-Ball but even distributed among a few members I bet the cost exceeds what I want to pay (I only want the trackball assembly which will cost all of $5 to ship to me, unlike the whole keyboard which will cost easily $25)

Well bidding ended with no bids.  I'm not shocked as some of these looked like they had been dragged through water, then hot coals, and thrown around by apes.  Maybe will post then individually now, or in smaller lots perhaps.

[Findecanor]

If I dont sell the whole lot I will seperate for 10.00 each plus
shipping
but if you buy several keyboard we can work out some kind of deal thanks

-gmsurplussales

...

[ch_123]

When iMav ordered his On-The-Ball, I think he was told that his was the first buckling spring they made.

Well, at least the white 101-key ones anyway.

[Pylon]

Still around:
http://cgi.ebay.com/LOT-42-VINTAGE-KEYBOARDS-IBM-HP-APPLE-KEYTRONIC-/310244055182?pt=PCA_Mice_Trackballs&hash=item483bfc988e