EK Mini GB - Orders closing Sunday 31st March 2013

[HzFaq]

Judging by the interest shown here it seems there's some mileage in putting a mini group buy together to get some gear shipped over to the UK/EU from Elite Keyboards.

This is the first GB I've run so to keep it simple I want to limit it to items in the link above only (i.e. just accessories, no keyboards). Leave a message in the thread or PM me your order and I will add you to this post. After a week (or so, depending on how big this gets) I'll collect payments and put the order in with EK and then ship orders onwards as and when I get time (I work full time and have family commitments etc, shipping won't be immediate but I'll do my best to get it done quick).

I'm going to use Fossala's model and do 3 payment rounds; the first being for the actual items + a share of the postage to me (postage to me will be divided equally between all orders). The second payment will be for any customs charges, and the third will be for onward postage. As I don't know the sizes/weights of stuff people are ordering it will make it easier to charge for that once I have the stuff on hand.

If you have a better idea of how to handle payments (especially the customs fees) or any other logistical details feel free to discuss it in this thread; like I said, I haven't organized a GB before so am open to ideas on how to work it.

Cheers,

Hz

Orders
HzFaq - Printed white HHKB keycaps.
Mr.Bean - Printed white HHKB keycaps.
Pexon - Blank Keycaps for HHKB (White), red Blank Topre Esc.
mSSM - HHKB Soft Carrying Case, red Blank Topre Esc.
neophyte - HHKB Soft Carrying Case, Red blank Topre Esc, Blank Keycaps for HHKB (White).
Dgsbllx - HHKB Soft Carrying Case, 2x Red blank Topre Esc
Bugsaint - Printed white HHKB keycaps.
Kurrk - 2x Cherry Red Esc, 1x Med Keyboard Roof, 1x Soft landing pads Grey/soft, 1x Soft landing pads black/firm

[Mr.Bean]

Sign me up for 1x set of printed white HHKB keycaps.

Thanks.

[pexon]

Up for a set of :-

Blank Keycaps for HHKB (White)

I only need them for modifiers, so if anyone is looking just for the alphanumeric keys, I'd be happy to chip in for the modifiers only.

Shame they do not offer non printed WASD and modifiers (they have some but not many options).

[mSSM]

1 * HHKB Soft Carrying Case please. This one: http://elitekeyboards.com/products.php? ... d=pdkb01sd

[ne0phyte]

Pexon: how much do you want for everything but the mods?

[pexon]

idk mate, offer?

[ne0phyte]

Hm dunno 45 EUR? Whole set + 20% VAT is 72 EUR.
I really don't know how to value the mods and I'd rather get a full set if it's too much.

Just to be sure we are talking about these keys, right?


Edit:
My order:
- HHKB Soft Carrying Case http://elitekeyboards.com/products.php? ... d=pdkb01sd
- Red blank Topre escape http://elitekeyboards.com/products.php? ... hh_redescn
- HHKB non-printed keycaps [white]

[pexon]

Yea, I just need the modifiers, i.e the black keys on that board. but I need white ones. I would mind the middle 4 number keys too, but if thats an issue, no worries. I'd be happy to sort something out with you.

[Dgsbllx]

Wait a minute, since when did they stop selling the HHKB roof!

For now I'll take;
1 x HHKB Soft Carrying Case
2 x Red Blank Topre Escape

I'd be up for splitting a coloured blank topre set as well. I just want a few random keys to go on my HHKB and don't want to pay £60 or so for the privilege.

Thanks for running this HzFaq. Any idea how long you are going to run this for? I might be back for more

[pexon]

I'm going to do a photoshop of the keys I want, so we can get something sorted out. Me and Neo have been talking, but I need a few more keys if they are going spare.

Ill also be down for a red blank ESC Topre key

[ne0phyte]

What color do you have in mind Dgsbllx? I am interested in colored blank topre keys as well

[HzFaq]

I don't mind running the GB but I don't really want to get involved in splitting sets to be honest. Sorry, but I want to keep things simple for myself.

I'll keep this open for a few days longer, I'll put up a warning 24 hours before it closes or something.

[pexon]

Its cool, if you ship to me, I can split them up and send them to Neo


These are the keys I want/ need

[Dgsbllx]

I'd be happy for any of them really aside from the white (too close to HHKB at present) and I don't care too much for the red.
Do you have any preferences?

[pexon]

I want white really. Do the Topre caps for the full size boards fit the HHKB?

[Dgsbllx]

From what I can remember I don't think there is a right shift in the correct profile so people use a 1.5x key that is slightly too small or use the caps lock (wrong profile + has a small hole for led)

[ne0phyte]

Hold on, you don't need the white spacebar, pexon?
I would absolutely take that if you don't want it!

As for the color uhm I'm not sure... If I get all the alphanumeric keys of pexons white set I pretty much have what I want. If I would take colored topre keys I would want a full alphanumeric set or just 1 or 2 top row keys and I doubt that's what you had in mind.
I think I will pass on the realforce set, so much money for plastic

[pexon]

I DO WANT the spacebar mate,

[Cyanogenoid]

order withdrawn

[Paranoid]

Hey HzFaq,

Cool that you're doing this

I would like to participate and order the following:
- Authentic Cherry Red Esc (Double-Shot)
- Soft-Landing Pads (Soft/Black)
- EK "MechLube" Premium Stabilizer Grease

Cheers!

[HzFaq]

Righto, I'm going to close orders on Sunday(ish) and start doing the money collection on Monday.

[Neal]

I'll take one of each:
Authentic Cherry Red Esc (Double-Shot)
EK "MechLube" Premium Stabilizer Grease

Cheers.

[pexon]

Be sure to add my blanks ESC Topre key

[HzFaq]

@pexon, I've added it now.

@Everyone else, just to clarify, I'm going to be dividing all costs equally across all parties so the guys who are ordering lube and an Esc cap will end up paying the same share of the shipping and customs as the guys that are ordering whole sets.

I don't mind adding these to the order but it's also worth pointing out that I've ordered smallish things from EK without having to pay stupid shipping (I think it was $5ish for 3/4 Red Esc keys or something) or customs fees so I'd advise pricing up your order and seeing exactly how much it would cost to order direct from EK.

edit - I've stuck a screenie as an example below, that is Neal's order, shipped to the Netherlands and would probably escape customs fees. I'd imagine that once you take into account the customs fees and onward shipping as part of this GB you would probably end up paying more than that and be better off ordering direct from EK.

[Neal]

Mmh, good point. I do have insanely bad luck on customs, but I'm going to try. I'll withraw my order then, good luck.

[ne0phyte]

HzFaq: I changed my mind and I want a full set so please add a white non-printed HHKB set to my order.

[mSSM]

Can you please add that red non-printed Topre Esc key to my order (i.e. the HHKB carrying case).

[HzFaq]

@Neal, no probs mate, I think you'll be ok on the customs front.

@neo and mSSM, orders have been updated.

[Paranoid]

Mhm yes, you're right. If I drop the lube or the keycap I should be right under or on the max amount for customs. I think it's €22 for Belgium so that's cutting it close. You may ignore my order then

[mSSM]

@pexon, I've added it now.

@Everyone else, just to clarify, I'm going to be dividing all costs equally across all parties so the guys who are ordering lube and an Esc cap will end up paying the same share of the shipping and customs as the guys that are ordering whole sets.

I just noticed you wrote this, and it makes me a bit umcomfortable: why I am perfectly fine with equal distribution of the shipment fee among all parties, splitting the custom fee equally among all orders is not really fair, to say the least.

Let me give an example: let's say, HzFaq orders items for 50 USD and I order items for 100 USD, that brings us to a total of USD 150. Disregarding shipment and assuming an import tax of 25% (I am talking about VAT here and I assume that the items will be considered computer parts, which means that we do not have to pay any other tax but VAT), we are going to pay an additional 37.5 USD. Split equally, HzFaq and I both pay 18.75 USD, while I should actually pay 2/3 of that sum (USD 25.0), and he USD 12.5. I.e., he actually ends up paying part of the money I should pay.


So I propose the following key for calculating the share everyone has to pay:
f(a) = a + (a/c) * (c*VAT) + s/n + i, where
a: the total sum of the items in the individual order
c: the total sum of the items in all orders (sum over all a_i, if you wish)
VAT: the VAT
s: the total shipment cost to HzFaq
n: the amount of participating members
i: the individual shipment cost to the recipient