deskthority

I wonder how many of these way overpriced auctions are actually paid for. Non-paying bidders are very common on eBay.

True, but why bother? Just for fun? This one was pretty extreme though.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NTC-KB-6251-2-C ... SwzgRWwKof

KB-6251 with MX Blues. Relatively cheap. Greek sublegends.

seebart wrote: True, but why bother? Just for fun? This one was pretty extreme though.

I'm not sure, I think some people just don't respect the eBay seller/buyer agreement and know they can get away with a slap on the wrist if they don't want to go through with a transaction.

AEK2 - cream alps:
http://www.ebay.de/ulk/itm/301872798421
40€ OBO

itzmeluigi wrote: Lol around how much more did you tell him he could make if he kept it on auction? I sent him an offer also and he was about to accept it, i asked him to relist as buy it now and send the URL or send a private offer, then he changed his mind and wanted to keep the auction going.

You must be the guy who offered him $120, right? He said that one was really enthusiastic, hahaha.

He told me that he didn't care about making a buck on the board, and said he'd be happy to see me own the board considering the restoration work I've done on my other boards and since we're local, that he was just trying to clear things out of his house.

I didn't tell him he could make such and such, just that my offer was far lower than what he could expect if it went to auction and I told him that he'd make quite a bit of profit if he let it go.

But no, he was cool. I was really honest with him.

If he's seeing dollar signs now, then I have to admit, I'm quite salty about that because it's rather hypocritical. I in no way tried to pull the wool over his eyes, and we had it aaaall set up. I have a friend near the area where he wanted to meet, but then he said no under the guise that it wouldn't be fair to the bidders, even though we made the deal before there were any bids.

Personally, he should've just declined to begin with, but since he put the offer on the table, I find it to be pretty unfair. I don't think he DOESN'T care about the money tbh, since he was looking at your offer and sounded quite interested!

So I guess he was the one who wasn't really that straight up, yeah? In any case, he'll be happy with the cash he makes off of that one. It's also one of the few blue Alps boards with white contact plates in the switch as opposed to grey.

I guess that'll add another $200.

Tuntematon wrote: Good for him for not accepting offers from you sleazy backdoor lowballers! If he's going to sell it to a stranger he should sell it to the stranger that will give him the most money.

Hahaha. I'm not bothered if he wants to capitalize, I'm just bothered since he clearly had no conviction.

If he just said no to begin with, I'd be far less salty. I need some french fries.

is there a place where someone explains to me which alps switches are the sht and which ones are crap ? Pine and bamboo doesn't quite seem to catch all the shades of sliders there are ...

Any complicated Alps other than Black or White will give you a good experience. Commonly recommended:

Green
Blue
Amber
Salmon
Yellow
Brown
Orange

NeXT keyboard, non-ADB version, model N4004 , QWERTY layout , free shipping

http://www.ebay.de/itm/NeXT-keyboard-no ... SwPhdVS2d9

http://www.ebay.de/itm/NeXT-keyboard-no ... OxyeglTcMJ~

Leopold FC660C Topre Keyboard

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Leopold-FC660C-T ... Swx-9Wu2Fq

Topre Realforce 87U-55 Tenkeyless Keyboard - Black US Layout

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Topre-Realforce- ... SwB4NWwKBd

IBM Model M 1392366

http://www.ebay.de/itm/IBM-Tastatur-Mod ... Swx-9WvQR6

Hmmm....

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Brand-New-IBM-Mo ... Sw5dNWtWcg

Topre Type Heaven ZA0100

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Topre-Type-Heave ... Swll1WvtBh

CHERRY Modell MX 3000 G80-3000HFD

http://www.ebay.de/itm/CHERRY-Tastatur- ... SwQYZWv4Zs

Noppoo Choc Mini Cherry MX Brown Switches (White) Ansi US

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Mechanische-Tast ... SwPc9Wui5-

TRULY ERGONOMIC Computer Keyboard 109

http://www.ebay.de/itm/TRULY-ERGONOMIC- ... Swe7BWvwG7

Wait, seebart... IBM had a Model M factory in the U.K.?

ohaimark wrote: Wait, seebart... IBM had a Model M factory in the U.K.?

Greenock.

come on: do they really sell "Please note that this listing is for a dot matrix printed thank you note that is printed on an Oki dot matrix printer and on continuous form green bar paper with the tractor pull circles on each side " seriously like that on ebay without being "reported"??

tentator wrote: come on: do they really sell "Please note that this listing is for a dot matrix printed thank you note that is printed on an Oki dot matrix printer and on continuous form green bar paper with the tractor pull circles on each side " seriously like that on ebay without being "reported"??

"They" would in fact be none other than Ellipse himself.

E3E wrote:

itzmeluigi wrote: Lol around how much more did you tell him he could make if he kept it on auction? I sent him an offer also and he was about to accept it, i asked him to relist as buy it now and send the URL or send a private offer, then he changed his mind and wanted to keep the auction going.

You must be the guy who offered him $120, right? He said that one was really enthusiastic, hahaha.

He told me that he didn't care about making a buck on the board, and said he'd be happy to see me own the board considering the restoration work I've done on my other boards and since we're local, that he was just trying to clear things out of his house.

I didn't tell him he could make such and such, just that my offer was far lower than what he could expect if it went to auction and I told him that he'd make quite a bit of profit if he let it go.

But no, he was cool. I was really honest with him.

If he's seeing dollar signs now, then I have to admit, I'm quite salty about that because it's rather hypocritical. I in no way tried to pull the wool over his eyes, and we had it aaaall set up. I have a friend near the area where he wanted to meet, but then he said no under the guise that it wouldn't be fair to the bidders, even though we made the deal before there were any bids.

Personally, he should've just declined to begin with, but since he put the offer on the table, I find it to be pretty unfair. I don't think he DOESN'T care about the money tbh, since he was looking at your offer and sounded quite interested!

So I guess he was the one who wasn't really that straight up, yeah? In any case, he'll be happy with the cash he makes off of that one. It's also one of the few blue Alps boards with white contact plates in the switch as opposed to grey.

I guess that'll add another $200.

Yeah that was me who offered him $120 haha, i stepped up my offer to $175 earlier this morning but he still wanted to leave the auction going. Maybe he did some research and saw what the other model blue alps board were going for and wanted to see how high it goes. Sounds like he couldnt make his mind up Thats funny how he mentioned because of the other bidders that he didnt want to end it, there was only two including me You messaged him really early, when i first saw the listing there was only one bidder. I still plan on trying to bid on it, but if it goes past $190 ill have to pass on it, since i would be desoldering the board if i won it because of that rusty plate.

Yep, in Greenock, near Glasgow. Now 70% of the place is empty, a part is used by IBM as its largest support centre and the rest is rented to other companies. I know because IBM Ro sent me there for 2 weeks.

Edit: as a curiosity, the support centre was all under one roof, with almost 1000 people working in one giant room/former assembly line.

ohaimark wrote: Wait, seebart... IBM had a Model M factory in the U.K.?

Yes why?

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

Electronics[edit]
Since IBM arrived in the town in 1951, electronics and light manufacturing have, until recently, been the mainstay of local employment. Texas Instruments (Formerly National Semiconductor) has run a silicon wafer manufacturing plant in the town since 1970.

However, with manufacturing moving to Eastern Europe and Asia, work has shifted to the service sector, especially call centres. EE and IBM both have major call centre operations in Greenock, while the Royal Bank of Scotland Mortgage Centre processes Mortgage applications from throughout the UK & Ireland.

IBM have in recent years curtailed their operations greatly in the area. Sanmina, another electronics company, took over much of the IBM installation but moved 370 jobs to Hungary in 2006.[19] The Sanmina plant, which consisted of the former IBM AMDC (Automated Materials Distribution Centre) and Modules buildings 1 to 5, has since ceased operation and was demolished in 2009. The Spango Valley site was rebranded as "Valley Park" in late 2009.

Lenovo has also re-located away from Greenock, and the plant is now at 10% of the 1999/2000 capacity

photekq wrote:

ohaimark wrote: Wait, seebart... IBM had a Model M factory in the U.K.?

Greenock.

I learn something new every day.

Isn't Greenock the place where many of the IBMs with ABS spacebars originate?

Khers wrote: Isn't Greenock the place where many of the IBMs with ABS spacebars originate?

Now that's a slightly more complicated question. I really don't know.

derzemel wrote: Yep, in Greenock, near Glasgow. Now 70% of the place is empty, a part is used by IBM as its largest support centre and the rest is rented to other companies. I know because IBM Ro sent me there for 2 weeks.

Edit: as a curiosity, the support centre was all under one roof, with almost 1000 people working in one giant room/former assembly line.

Sounds interesting, are there some 'lost' places? Just in case I am there sometimes...

Khers wrote:

tentator wrote: come on: do they really sell "Please note that this listing is for a dot matrix printed thank you note that is printed on an Oki dot matrix printer and on continuous form green bar paper with the tractor pull circles on each side " seriously like that on ebay without being "reported"??

"They" would in fact be none other than Ellipse himself.

ok I didn't follow the link.. I read about that great project ellipse has.. but so is this ebay listing "just" a way to make himself more visible on the net or what?
honestly do not really think it's the best "marketing" idea done like that...
anyway..

derzemel wrote:Yep, in Greenock, near Glasgow. Now 70% of the place is empty, a part is used by IBM as its largest support centre and the rest is rented to other companies. I know because IBM Ro sent me there for 2 weeks.

Edit: as a curiosity, the support centre was all under one roof, with almost 1000 people working in one giant room/former assembly line.

Oh, wait, I forgot to add... IBM doesn't even own the place anymore. They sold it to an investment company which was more than happy to buy thinking that IBM will still use it all, but IBM rented back only one building and then outsourced/sold everything else

derzemel wrote: Now 70% of the place is empty, a part is used by IBM as its largest support centre and the rest is rented to other companies.

But...

Nice pics! Greenock's really not up to much, as a place, and I doubt IBM left a damn thing there all those years ago now. Maybe under that rubble…

seebart wrote:

Khers wrote: Isn't Greenock the place where many of the IBMs with ABS spacebars originate?

Now that's a slightly more complicated question. I really don't know.

I believe so.

So too late to go on an abandoned photography tour there. What about old Cherry factories?

Madhias wrote: So too late to go on an abandoned photography tour there. What about old Cherry factories?

Probably moved their facilities 1:1 to the czech republic ...

https://www.flickr.com/photos/cycleolog ... 1597220928
http://www.panoramio.com/user/277973/tags/IBM
http://flickriver.com/photos/westernsmt ... ngovalley/

Wow, that first album. Looks like I need to get into urban exploration.

However, not a single nice keyboard to be seen.

There might have been one mech, but they appeared scarce. Maybe it's because IBM could upgrade its own equipment at much lower prices than retail.

Also... What's up with all the poster girls? Is culture different over there?

ohaimark wrote: Also... What's up with all the poster girls? Is culture different over there?

It's mostly pictures of the wifes/girlfriends. That's how they look over there.