It's too bad all the keyboards I want to try still are all so expensive, especially to get them to Canada...
Model F, CAD $400-500
30g Topre, CAD $400-500
Realforce HiPro, CAD $400-500...
Dude, what part of Canada are you in, the Arctic Circle? (Maybe you have to have stuff delivered by dog sled?) True, the Canadian dollar has hovered around 70˘ for some time, but I still don't see where you're getting those kinds of prices.
Model F AT's are about USD $250 on eBay these days for a decent one, some even up to USD $300, plus USD $50-ish for shipping, then brokerage fees, import charges, and currency conversion.
Hi Pro is around USD $250-$290, plus all the same expenses. Best deal I could find was CAD $370 shipped (plus duties/brokerage) from the UK.
30g Topre is hard to find and on eBay it's around USD $253 + 40 for shipping for a Realforce 108us... and again with duties and brokerage (which even Canada Post charges now) -- and that's JIS layout only.
So yeah... they're all north of CAD $400 (which is only around $295 USD).
Lately I've been looking at eBay, there've been AT keyboards that have been selling between 80-120 (plus 4 an xwhatsit if you want it), you just have to look. I got my AT in February for 60 US dollars including shipping. Granted I live in the US and do not suffer larger shipping rates and import fees, I still think you can get one for reasonable cheap. The average 250, is for people who are paying for convenice and a garranteed result.
The thing is, is even if they have a **** ton of dirt on them, you can clean them and they can look almost new. The keyboards are always working, never ran across a bad IBM anything, besides m2s, but those are easy to fix.
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