Rebranded Chicony 5181 $25+shipping?

[Sniping]

The shipping is the killer for me ($30 to California) but this looks like a rebranded Chicony 5181 with the same layout for $25. Some of the keycaps look pretty yellowed but $25 is a great price if you live relatively close to where he does. Maybe you can ask him to ship some other method too to save some money on shipping.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Ultra-KB-5181-Click-Clicky-Computer-Keyboard-/190900777257?pt=PCA_Mice_Trackballs&hash=item2c7292b129

[dorkvader]

shipping to east coast is $18.30, for those interested.

[ComradeSniper]

Might be interested in picking this up if shipping wasn't $34 to me, has this guy not heard of flat rate boxes?

[Sniping]

You could probably ask him to ship it to you in a flat rate box. When I bought my Chicony board I asked the guy to see if there were any cheaper methods of shipping and I was able to shave off ~$5 from the shipping costs. Obviously you'll be saving more here.

[ComradeSniper]

Ok, sent him a message about shipping and about what switch type it might be.

[metalliqaz]

Might be worth it if it had Montery blues.  Lots of yellowing but I'd just like to try them

[ComradeSniper]

Might be worth it if it had Montery blues.  Lots of yellowing but I'd just like to try them

Yeah, I'm hoping for either vintage MX blues or monterey blues. Will most likely pick it up if it has either of those.

[Sniping]

These are probably going to be Monterey Blues. Everything about this keybaord is the same as the Chicony 5181

[MTManiac]

I hope you can get them to reduce shipping, I really like my 5181 with mb's.

SHIPPING:

We employ a professional shipping department in a 25,000 square ft facility. We do not ship out of a house or garage. We use new boxes and packing material 98% of the time. Keep in mind you are most likely buying something that does not come with the original box or packing material (unless otherwise pictured or stated). In these cases, in order to guarantee a professional packing job, new boxes and superior packing materials must be used. Unless your package is mistreated by the carrier, we guarantee it will arrive safe and sound. That's a major difference between us and other sellers on eBay. We cannot absorb the high cost of new boxes and packing material in the product selling price because we most often sell on behalf of others. We keep a smaller portion of each sale. By the time we pay eBay and PayPal fees, along with our payment to our consignors, there is not enough money left to give our boxes and packing material away. Therefore, if you believe our shipping prices are too high and do not care in what condition your item arrives in, then we respectfully request that you please do not bid on or buy our products.

not every 5181 has monterey blues, but the chances of getting a 'favorable' switch is pretty good considering the options
http://deskthority.net/wiki/Chicony_KB-5181

[ComradeSniper]

They said they won't change shipping methods, but they did confirm that the switches are Monterey Blues. That shipping is way too much for me to stomach, might be a good deal for someone on the east coast though.

[fohat.digs]

That shipping is way too much for me to stomach, might be a good deal for someone on the east coast though.

Parcel Post to a neighboring state might be as little as $12-13 for a keyboard of that weight, but $15-17 domestic shipping is not at all out of line for a mechanical keyboard. You can't ship one across country for less.

Would expect a seller to be willing to lose money on shipping?

[dorkvader]

Would expect a seller to be willing to lose money on shipping?

A flat rate gameboard box costs $17 to the other side of the country. Perhaps we balk at the extra $8 they are charging for packing and handling. I dont think anyone assumes they'll lose money on shipping, but then again, I don't think they expect to profit on shipping that much.

Now is this a fair amount? perhaps. One has to keep in mind the cost of boxes (assuming they don't get free ones from the USPS for priority), packing material, paypal and ebay fees, profit, etc.

[fohat.digs]

When I followed the link, it showed shipping as $18.30.

I always use flat rate game board boxes at $16.85, so $1.45 for packing supplies and gasoline to the PO did not seem out of line.

[dorkvader]

When I followed the link, it showed shipping as $18.30.

I always use flat rate game board boxes at $16.85, so $1.45 for packing supplies and gasoline to the PO did not seem out of line.

This is because you and I are in the same USPS postal zone as the seller. I suspect the seller is posing their rates based on the progressive postal zone pricing system (where they do charge you more to mail across the country). I was nevertheless pointing out that some services are still flat rate, and not using them is wasteful on the part of the seller. Still, I'm sure it all balances out in the end.

When I verified this just now, I found out that A LFRB is only $15.30 if postage is paid for online.

[ComradeSniper]

That shipping is way too much for me to stomach, might be a good deal for someone on the east coast though.

Parcel Post to a neighboring state might be as little as $12-13 for a keyboard of that weight, but $15-17 domestic shipping is not at all out of line for a mechanical keyboard. You can't ship one across country for less.

Would expect a seller to be willing to lose money on shipping?

That price would be totally reasonable, however it is showing $34 shipping for me.

[MTManiac]

it was 34 for shipping to me also