Vintage keyboard haul
- kralcifer
- Location: USA
- Main keyboard: Noxary 280
- Main mouse: Logitech MX Master 2S
- Favorite switch: Kaihl Box Jade
- DT Pro Member: 0246
Hi all,
I had the good fortune of stumbling upon the biggest collection of older keyboards that I’ve personally seen to date.
Here is a teaser picture. I purchased this entire pile for $550.
I spent 3 hours going through the inventory. I bought about half of what was there. I kept every Cherry MX and Alps, I think there were 8 or 9. After that I kept switch types I didn’t have in my collection. After that I kept solid build quality cases or keycaps that I liked.
I plan on posting info about each one later this week.
I had the good fortune of stumbling upon the biggest collection of older keyboards that I’ve personally seen to date.
Here is a teaser picture. I purchased this entire pile for $550.
I spent 3 hours going through the inventory. I bought about half of what was there. I kept every Cherry MX and Alps, I think there were 8 or 9. After that I kept switch types I didn’t have in my collection. After that I kept solid build quality cases or keycaps that I liked.
I plan on posting info about each one later this week.
- JP!
- Location: United States
- Main keyboard: Currently a Model M
- Main mouse: Steel Series Sensei
- Favorite switch: Beam Spring
- DT Pro Member: 0194
- Contact:
- kralcifer
- Location: USA
- Main keyboard: Noxary 280
- Main mouse: Logitech MX Master 2S
- Favorite switch: Kaihl Box Jade
- DT Pro Member: 0246
Haha. I posted that so people would tell me why that may have been a mistake. Feel free to tell me why I shouldn’t have passed on them.
- kralcifer
- Location: USA
- Main keyboard: Noxary 280
- Main mouse: Logitech MX Master 2S
- Favorite switch: Kaihl Box Jade
- DT Pro Member: 0246
It was actually quite a challenge being faced with so many. It’s just a hobby. I’m not trying to sell stuff. How many do I need? How many can I store? I don’t want any to get melted down but don’t see a way that I can save them all, etc
- kralcifer
- Location: USA
- Main keyboard: Noxary 280
- Main mouse: Logitech MX Master 2S
- Favorite switch: Kaihl Box Jade
- DT Pro Member: 0246
- depletedvespene
- Location: Chile
- Main keyboard: IBM Model F122
- Main mouse: Logitech G700s
- Favorite switch: buckling spring
- DT Pro Member: 0224
- Contact:
Woah! Congratulations! I'd certainly like to see the stuff in more detail.
- kralcifer
- Location: USA
- Main keyboard: Noxary 280
- Main mouse: Logitech MX Master 2S
- Favorite switch: Kaihl Box Jade
- DT Pro Member: 0246
Well it was time consuming and tedious to document but it was also fun.
TL;DR - Alps SKCM Blue, Omron B3G-S amber, Alps SKCM Orange, Buckling spring, 2 vintage Cherry MX black, 4 sets of double shot alps keycaps, 6 total Alps keyboards, Stackpole, 2 Space Invaders
Here's the Imgur post: https://imgur.com/gallery/ioANdmo
2 Kaypro PCs:
Only took pics from one without box. One is new in box with plastic around the keyboard to pc connector still. The other wasn't in box but but looks unused and only has dust from that side facing up on the storage shelf for past 30 years.
Kaypro 1 PC - SMK vintage linear switches
3 vintage laptops:
Toshiba T1200 laptop - Alps low-profile oval slider switches - double shot keycaps
Zenith Supersport laptop - Alps mount round slider - double shot keycaps
Tandy 1400 LT laptop - Mitsumi miniature mechanical switches
Vintage Keyboards:
DEC-2000 - Fujitsu Peerless switches
Zentec 8392 - Stackpole low profile switches
Arche - Hi-TEK Series 725 switches - black two-eye tactile
Gateway 2000 - Maxi Switch dome with slider - Cherry MX compat double shot keycaps
AST Research KB101 - one with Foam and foil, one with NMB dome with slider switches
Epson T026A - Fujitsu Peerless switches
HP C1405A - Rubber dome over membrane switches - Red on white keycaps
Compaq Enhanced II - Keytronic foam and foil and rubber dome tactile switches
Wyse PCE - vintage Cherry MX black switches - double shot keycaps
Memorex Telex - Hi-TEK Series 725 switches - black two-eye tactile
No Name DEC VT clone - vintage Cherry MX black switches, cool tan case color
Dell AT101 Bigfoot - Alps SKCM Black tactile switches
Lite-On SK-0002 - Alps SKCM White switches - double shot keycaps
AT&T KBD 305 - Buckling spring switches - two piece keycaps
Apple AEK M0115 - Alps SKCM Orange switches
Nan Tan Computer Co (NTC) KB-6251ER - Omron B3G-S amber gen 2 clicky switches
SIIG Suntouch K84 (Chicony) - Alps SKCM Blue switches - double shot keycaps
TL;DR - Alps SKCM Blue, Omron B3G-S amber, Alps SKCM Orange, Buckling spring, 2 vintage Cherry MX black, 4 sets of double shot alps keycaps, 6 total Alps keyboards, Stackpole, 2 Space Invaders
Here's the Imgur post: https://imgur.com/gallery/ioANdmo
2 Kaypro PCs:
Only took pics from one without box. One is new in box with plastic around the keyboard to pc connector still. The other wasn't in box but but looks unused and only has dust from that side facing up on the storage shelf for past 30 years.
Kaypro 1 PC - SMK vintage linear switches
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3 vintage laptops:
Toshiba T1200 laptop - Alps low-profile oval slider switches - double shot keycaps
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Vintage Keyboards:
DEC-2000 - Fujitsu Peerless switches
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- JP!
- Location: United States
- Main keyboard: Currently a Model M
- Main mouse: Steel Series Sensei
- Favorite switch: Beam Spring
- DT Pro Member: 0194
- Contact:
Pretty sweet haul and a nice variety of switch types. I scored a Kaypro 1 myself along with a couple extra keyboards a couple years ago. I even have a new in box dot matrix printer with it. Pretty cool you have one new in box. Kinda of funny though the model 1 was one of the last ones they made rather than the first.
- ddrfraser1
- Location: United States
- Main keyboard: Changes weekly
- Main mouse: MX MASTER
- Favorite switch: Lubed 55g BKE Redux Domes
- Contact:
Nice. I got one of those toshiba laptops for a future build. Great caps.
- kralcifer
- Location: USA
- Main keyboard: Noxary 280
- Main mouse: Logitech MX Master 2S
- Favorite switch: Kaihl Box Jade
- DT Pro Member: 0246
Maybe we should donate my NIB kaypro and your NIB dot matrix to a worthy museum?JP! wrote: ↑17 Aug 2020, 02:09Pretty sweet haul and a nice variety of switch types. I scored a Kaypro 1 myself along with a couple extra keyboards a couple years ago. I even have a new in box dot matrix printer with it. Pretty cool you have one new in box. Kinda of funny though the model 1 was one of the last ones they made rather than the first.
- kralcifer
- Location: USA
- Main keyboard: Noxary 280
- Main mouse: Logitech MX Master 2S
- Favorite switch: Kaihl Box Jade
- DT Pro Member: 0246
Didn't know that about Kaypro 1. I believe the NIB is Kaypro 2.JP! wrote: ↑17 Aug 2020, 02:09Pretty sweet haul and a nice variety of switch types. I scored a Kaypro 1 myself along with a couple extra keyboards a couple years ago. I even have a new in box dot matrix printer with it. Pretty cool you have one new in box. Kinda of funny though the model 1 was one of the last ones they made rather than the first.
- JP!
- Location: United States
- Main keyboard: Currently a Model M
- Main mouse: Steel Series Sensei
- Favorite switch: Beam Spring
- DT Pro Member: 0194
- Contact:
I have mixed feelings about many museums tbh. Museums are an expensive endeavor and many times fail to get started or eventually end up going out of business even in good times. A lot of this commodity / mass produced stuff is better suited to collectors in many cases.
It is quite unfortunate though that many museums are having to shut their doors for good and it is only going to get worse.
See:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/2 ... 490482002/
And:
https://rottedbits.blogspot.com/2020/07 ... newsletter
It would be nice if some tech billionaires would step in to fund such endeavors and establish solid organizational and financial structures so such organizations can thrive in perpetuity.
- kralcifer
- Location: USA
- Main keyboard: Noxary 280
- Main mouse: Logitech MX Master 2S
- Favorite switch: Kaihl Box Jade
- DT Pro Member: 0246
Wow. That's very sad. I guess it's up to us collectors to keep the old stuff alive and in use.JP! wrote: ↑17 Aug 2020, 03:53I have mixed feelings about many museums tbh. Museums are an expensive endeavor and many times fail to get started or eventually end up going out of business even in good times. A lot of this commodity / mass produced stuff is better suited to collectors in many cases.
It is quite unfortunate though that many museums are having to shut their doors for good and it is only going to get worse.
See:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/2 ... 490482002/
And:
https://rottedbits.blogspot.com/2020/07 ... newsletter
It would be nice if some tech billionaires would step in to fund such endeavors and establish solid organizational and financial structures so such organizations can thrive in perpetuity.
- JP!
- Location: United States
- Main keyboard: Currently a Model M
- Main mouse: Steel Series Sensei
- Favorite switch: Beam Spring
- DT Pro Member: 0194
- Contact:
- kralcifer
- Location: USA
- Main keyboard: Noxary 280
- Main mouse: Logitech MX Master 2S
- Favorite switch: Kaihl Box Jade
- DT Pro Member: 0246
- kralcifer
- Location: USA
- Main keyboard: Noxary 280
- Main mouse: Logitech MX Master 2S
- Favorite switch: Kaihl Box Jade
- DT Pro Member: 0246
Oh. I didn't realize that the Wyse had different sets. I just looked at a previous Wyse in my collection and the keycaps are super thin. Thank you for pointing that out!
- hellothere
- Location: Mesa, AZ USA
- Main keyboard: Lots
- Main mouse: CST2545W-RC
- Favorite switch: TopreAlpsHallEffectTopreAlpsHallEffectTopreAlps
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJjKM3fKYrQ
Chyros' video. Could be that they really are made by AT&T.