Vintage Increases Value?

[Palatino]

On the flip side of "vintage increases value", what on earth is making this the price it is? Just the Ducky name? You can get a similarly sized keyboard with red switches for $30. Not sure what I'm missing. You could get two Model Fs for that price!

Spoiler:

Screenshot_20210331-170550.png (1.3 MiB) Viewed 7119 times

[Thorogrimm]

On the flip side of "vintage increases value", what on earth is making this the price it is? Just the Ducky name? You can get a similarly sized keyboard with red switches for $30. Not sure what I'm missing. You could get two Model Fs for that price!

Spoiler:

Screenshot_20210331-170550.png

Maybe there's a shortage of Ducky's? Plus you're likely just paying for the name with those, and like you say, you could get keyboards that would knock that out of the ballpark for much less, even custom.
But as you can see, some fool payed for that, and the seller is obviously happy.

[hellothere]

On the flip side of "vintage increases value", what on earth is making this the price it is? Just the Ducky name? You can get a similarly sized keyboard with red switches for $30. Not sure what I'm missing. You could get two Model Fs for that price!

Spoiler:

Screenshot_20210331-170550.png

Maybe there's a shortage of Ducky's? Plus you're likely just paying for the name with those, and like you say, you could get keyboards that would knock that out of the ballpark for much less, even custom.
But as you can see, some fool payed for that, and the seller is obviously happy.

I'm calling shenanigans. The Ducky One 2 mini, either v1 or v2, lists for $99 - $120 US. It's got the Carmine Red additional keycap set ($12) and some sort of "artisan" spacebar that's probably from a full Ducky keycap set.

Or the buyer thought he put in $56.50, rather than $565.00.

[ndiddy]

I don't like how many of you are into the whole Packard Bell 5130 thing. That's MY super-niche batch of boards to exploit, you bastards!

Aren't 5130's foam and foil? Or do you just mean the models with 5130-something?
And I still have yet to try one, I've heard about their amazing tacility and I've been wanting to add one to my collection since.

Nope. The Packard Bell/BTC 5130 (and a few other 51xx series) is BTC Dome with Slider. I think there were some F&F at one point but not the 5130.

Luckily they're still relatively cheap. Don't get a 5100c thinking it will give the same feel though. That's a much more linear dome, fairly mushy.

My biggest problem with the 5100c is that the left shift key is very poorly stabilized, so if you hit it off center it binds super hard. I had to stop using mine because it was getting physically painful to use. Are the full sized BTC models better stabilized?

[micmil]

My biggest problem with the 5100c is that the left shift key is very poorly stabilized, so if you hit it off center it binds super hard. I had to stop using mine because it was getting physically painful to use. Are the full sized BTC models better stabilized?

I've never had an issue with it.

[Thorogrimm]

Luckily they're still relatively cheap. Don't get a 5100c thinking it will give the same feel though. That's a much more linear dome, fairly mushy.

That's quite unfortunate. I was actually considering getting a 5100c thinking it was going to be just as good as 5149's, 5131c's, 5130's etc. Thanks for saving me from a bunch of disappointment seeing as I want that tactile feel.

[micmil]

Luckily they're still relatively cheap. Don't get a 5100c thinking it will give the same feel though. That's a much more linear dome, fairly mushy.

That's quite unfortunate. I was actually considering getting a 5100c thinking it was going to be just as good as 5149's, 5131c's, 5130's etc. Thanks for saving me from a bunch of disappointment seeing as I want that tactile feel.

I have a feeling it's variable based on era. I've seen others compare the 5100c favorably to the 5130 so it may be a total crapshoot.

[Jan Pospisil]

On the flip side of "vintage increases value", what on earth is making this the price it is? Just the Ducky name? You can get a similarly sized keyboard with red switches for $30. Not sure what I'm missing. You could get two Model Fs for that price!

Spoiler:

Screenshot_20210331-170550.png

Here's an informative documentary about that:

[Muirium]

Authoritative!

I also endorse what he says about subjective thought on MX brown.

[jmdawson]

Oh yes, vintage pushes the price up!
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Unknown-Vint ... ition=7000

I came across this on ebay - it uses Key world switches https://deskthority.net/wiki/Key_World_Cherry_MX_clone which are bad MX clones and a set of fairly propitiatory dirty key caps.

I bet it goes for at least £40! I wouldn't pay £2 from a Boot sale/Garage sale

[hellothere]

Authoritative!

I also endorse what he says about subjective thought on MX brown.

I like Glarses.

There's a follow-up video to this. Quite entertaining. Bruh.

[hellothere]

Oh. As far as the Key World KB, that does have collector's value, at least: I've only seen a couple in the US. Mind you, I'm not specifically looking for them. And, if I was a real collector, I'd want an example with a full set of original caps.

[NeK]

Recently (couple hours ago) bought an F AT for $240 shipped and I considered that a deal. It's even missing the spacebar.

Guess I'll have to find some M caps and ANSI mod it


But yeah... I'm seeing people trying to sell F XTs for more than that, Ebay is a dumpster right now.

you sure? once you go ISO (or even better BAE) return, you are never going back. the satisfaction of hitting that big ass key after you have furiously typed an angry letter, is a remarkable experience.

It is like hanging up an old vintage dial phone on your ex. With a loud and deep violent bang, along with dinglings ringing from the disturbed ring, spreading throughout the room. aaaaah, so refreshing.

[Rayndalf]

Recently (couple hours ago) bought an F AT for $240 shipped and I considered that a deal. It's even missing the spacebar.

Guess I'll have to find some M caps and ANSI mod it


But yeah... I'm seeing people trying to sell F XTs for more than that, Ebay is a dumpster right now.

you sure? once you go ISO (or even better BAE) return, you are never going back. the satisfaction of hitting that big ass key after you have furiously typed an angry letter, is a remarkable experience.

It is like hanging up an old vintage dial phone on your ex. With a loud and deep violent bang, along with dinglings ringing from the disturbed ring, spreading throughout the room. aaaaah, so refreshing.

My problem isn't the big ass enter as much as it is the small ass backspace. I have a couple boards that solve that problem, and they're great.

An F with a 2u backspace and a BAE is actually a good idea (since the larger enter is also used by the numpad). It already has Control in place of capslock, so I'm not sure where to put backspace.

[Muirium]

Big ANSI style left Shift is what really makes those usable. Quit shrinking mods!

[Rayndalf]

Big ANSI style left Shift is what really makes those usable. Quit shrinking mods!

Fullsize left shift is a right not a privilege! It's a shame larger bottom row mods have become something of a luxury now.

I love the condensed winkeyless 1800 bottom row, 1.5 mods with no blockers is comfy and great for gaming (if you swap WASD for ESDF then you can use ALT for crouch and the Windows key won't ruin your fun).

[NeK]

with all those variations, I just realised how much of a problem the caps lock key is. It is useless, and it takes up an enormous amount of crucial space.

apart from that, I am very versatile in the widths of backspace and left shift. they are just a matter of time - a couple of days tops - for me to not even notice any difference. I would gladly use a 1u backspace in favor of a BAE. But that's just me.

[kbdfr]

Folks, stop whining about keys being too small and simply learn typing correctly

For your information, on old typewriters all keys were 1u and pressing them down required a lot of force.
But well, as by that time practically all typists were women, one has to assume… oh, that would go to far

[Palatino]

Luckily they're still relatively cheap. Don't get a 5100c thinking it will give the same feel though. That's a much more linear dome, fairly mushy.

That's quite unfortunate. I was actually considering getting a 5100c thinking it was going to be just as good as 5149's, 5131c's, 5130's etc. Thanks for saving me from a bunch of disappointment seeing as I want that tactile feel.

I've read that there's a big difference in key feel between the 5100Cs with DIN connectors and those with PS2. I have one with the former, and it's certainly not mushy - in fact, it's one of my most tactile keyboards. (I have a spare new old stock one which I'd be happy to let go for what it cost me).

[Rayndalf]

Folks, stop whining about keys being too small and simply learn typing correctly

For your information, on old typewriters all keys were 1u and pressing them down required a lot of force.
But well, as by that time practically all typists were women, one has to assume… oh, that would go to far

Well every key except the space bar, those are often massive
I've tried a few typewriters and the mechanical one (nonelectric) was too siezed for me to evaluate the keyfeel, but the few that moved where lighter than I was expecting. The keys traveled on a pivot and I can see how it could be exhausting (pressing down and in instead of just down). I forgot where how it handled backspaces though. In the world of typewriters you're expected to type write the first time.

If I ever find one of these for sale I'll have to trade a kidney for it, it's just so beautiful (such an elegent alternative to the terrible stagger we're still stuck with). I'm pretty sure Rheinmetall didn't mind that no one bought them, it was just their cover so no one realized they were building panzers

[Muirium]

I learned how to type on my mum’s mechanical typewriter. (Not as fancy as that Rheinmetal. It was something compact and cheap from the 1960s.) It wasn’t as heavy as Mr. Choc would have you think. It’s up to you if you really want to whack every one of those keystrokes! Shift was the heaviest: you hauled up the platten with a lever. Caps Lock was actually useful then! Hunting and pecking was all I did, with my little elementary school hands. I still preferred it to handing in my homework handwritten, mind. Pencils gave me cramp.

Typing on computers was muuuuuuuch better. That’s when I really got into it. There’s a “cursor” where you can delete—and get this!—move stuff. Whoa! Galactic mind…

Save and undo are nice too. ̷I̷ ̷c̷a̷n̷ ̷h̷a̷s̷ ̷a̷u̷t̷o̷c̷o̷r̷r̷e̷c̷t̷

[Thorogrimm]

I've read that there's a big difference in key feel between the 5100Cs with DIN connectors and those with PS2. I have one with the former, and it's certainly not mushy - in fact, it's one of my most tactile keyboards. (I have a spare new old stock one which I'd be happy to let go for what it cost me).

What layout is it, and for how much would you be willing to part with it?

[Palatino]

I could do £40 incl. postage if that would appeal? Here it is. A good number of keys for a small footprint. I enjoy my other one in my rotation (I used to have a keyboard, now I have a rotation. Maybe one day I'll have rotations of rotations!)

IMG_20210405_161757.jpg (1.92 MiB) Viewed 6626 times

[Thorogrimm]

I could do £40 incl. postage if that would appeal? Here it is. A good number of keys for a small footprint. I enjoy my other one in my rotation (I used to have a keyboard, now I have a rotation. Maybe one day I'll have rotations of rotations!)

IMG_20210405_161757.jpg

Hmmm, I've been looking for one in UK iso and there is in fact one on eBay by a US seller but it's French iso for about £48 (accounting for tax and shipping). A little unsure because I plan on using it in rotation as well, and I'm stubborn with using other layouts Is it worth getting used to ansi, would you say?

[Palatino]

Hmm, I think I see the one you mean, a French one that comes to £48, but not ISO. I wasn't aware these came in ISO. Personally I'd say yes to getting used to ANSI: I was a bit prejudiced against it at first, but after using it for a bit I don't notice the difference. I hit an ISO Enter low down on the key with my little finger (I don't touch type - I don't know if that's "correct"!) so the ANSI Enter key is in exactly the right spot, and I don't miss the extra height. I'd also have missed a few really good boards if I'd continued to be picky about it. I'm actually noticing the same with single unit backspace keys too, having previously been dead against them: they don't cause me to hit the neighbouring key any more.

[lhutton]

Prices for anything that looks beige and 80s/90s have shot up a ton lately. Since 2019 or so specifically, there was a general creep upward before then but right before COVID everything really started to go high and has just shot off like a rocket since then. It's not just old keyboards either. Vintage PCs, radios, cassette players, etc. I think the early millennial generation (folks like born in the early to mid 80s like myself) are hitting the nostalgia stage hard. This is like classic wooden radios and 50s to 60s Chevys going for big bucks in the 80s and 90s in the US when that generation hit their mid to late 30s and early 40s.

I remember the days when a used working Model M would go for $20-30 if people bothered to list them or charge at all. I used to see them at thrift stores 8-10 years ago for $1 or $2. Dell bigfoots found at the dump, same with Apple AEK/AEKIIs. Now I see vague listings for "IBM Keyboard" that are some rubber dome model form the late 90s asking $50-75. Actual verified vintage model Ms usually go for $50-100 minimum. I've only see na few terminal models with problems going for under $50 on eBay lately. Even then you've got to fix whatever is wrong with them and build or buy a converter.

The worst offender is the Apple Design Keyboard IMO. It's an NMB dome and slider (not a good one either) but I see completed auctions for those for $50+ rather often. They're nothing special, even for Apple keyboards and are probably worth $5 in perfect condition.

[Thorogrimm]

Prices for anything that looks beige and 80s/90s have shot up a ton lately. Since 2019 or so specifically, there was a general creep upward before then but right before COVID everything really started to go high and has just shot off like a rocket since then. It's not just old keyboards either. Vintage PCs, radios, cassette players, etc. I think the early millennial generation (folks like born in the early to mid 80s like myself) are hitting the nostalgia stage hard. This is like classic wooden radios and 50s to 60s Chevys going for big bucks in the 80s and 90s in the US when that generation hit their mid to late 30s and early 40s.

I remember the days when a used working Model M would go for $20-30 if people bothered to list them or charge at all. I used to see them at thrift stores 8-10 years ago for $1 or $2. Dell bigfoots found at the dump, same with Apple AEK/AEKIIs. Now I see vague listings for "IBM Keyboard" that are some rubber dome model form the late 90s asking $50-75. Actual verified vintage model Ms usually go for $50-100 minimum. I've only see na few terminal models with problems going for under $50 on eBay lately. Even then you've got to fix whatever is wrong with them and build or buy a converter.

The worst offender is the Apple Design Keyboard IMO. It's an NMB dome and slider (not a good one either) but I see completed auctions for those for $50+ rather often. They're nothing special, even for Apple keyboards and are probably worth $5 in perfect condition.

I guess now it's pot luck whether people can come across them because they're pretty scarce and they aren't manufactured anymore. I understand why people now realise they can get big bucks from them due to the evergrowing niche of typists and keyboard buffs like ourselves, but what does baffle me though is that the bad ones are going for ridiculous prices. Now, it's been mentioned beforehand but it's kind of amusing how someone clueless of the item's real value spots something that's beige and resembles "mechanical" can list an item for $40 - $50 when a rubber dome keyboard was manufactured to be cheap and readily available, and thus should be sold cheaply.

[lhutton]

... Now, it's been mentioned beforehand but it's kind of amusing how someone clueless of the item's real value spots something that's beige and resembles "mechanical" can list an item for $40 - $50 when a rubber dome keyboard was manufactured to be cheap and readily available, and thus should be sold cheaply.

Part of it is either ignorant sellers or buyers as others have mentioned but I think there's definitely a "beige fever" going around. Even stuff of dubious quality from the dial up age has gone up in value. Hifi components from the 80s/90s are another area where I've seen it. Stuff that was cheap and mediocre even back then might as well be gold now. Pocket radios and the like too.

Bicycles are another thing I'm into and the Panasonic made Japanese bikes (sold as Schwinns here in the US but other brands worldwide) have gone crazy. What's funny is the actual Panasonic branded ones were the "cheap" option back in the day because Schwinn, etc had the name recognition. Now it's flipped and the Schwinn versions are usually half the cost of a Panasonic branded on on the used market. I guess us older millennials really are a bunch of weebs. I was lucky enough to find a Panasonic made 1980 Schwinn Traveler in a thrift store late last year for just under $100 and picked it up, fixed it up and I've been riding it around. It's in primo shape and even beater versions of these things usually got for $200+ on the collector market. Funny thing is even back in the day they weren't anything amazing, there were much higher end bikes out back then these were kind of run of the mill completely average "dad" bikes but they're the ones everyone remembers and has that 70s/80s vibe.

Edit: I should say I bought the bike because I genuinely wanted a road bike. My other bike is a trail model and not as good on pavement.

_XH13872_01.jpg (829.3 KiB) Viewed 6552 times

[Muirium]

No$ta£gia sure is sw€€t.

[Rayndalf]

Prices for anything that looks beige and 80s/90s have shot up a ton lately. Since 2019 or so specifically, there was a general creep upward before then but right before COVID everything really started to go high and has just shot off like a rocket since then. It's not just old keyboards either. Vintage PCs, radios, cassette players, etc. I think the early millennial generation (folks like born in the early to mid 80s like myself) are hitting the nostalgia stage hard. This is like classic wooden radios and 50s to 60s Chevys going for big bucks in the 80s and 90s in the US when that generation hit their mid to late 30s and early 40s.

I remember the days when a used working Model M would go for $20-30 if people bothered to list them or charge at all. I used to see them at thrift stores 8-10 years ago for $1 or $2. Dell bigfoots found at the dump, same with Apple AEK/AEKIIs. Now I see vague listings for "IBM Keyboard" that are some rubber dome model form the late 90s asking $50-75. Actual verified vintage model Ms usually go for $50-100 minimum. I've only see na few terminal models with problems going for under $50 on eBay lately. Even then you've got to fix whatever is wrong with them and build or buy a converter.

The worst offender is the Apple Design Keyboard IMO. It's an NMB dome and slider (not a good one either) but I see completed auctions for those for $50+ rather often. They're nothing special, even for Apple keyboards and are probably worth $5 in perfect condition.

I think you're right on the money here. Nostalgia is on a timer. Even beige tower PCs with abysmal specs and dubious functionality are going for $100+ on ebay. I guess I should diversify and take advantage of how cheap a lot of stuff from the 50's and 60's in now and expand my search to include crap from the 2000's (that isn't video game related. At this rate I have a gamecube game I kinda hated as a kid that is now worth more than the console was new)

Honestly old furniture is a great buy too, you can get incredibly well made solid wood furniture for depressingly little. I guess all the furniture collectors either got all the pieces they could fit in their home or even started downsizing or dying. "Modern" furniture was the beginning of the end quality wise and now commands a healthy premium.