Looking good, everyone! I'm happy to say that this buy has finally been (mostly) wrapped up, with the exception of two missing cases (maevy and MandrewDavis) who I will respond to later today (sleep deprived as all hell right now), and some replacements for r2 that need to be sent out. Seeing these boards reach their destinations safely (after some sacrifices that were made during r2) has been a heartwarming sight to behold, and I hope you're all enjoying yours as much as I'm enjoying mine right now. I'm pretty sure this will be the last "major" buy I do ("major" for me being order counts of 30+), but I'll be back with stuff in moderation from time to time, and hopefully improve my track record of severe delays with every buy.
I first started doing group buys because, being Chinese American, I have the opportunity to get in touch with both the Chinese and Western side of mechanical keyboard communities. After I saw lastpilot's GON Nerd Crystal TKL which prompted me to build a fully decked-out B.87, I needed jelly POM keycaps. But there were none to be had on mechmarket or with Western vendors. Hell, many vendors that exist today weren't even here back then. So I dug through old GH and reddit threads, scoured Taobao, and eventually found a couple suppliers with limited stock. After talking with a buddy of mine and buying a couple sets to verify that it's the real deal, we decided to go all in. Thus went my first group buy for jelly POM keycaps. Next thing that caught my attention was a RS96. Same process, found some folks who were making the ZZ96, and hopped on board. i kept hunting for interesting stuff on the Chinese side to bring over here, but that's no longer necessary. There are plenty of vendors and individuals alike who are actively seeking out opportunities to bring niche products to the community, and I commend them for it. I've a few small projects planned, but after that, I think I'll be able to "retire". I've enough boards and am satisfied with the sets I've got, and I don't have to worry about hidden jewels staying hidden with so many active and helpful members of the community working for everyone's benefit.
The mechanical keyboard communities have enriched my past year and a half greatly and I thank all of you for being there and playing a part. Seriously, thanks guys. I look forward to seeing what new heights the community can achieve.