Author Topic: Where do you buy your keyboards? (Read 6386 times)

_Trev · « **on:** Mon, 19 April 2010, 22:06:39 »

I bought my IBM XT Model F at a thrift store for $1.91.

Where do you you all buy your keyboards at? I really want an AT keyboard so I can actually use it

zXWF · « **Reply #1 on:** Thu, 22 April 2010, 15:32:28 »

Doesn't seem like people want to share their stores =/ I bet eBay is problably a favourite. Let me know if you come over something, I am too searching for places to buy decent keyboards (Europe).

kishy · « **Reply #2 on:** Thu, 22 April 2010, 15:57:54 »

eBay for a few. My original mechanicals (a pair of abused Model Ms) were freebies from my high school.

The Laser ALPS board came from...the side of the road.

Any day now I should be acquiring a new ALPS goodie off a friend.

The peerless that was previously mine was a thrift store find.

bitflipper · « **Reply #3 on:** Thu, 22 April 2010, 16:30:04 »

Here are some ideas:

ebay: You have to put in some work to find a really good deal on ebay these days. Most sellers know what they have and price them accordingly. Most buyers know the value of the board and bid (sometimes overbid) accordingly.

online retailers: Fentek, EliteKeyboards, NewEgg, Amazon, Deck, Northgate Keyboard Repair, DSI, Mattias, DataDesk, ClickyKeyboards, to name a few

local retailers: any local shop that builds/repairs computers

fellow geekhackers: we have many boards - place a WTB on the classifieds for what you want to buy. Or trade (WTT).

local recyclers: find a contact who'll notify you when they get a bunch of keyboards

local flea markets / swap meets: If you have these in your area

friends / coworkers: If you have friends or coworkers

local schools / businesses: ask if they're getting rid of any keyboards

dumpsters: some members have had luck here, not me ;-)

zXWF · « **Reply #4 on:** Thu, 22 April 2010, 16:44:17 »

Quote from: bitflipper;174658

dumpsters: some members have had luck here, not me ;-)

In Norway, every electronics store is required to take electronic products in the same category as they sell to recycling if customers comes with it. We sell keyboards in my store and someone just left a computer with a Compaq keyboard a couple of days ago

I have a small store but the larger electronic store have large containers on the backside of their store where people can stash all of the electronic components they don't want. When the container is full the store ships it off to a recycling station for free.

Anyone can go to this dumpsters and pick up anything. Too bad I didn't think of that idea before. Should try to find something tomorrow...

iMav · « **Reply #5 on:** Thu, 22 April 2010, 17:46:46 »

eBay is probably the number one source...but as others have mentioned, it takes some work to find a good deal these days. I prefer NIB; not necessarily for the collector value, but because used keyboards are gross and you can't be sure of their condition till you receive them. (of course, the right vintage keyboard shows up, and I'll certainly jump at it)

I like supporting the vendors that have support forums here as well.

hyperlinked · « **Reply #6 on:** Thu, 22 April 2010, 19:12:34 »

Quote from: webwit;174691

$95?

That's how much they paid for their website.

HaaTa · « **Reply #7 on:** Thu, 22 April 2010, 20:50:34 »

Fentek
Unicomp
Compunation - Ottawa

Akihabara is my primary source atm. The best stores being:
Yodobashi-Camera
T-Zone - I got a stupid good deal on my MX Red Board here (less than 50% the regular price)
Sofmap - Has some good deals to be found
クレバリー Pretty much the keyboard store in Akihabara, also has a very good selection of mice/trackballs though T-Zone and Yodobashi are about the same in this regard.

There are a lot more stores in Akihabara that sell mechanical keyboards, though not really anything different than these ones. You still have to search for the rare stuff (duh).

I went to the Yodobashi-Camera in Sapporo, and they also have a decent selection (not quite as good, but a decent number of mechanicals).

HaaTa · « **Reply #8 on:** Thu, 22 April 2010, 21:08:41 »

Damn, I never looked at the クレバリー website before. Useful, because the store is usually wall-to-wall people on the weekend.

Triple Foot Pedals
Topre Key Lock

Of course they sell the uTron too.

A quick note Scissor Switch in Japan is referred to as a Pantograph Switch for the google-translate folk. The high-touch keyboards refer to Topre boards.

This page has pretty much the complete selection of trackballs you can buy in Akihabara (barring the special order ones of course).

Damn I should get back to work, but holidays start in 6 hours, and everyone else in the office around me went to some long meeting.

EverythingIBM · « **Reply #9 on:** Fri, 23 April 2010, 00:33:22 »

I've never successfully found any good mechanical keyboards anywhere except at dumpsters. And hard drives, SCSI adapters, etc.
Another alternative to ebay is kijiji for local ads; you'd be surprised at what goodies people have!

ricercar · « **Reply #10 on:** Fri, 23 April 2010, 01:38:28 »

I bought my first Model M circa 1995 for $14 from Herb's Software in San Jose, California. He had a pallet or two of them, and was amazed that no one seemed to understand what they were. I did. I bought my second a week later. One is still working; the other is on a rivet replacement holiday.

Otterclock · « **Reply #11 on:** Fri, 23 April 2010, 01:38:33 »

Quote

Akihabara

is that some magic city under the sea or something?

HaaTa · « **Reply #12 on:** Fri, 23 April 2010, 01:51:11 »

Quote from: Otterclock;174773

is that some magic city under the sea or something?

Yeah pretty much.

ripster's making the pilgrimage in July.
crypticfarm is going soon as well I believe.

My last trip will be on June 14th :Cry:

Oh well, my wallet will thank me.

EverythingIBM · « **Reply #13 on:** Fri, 23 April 2010, 02:09:23 »

Quote from: ricercar;174772

I bought my first Model M circa 1995 for $14 from Herb's Software in San Jose, California. He had a pallet or two of them, and was amazed that no one seemed to understand what they were. I did. I bought my second a week later. One is still working; the other is on a rivet replacement holiday.

You should have bought more :kev:

DryDry · « **Reply #14 on:** Fri, 23 April 2010, 03:03:40 »

many different ways~
taobao
retun
and my friends~

InSanCen · « **Reply #15 on:** Fri, 23 April 2010, 03:42:27 »

I scour charity shops, It works. Small computer shops too (I have worked for most of them, so that helps).

The classifieds here are good.

I have had a few off ebay (My notable one my cryllic board with doubleshots alps caps and Monteray switches.

Specter_57 · « **Reply #16 on:** Fri, 23 April 2010, 06:05:01 »

..
I do not have a huge number of keyboards, got most of mine simply by chance and luck when out and about, not looking for keyboards.

In my area, the usual sources mentioned in this thread don't really prove fruitful.

The three terminal boards I've mentioned in other threads here I got at a local electronics-oriented recycler...I simply went internet hunting for recyclers in my area, found a couple and simply made a phone call to ask...and so made the visit.

Geeze...*boxes* full of interesting stuff...in a warehouse...I felt like a kid in a candy store....

...............
Spec_57

EverythingIBM · « **Reply #17 on:** Fri, 23 April 2010, 23:53:35 »

Quote from: Specter_57;174799

..
I do not have a huge number of keyboards, got most of mine simply by chance and luck when out and about, not looking for keyboards.

In my area, the usual sources mentioned in this thread don't really prove fruitful.

The three terminal boards I've mentioned in other threads here I got at a local electronics-oriented recycler...I simply went internet hunting for recyclers in my area, found a couple and simply made a phone call to ask...and so made the visit.

Geeze...*boxes* full of interesting stuff...in a warehouse...I felt like a kid in a candy store....

Vintage computer dumps ARE candy stores!

hoggy · « **Reply #18 on:** Sat, 24 April 2010, 01:05:04 »

You guys are so lucky!

There are no electronic recyclers or large computer stores this side of a ride on a ferry or a plane.

On the bright side, there are plenty of offices (2 fujitsu peerless keyboards for free so far) and the net.

Bought from http://www.rsi-shop.co.uk/ and http://www.ergonomics.co.uk/ - but that was before I discovered keyboardco.

Not forgetting ebay.

Oh, I'm on the mainland next week, and will be hunting for keyboards...

kishy · « **Reply #19 on:** Sat, 24 April 2010, 10:33:29 »

Peerless...why...

hoggy · « **Reply #20 on:** Sat, 24 April 2010, 11:02:56 »

I didn't know they were peerless at the time and they were free.

kishy · « **Reply #21 on:** Sat, 24 April 2010, 11:09:11 »

Then I suppose it's acceptable, lol

nowsharing · « **Reply #22 on:** Sat, 24 April 2010, 11:24:29 »

ebay
geekhack classifieds

I've gone to several recycling centers and used computer parts stores without luck. I don't think mechanical keyboards were very big in Brazil. Even the oldest stuff is membrane, and the keyboards are used and seriously abused before being abandoned.

A guy from my local computer store got me a "mechanical touch" for free though...

EverythingIBM · « **Reply #23 on:** Sat, 24 April 2010, 20:48:09 »

Quote from: ripster;175551

Jesus forgave me for asking a dumb question.

Jesus also forgives you for using cherries over your model M:

(I had so much trouble finding a Jesus with short hair per 1 Corinthians 11:14)

ricercar · « **Reply #24 on:** Sat, 24 April 2010, 21:35:35 »

Quote from: ripster;175672

Jesus is easy.

Isn't that what Mary M. said?

EverythingIBM · « **Reply #25 on:** Sat, 24 April 2010, 21:51:41 »

Quote from: ricercar;175689

Isn't that what Mary M. said?

Nah, I think it was Caiaphas.

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Author Topic: Where do you buy your keyboards? (Read 6386 times)