Are rare switches worth just as much outside their original keyboard as in?

[Special K]

Mods I'm not sure if this belongs in keyboards or classifieds, so feel free to move it if necessary.

I have a board with blue alps switches.  The problem is it's a DC-2014, which will not actually work on a modern PC without one of these (a soarer won't work):

https://www.hagstromelectronics.com/products/ke_xtusb.html

I can't justify spending $60 on a converter that is likely to have limited, if any, resale value and will only be used to test a single keyboard.  As such, I can't truly try out the board and blue alps to see if I really like them or not.  I can sit here and dummy type on the DC-2014 to get a feel for the switches, but in my experience it takes at least a week of actually using a board to give a new switch or board a fair evaluation.

Assuming I did like the blue alps, I would want to transplant them into a modern chassis.

Given the above, it seems my only option would be to desolder the switches, transplant them into a board of my choice, and then actually use the keyboard to see if I truly like the switches.  Here is my question: how would the resale value of the following compare:

1. An original blue alps keyboard
2. A modern chassis/board with transplanted blue alps switches
3. Loose blue alps switches

My concern is that if I go through with all of the modification and end up feeling it wasn't worth the money, I won't be able to recover what I paid for the original keyboard vs if I had just sold it in its original state.  The only other alternative would be to wait around and see if I could ever get one of the standard layout boards with blue alps, which are very rare and expensive.

Thoughts?

[fohat.digs]

I bought 2 LE2014s and harvested the switches and caps without the blink of an eye. I simply can't and won't use weird layouts.

That said, the Soarer's will work if you hook up the 5th wire (I think it is known as "Reset").

[MeltingTeeth]

Have you tried "What is this worth" thread for Blue Alps?

[chyros]

Blue Alps boards, including the DC-2014, generally go for about £80 nowadays, even as donor boards. I don't think anyone's ever paid £80 for a set of loose blue Alps (£0.80 per switch ).

I really don't think these poor DC-2014s don't deserve to be mass-slaughtered though ;( .

[fohat.digs]

I don't think anyone's ever paid £80 for a set of loose blue Alps

That set has been offered for sale?

[jacobolus]

I don't think anyone's ever paid £80 for a set of loose blue Alps (£0.80 per switch ).

They certainly would if they could. People pull the switches out of old keyboards with unusable layouts because that’s where the switches are, not because they enjoy the tedious desoldering job.

Assuming I did like the blue alps, I would want to transplant them into a modern chassis.

Given the above, it seems my only option would be to desolder the switches, transplant them into a board of my choice, and then actually use the keyboard to see if I truly like the switches.  Here is my question: how would the resale value of the following compare:

1. An original blue alps keyboard
2. A modern chassis/board with transplanted blue alps switches
3. Loose blue alps switches

Unless the board in #2 is particularly nice (milled aluminum case or something), I’d expect these to all fetch about the same price.

[chyros]

I don't think anyone's ever paid £80 for a set of loose blue Alps

That set has been offered for sale?

It's been given away recently, even xD . Mu got 100 or so from the Surprisebox.

I think someone here mentioned they bought a set, too.

[Ludovician]

I was dumb enough to buy a set at that price when I first started looking.

Special K, I recommend harvesting the switches and selling them by themselves. Selling the board is fine, and many people will be fine desoldering the switches themselves, but you limit who can buy it without immense shipping costs. Of course, they're blue alps, so you'll likely find a buyer immediately.

I do not recommend making your own DIY board with them and trying to sell it off, as people using them will most likely want to do their own custom with the switches.