I'm curious why people still want a used model m when you can buy buckling spring keyboard from Unicomp for half the price. And it's new. The switch are the same aren't they?
The switch design is the same, but there are a lot of other differences. Unicomp DOES NOT make a SSK. What they call a "Space Saver", is still a full size 104 key keyboard, aimed at Mac users. If you want a 10 keyless keyboard, you cannot buy it from Unicomp.
But if a keyboard had been used for 20 years I really doubt it an last another 20 years. So why pay double. And Unicomp are the same guy who manufactured the IBM keyboard.
Unicomp is NOT the same company. IBM originally made the model M's, and then they sold things to Lexmark (the company you know now for the cheap printers that have expensive ink cartridges). Lexmark only had a contract to make model M's for IBM for 5 years, and after that ran out, they sold the rights to make that design to Unicomp. There are differences along the way, such as different materials, etc. Also, the buckling spring switch isn't a normal self enclosed switch like with the MX, it is actually made in part of the keyboard itself. When you consider that, and how some of the models being sold by Unicomp have lighter, cheaper plastics, and designs that use far less plastic and thinner plates, you do have to wonder about their longevity.
Don't get me wrong, Unicomp still makes good keyboards, but it just isn't the same thing. The only product in the entire Unicomp line that is comparable is the Classic, made with the same molds that Lexmark used. That makes them similar, but the materials still make a difference.
Also, in this case, based on the condition of the keyboard, how much of its life was it sitting in a box, unused? It may be 20 years old, but basically be a new keyboard, never have seen really any use. So you have a popular style keyboard, in a popular configuration, that is no longer made, in great shape. Those are all factors that drive price up. Not to mention, how many people around here are collectors? The person who buys it may just want it to add to their collection, and not really use.
