Great/Interesting Finds

[Nuum]

My 5251 beamspring from the lot a few days ago arrived. The key feel is amazing, the rust not so much. I didn't have a deeper look inside, but what I saw was pretty rusty. One switch doesn't click and the 3u back tab key is stuck, but clicks when pulled up and pressed down again, so I guess the stabilizer is wonky.
I can definitely see myself using it as a daily driver, but I need to get rid of this stupid big case.

[Ratfink]

One switch doesn't click and the 3u back tab key is stuck, but clicks when pulled up and pressed down again, so I guess the stabilizer is wonky.

The one that doesn't click may well have a broken beam spring or fly spring, which is bad news as spare parts are hard to come by to say the least. The one that sticks though…it's possible that there's something wrong with the return spring (catching or broken). That's the one spring you might be able to find a replacement for, as it's just a normal coil spring.

[alh84001]

A pair of Apple IIgs keyboard OBO listings, one with cream and one with black caps lock switch:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-IIgs-Maci ... 2258909306
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-IIgs-Maci ... 2258910332

Zenith XT with SKCL Greens ending soon:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ZENITH-XT-KEYBO ... 2144527949

[Halvar]

Displaywriter! Now we're talking (rust)!

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Retro-Tastatur-I ... 1835652887

Would you like a terminal for your beam spring board?

http://www.ebay.de/itm/IBM-5251-011/191868791651

[seebart]

Displaywriter! Now we're talking (rust)!

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Retro-Tastatur-I ... 1835652887

Same seller all the 5251's came from, I believe you know who!

[Halvar]

As I said, now we're talking rust.

[seebart]

Live Rust , which is also an incredible album, check it out if you care:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_Rust

[Halvar]

Still, it's the white whale of IBM keyboards. I wonder...

[snuci]

Would you like a terminal for your beam spring board?

http://www.ebay.de/itm/IBM-5251-011/191868791651

If it wasn't in Germany and a little too expensive, I'd be all over that!

[hypkx]

btw have someone noticed this:
http://www.ebay.de/itm/371628703947?_tr ... EBIDX%3AIT

[seebart]

btw have someone noticed this:
http://www.ebay.de/itm/371628703947?_tr ... EBIDX%3AIT

Well someone got an insanely low price on that! Hope it's someone who can appreciate it! More and more Beamsprings, 2016 is the year of the Beamspring. Also that one was apparently "new".

[hypkx]

yeah I forgot to bit, I regret it so much

[seebart]

Yeez hypkx, you should feel guilty in this case.

[tentator]

gentlemen... may I? (I mean the ibm white whale..) or are you already all filing your snipers?

mandatory cat:

[Techno Trousers]

Why are there so many Beamsprings coming out of eBay in Germany and so few in the U.S.?

[hypkx]

Yeez hypkx, you should feel guilty in this case.

I thought it will end up with a much higher price and also something unexpected happened that day so at the ending time I was not at home and I also crashed my smartphone some weeks ago, so I was not even able to bit from it.

[hypkx]

gentlemen... may I? (I mean the ibm white whale..) or are you already all filing your snipers?

mandatory cat:

Spoiler:

Sorry , but not this time

[seebart]

Why are there so many Beamsprings coming out of eBay in Germany and so few in the U.S.?

Conceivably coincidence, or not. No one knows is more like it.

Sorry , but not this time

That's right hypkx!

[Abstractions]

Now this is neat: http://www.ebay.de/itm/Hollerith-Maschi ... SwGjpXTF6n

[hypkx]

A bit pricy, but nice 60% Beamspring.

[Muirium]

I have (most of) the caps for one of those:





The integrated numpad ones are tripleshots.

[Halvar]

That's not a beamspring board though. In fact, it doesn't have switches at all. It's more similar to a mechanical typewriter.

[Muirium]

Yeah, I'm told my caps are from a punchcard puncher. They are beamspring mount though.

[hypkx]

I think older IBM typewriters (spherical head) have also beamspring mount keycaps.

[tentator]

I confirm.. have ones of first selectric I really nice olive color white legend.. and font (matt3o would like it ) i can take pictures in case..

[warty]

Wait... is that true? I could take some keys off of one of my selectrics, and put them on my displaywriter keyboard? wow. That is GREAT. and not just because one of my keys arrived crushed. This would let us do some cool color things. displaywriter keys are white, my selectrics are a kind of off-black, and gray. must play....

[Ratfink]

Wait... is that true? I could take some keys off of one of my selectrics, and put them on my displaywriter keyboard? wow. That is GREAT. and not just because one of my keys arrived crushed. This would let us do some cool color things. displaywriter keys are white, my selectrics are a kind of off-black, and gray. must play....

A warning though: if you thought pulling keycaps from a beamspring board the first time was hard, pulling them from a Selectric is much harder.

[seebart]

That's not a beamspring board though. In fact, it doesn't have switches at all. It's more similar to a mechanical typewriter.

Exactly. Not a mechanical keybboard as we know it. Very pretty though.

[jou]

btw have someone noticed this:
http://www.ebay.de/itm/371628703947?_tr ... EBIDX%3AIT

Well someone got an insanely low price on that! Hope it's someone who can appreciate it! More and more Beamsprings, 2016 is the year of the Beamspring. Also that one was apparently "new".

I got it and I'm surprised at the price I got myself (my max bid was 80€). It does seem to be in pretty good nick: no shine on the keycaps, from what I saw with the few caps I pulled, the contamination shield seems to be still intact.

Now I'll have to get my hands on a xwhatsit Beamspring controller…

[seebart]

Congrats jou !! Very happy to hear it went to you. I know you can appreciate it! Pictures please when you have time thanks.