[US] A Dolch.

[Parak]

Edited: I'm sure you can find it if you want it.

[nanu]

Why sigh, ∙__∙ guy. Chronic lazy thread titling?

[8_INCH_FLOPPY]

Guys, seriously, it's not going to go unnoticed.  Stop posting a thread every time one of these goes up for sale. I've been waiting for a cheap one, and you keep driving up the prices.  I've never tried a keyboard with Cherry blues, and that whole computer setup would be awesome.

[Parak]

Ah yes again, that thing about why this subforum exists at all, basically. I think I'll just stop participating in this section, then. Hopefully that's fair to all

[AndrewZorn]

No, seriously, that IS why this section exists.  If you think someone is ruining your golden Ebay opportunity by posting it here, try to remember the last time this forum showed you a good deal and wonder if you would have found it otherwise...

Now, people posting Ebay listings that they actually plan to bid on... that makes no sense at all.

[Findecanor]

A couple of times I have found stuff on eBay and intended to bid on it late, keeping it secret, and then finding a thread about it here where I have to influence people into not bidding ...

I have said this before: On all other collector's forums where I am active, it is expressively forbidden to link to an active eBay auction.
The exact rules may be a bit different (or enforced differently) forum to forum. On some, it is considered a serious offence, and you get a mark in your permanent record (three marks and you get banned). On some, you may be allowed to if there are multiple items (unusual), if the auction is funny, ridiculous or just sad in some way (because nobody would reasonably bid on it anyway) or to warn other people that there is something wrong about the item or seller.

[Sam]

I have said this before: On all other collector's forums where I am active, it is expressively forbidden to link to an active eBay auction.
The exact rules may be a bit different (or enforced differently) forum to forum. On some, it is considered a serious offence, and you get a mark in your permanent record (three marks and you get banned). On some, you may be allowed to if there are multiple items (unusual), if the auction is funny, ridiculous or just sad in some way (because nobody would reasonably bid on it anyway) or to warn other people that there is something wrong about the item or seller.

Interesting.  The more I think about this, the more I think posting links to active auctions creates more ill will than it does help.  So lately I've been trying to limit starting new threads here unless they fall into the categories you mentioned.  I've been stung before in seeing items go unnoticed only to have someone here end up posting a link and then the item is bought by someone else who maybe never would have even seen it if not for a link here.  So I've come to the conclusion that perhaps if someone really wants an item, they should do their own homework and not depend on someone else to be posting links.  More than likely the people reading this forum and then bidding on such items aren't really that interested in them.  The ones who are really dying to get a particular item, and search for it day after day are more deserving than someone who ends up bidding just because everyone else is and they think it's cool to be in on the action.

I think showing some restraint in this forum would eliminate some of the bad feelings when we see our favorite item suddenly becoming a hot topic of discussion.  Certain common and predictable items I think are fine to discuss, the regular NIB Model M SpaceSavers being a prime example.  I don't see any harm in discussing common everyday Model M's either.  Likewise funny, humorous, deceptive, etc. listings deserve a place.  Rare, seldom-seen items though perhaps should not be talked about before the auction ends.

I think talking about items after the auction ends, whether they were bought by us or someone else should be encouraged though.  A lot of useful information comes from discussing items for sale.  So to lose that discussion would be a loss.  I know I've learned a lot about reading the discussions about listed items that I'd likely never know if not for this forum.  So I definitely have mixed feelings, but think restricting the postings in some manner would be a good thing.  Perhaps not some hard and fast rule, but some guidelines suggesting common courtesy towards others who may be bidding on an item.

[AndrewZorn]

The same could be said about deal sites.  Slickdeals is awesome, but it DOES lead to sale items being sold out way faster, leaving the REAL investigators at the same level as commoners.

This is what happens on the internet.

Like I said, mind as well just get rid of the whole Great Finds subforum.  It sure is nice to have an Ebay auction no one else notices, but to get honestly mad when it gets attention?  I guess I'll think twice about posting the next good deal I see.  Should I have just bought all the 40 or whatever CH trackballs for $10 each last year?

[elbowglue]

This forum is for good ebay finds.  If you find something really nice (say NIB M15 for $100 BIN) you won't post it here, you'll buy it yourself.   If you find something mislisted like a "fillco mechanicl keboard" and you want it, you won't post it here, you'd buy it yourself.

I think it's ridunculous to expect someone to list a nice keyboard, and sit here on geekhack praying nobody posts it on the "ebay finds" section.

Thank you Parak for your posts, and keep the deals coming, thank you everyone for posting the deals you have.

Having items listed on a forum such as this does indeed drive the price of these items up, but on the other hand, when people see the prices have gone up, they sift through their closet and decide to sell theirs.  Look at that rash of M15's up for sale recently, driven by high purchase price.  We are here to enjoy mechanical keyboards, not to be able to get every mechanical keyboard for $1 + shipping.

[elbowglue]

For example, if I really wanted a dolch badly, I would PM this seller:
http://cgi.ebay.com/dolch-pac-586-/190482950795?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c59ab2a8b#ht_500wt_950
and ask him, hey, can you just sell me the keyboard for $30 + actual keyboard shipping if you take the item off of ebay?  I'll save you the paypal commission and it looks broken so $30 is better than nothing.

This is how I got one of my siig 1903 blue montereys, and how I got my most recent ricercar spos.

I wish I could be an australian racist.

EDIT: In fact this is what I tried to do with the most recent Desko I bought but the seller never responded to my pre-emptive offer.  Turns out it auctioned for less than I offered him anyhow.

[Zen]

What, isn't this sub-forum the secret geekhack handshake
that means 'Don't bid on this' ??

[microsoft windows]

Show Image

[Sam]

What, isn't this sub-forum the secret geekhack handshake
that means 'Don't bid on this' ??

I think a lot of the regulars would refrain from bidding on an item if another regular posted that they wanted it.  However the regulars here are probably just a small fraction of the lurkers.  A lurker will likely not respect this being they probably don't feel like they're a part of the community if they don't even bother to post.

I know it's hard if not impossible to judge, but these days before I start a thread here I try to think, "will one of the regulars here be likely bidding on this and will they be disappointed if my post results in them losing the item?"  If the answer is yes, I don't post.

I think if you found a listing with multiple items available, it's great to make a post sharing your find.  Likewise a strictly BIN item I don't feel is so likely hurting anyone to make a post, being if it wasn't posted here, someone else would probably buy it first.  Like I said, I do have mixed feelings - it's a trade-off between helping a fellow Geekhacker who might not have found a listing otherwise, and helping to spread information and interest in items, vs. hurting a fellow Geekhacker's chances in acquiring some sought after item.  IMHO, there isn't any right or wrong answer to whether you should post an item, but you should take into consideration others before post, and not just post willy-nilly every find that you think is the least bit interesting.

[microsoft windows]

Yeah, Windows 2000 Paint isn't the best thing on the planet.

[ch_123]

Notice how the overall image quality now totally sucks? And the text has a white background instead of transparent?

That's what you get for editing in an incompetent piece of crap tool like MS Paint...

(though, I must admit, the Vista and 7 version of Paint is reasonable)

I think it would have been more subtle if he had drawn a large purple **** on it using the airbrush tool.

[ricercar]

I don't buy my sheep at OCN even when they're $1 BIN.

[woody]

Don't miss this classic:

[gun_sl1nger]

I pay whatever the market rate is on Ebay and get my money's worth every time.

New graph because I've been accused of being an Australian Racist (which I didn't know was technically possible despite their felon infested gene pool)

Show Image

Here he goes again slagging Australians.

[jaynoon]

I hardly see how posting links here is going to drive the price up by much on anything.

Anybody heard of saved searches? I get emails every day on all the crap that I might want to buy.

I would be incredibly bummed out if this forum went away though. It's cool to read about all the stuff that I have no idea about (most posts about Cherry G8#=########)

[Sam]

I hardly see how posting links here is going to drive the price up by much on anything.

Anybody heard of saved searches? I get emails every day on all the crap that I might want to buy.

I would be incredibly bummed out if this forum went away though. It's cool to read about all the stuff that I have no idea about (most posts about Cherry G8#=########)

I'm sure the people who are serious about certain items are fully aware of them without anyone posting a link here.  I know that's the case with me.  However I think there's probably a lot of regular members and lurkers who see the posts here about items which they weren't interested in or didn't know about and see the listing and decide to bid on it because they think it's cool.  So I do believe it does drive up the price on some items.

Like you, I enjoy reading this forum and talking about the various items and would hate to see it go away.  It's probably my favorite forum on Geekhack.  I'm just torn though at times when I see posts here about certain items that don't generate any significant discussion but merely serve to alert those too lazy to do their own homework to bid on an item they might not otherwise.

[Sam]

Dozens of posts about this, and then the original item went unsold without even a single bid.  What happened?  Oh well, maybe I was completely wrong and we should just post away all our finds in this forum.  Maybe it does keep others from bidding on the item.