How we work
Specs and history
We checked everything on each keyboard page (switches, size, layout, hot-swap, connection, keycaps, release dates and the stories behind them) against sources we could cite. Those include the makers’ own product pages and manuals, the Deskthority wiki, Wikipedia and long-running reviews. When we couldn’t confirm a detail, we left it out or wrote it loosely. Makers revise boards quietly during a run, so use every page as a starting point and check the board in front of you.
No guessed prices
We don’t publish price ranges from memory. A price shows on a keyboard page only when it comes from a dated snapshot of that board’s eBay listings (more below), and it always carries the date we checked. Asking prices aren’t selling prices. Before you make an offer, look at eBay’s sold listings (filter to “Sold items”) for the same board and base your offer on those.
Finding listings
Boards without a snapshot link to a plain eBay search for the model, kept to eBay’s Keyboards & Keypads category so loose keycap sets, switches and cables sold on their own stay out of the results.
Every key first
A keyboard can look spotless and still have a key that double-types or one that doesn’t register. The checklist on each keyboard page starts with that board’s known weak spots and what to ask the seller for, and our guide to checking a used keyboard goes deeper. We’d rather you pay a fair price for a board where every key works than a low one for a repair you didn’t plan on.
Keyboard photos
The big photo on a keyboard page and its cards is a representative image, not a photo of any board for sale. We make it with an AI image model from several real seller photos of that exact model, then compare it with those photos before we publish. Every board gets the same plain studio backdrop so they look consistent side by side.
So the photo shows what the model looks like, not the condition of any one board. Colorways, keycaps and wear vary from listing to listing, and some small details may be simplified. Judge condition from the seller’s own photos. Wherever a representative photo appears large, it carries the caption “Representative photo, made by AI from real seller photos. Every listing differs.” Boards without one show no photo.
Market snapshots and picks
For each keyboard with a buying guide, we go through the matching eBay listings on one date. We record how many there are, the price range, where most asking prices sit, and a set of listings with their price, shipping, format, seller feedback and condition. The date sits next to the listings, and by the time you read it some will have sold or ended. The “See every listing on eBay” link always opens the live search. When a snapshot has listings, the board’s typical price on the page comes from it.
Then we tag the listings worth a look. Cheapest is the lowest delivered price for a complete board that works. Best value is a board shown working at a below-typical price. Best for beginners and Easiest to get working go to complete boards from sellers who describe the condition. Collector’s pick is a sought-after version at a sane price, and Project piece is a cheap board worth fixing. Two warning tags flag listings to approach with care. Check the seller means little or no feedback, and Priced high means well above the typical range with no clear reason. These are judgment calls from the listing text and photos. We haven’t handled the boards, and nobody pays for placement.
Independence
No affiliate links. We earn nothing (see the disclosure). We’re not paid by sellers and we’re not affiliated with any of the makers we cover.