Walked into a thrift shop Tuesday and found a Model F from 1985

I was just looking for a cheap lamp but ended up finding an IBM Model F keyboard buried under some old cookbooks at the Goodwill on 3rd street. The person at the counter said it was $12 because 'the letters are faded.' I brought it home, gave the keys a wipe with a damp cloth, and it works perfectly. The click on this thing is way sharper than any modern mechanical board I've tried. Anyone know if there's a secret to cleaning the inner foam without wrecking it?

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jade8851mo ago

Wait, $12 for a Model F? How is that even legal?

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reese_singh871mo ago

Oh man, $12 is absolutely insane for a Model F! Those things are mechanical keyboard history, real buckling spring switches that IBM used back in the day. I've seen them go for $300-$500 on eBay depending on the condition and rarity. Someone clearly had no idea what they were selling, or it was an employee pricing error at a thrift store or something. That's like finding a mint condition vintage guitar at a garage sale for pocket change!

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