>

Congrats, I'm eagerly awaiting GMK Redline that I've been waiting almost 28 months for now lol
Lucky, still haven’t gotten my Rama works caps, going on two years >

The Instagram comments on every Rama post these days are pure 🍿, it’s unbelievable that they have the balls to keep up the marketing posts like that >

The more they post the more I respect them in a weird way. They’re taking an ass pounding. I really  enjoy my u80 and Kara but, those will likely be my last Rama boards ever unless things change. Happy to see Thernals are going out though. >

I asked to cancel my Thermal order and they wrote me a literal 2000 word essay telling me why they can't refund me, basicly gave me a history of how they fucked up and blamed covid, blamed delays, literally everything from the sun to the ocean they blamed and said sorry lol. >

Damn I’m sorry :/ well, there is always mech market! Did you not want it out of principle? >

Half and half, this amount of wait is unacceptable. and I want to quit this hobby lol >

I'm the same my friend one more board and I'm done for any group buys. >

Three years… What’s the point at that point 😂 This is criminal! >

The vendor does not control this though - this is on the manufacturer, and Novelkeys did proactively offer via email status updates on the fulfillment delays with the option for refunds. >

This is why I do not do group buys or preorders.  It has to be instock or I pass. >

And with companies like Mode introducing their own keycaps I see even less and less value in GMK. Heck even Mode keycaps are all in one, while GMK is only good for 75% or less >

Yep, I just ordered an Envoy, with their Tomorrow Keycaps. Looks pretty sweet. >

Mode is a wonderful company. I have a sonnet and a 65. So nice. Congrats on the purchase! >

I get why people dont like group buys, and I understand if someone joins a gb for a design they REALLY like (seriously consider if you’ll still like them a few years later), but what made you stick around for so long for a wob set? I haven’t joined a gb from nk before, but they seem like really nice people ime that I wouldve expected them to have a refund window >

NK was actually accepting refunds for the past 3 years for this GB! I almost asked for a refund once but changed my mind. I didn't think that JTK had ill intentions, they just had really bad luck. Thank god I stuck around though because they are giving away a 2nd free set to all the GB participants. And yes I know it's just another WoB set but the fact that it's pre-shined just made me want it even more lol. >

Oh dang thats some really good value then! Actually crazy they made a second set for everyone that stuck around. >

Apparently not a unique thing, I got two copies of my order from zFrontier when DSA Starry Night R2 group buy got delayed by a year. >

Damn now I'm going to need a new group buy to point to when people think six months is a long time, been using this one forever. >

Don’t worry, you’ll always have GMK Hyperfuse >

Looked into it and wow. Its geekhack forum turned 8 years old on January 28th. And it appears as though Drop is sending out a different version of Hyperfuse to the people who still never got the original. >

WOW. >

Nice, just another 3 months from now and it will arrive to the EU proxy! >

I'm glad you're getting them finally but why do we normalize this? Like when did the consumers become the bankroll to start business ventures with zero risk to anyone other than the consumer? It's insane. Kickstarters are one thing but I feel like GB type sales are just crooked. >

this is probably an unpopular opinion but i actually sort of prefer gbs than having a small amount in stock so i have to set a timer for the sale time and then spam refresh the webpage only for it to sell out before i can check out. ofc ideally 6 month gbs and not 3 years >

See I don't agree with mega limited runs either unless it's some epic collector item. Most of these things they do these GBs on have multiple runs which means the only reason they don't do it the traditional way where they make and store x amount of said item is because they want us to pay for their business in all regards and they don't have to operate like a proper company by cutting out all risk, most of the logistics, and majority of the finances. It's shitty practice. Regarding a limited run though where, say, only 500 are being made and that's that- then I agree with you because setting a timer is annoying, especially if you still end up missing out. >

i mean a lot of people running these gbs are just regular people. running just 200 units in stock probably costs like 40k+. they might not be able to afford stocking more and if they can it would be a big financial risk. i think maybe the best balance is having an in stock sale and then a gb afterwards >

That's exactly my point. There's a cost to doing business. They aren't entitled to the profits on the backs of we the consumers, lol. They have every right to design something, promote it, make it, and double their money on it. But the practice of having to do none of that until after a few thousand people pay their bills for the next 2 years and then not shipping until after another GB or two has been put out is just garbage. Somewhere it got normalized and that's a damn shame. We wouldn't be cool with it if (obvious dramatic example to get the point across) dairy farms took all our money for a year or two and then started raising the cows for milk after the fact. Or, just apply it to literally anything else that we buy. Kickstarters are an awesome way to make a dream come true and get a business off the ground; I support that. Do that once, and then you don't need to do GB. Instead, when you do GB after GB, it's kind of a middle finger to everyone that is literally supporting the artist, designer, or brand. Hot garbage. >

well yeah im not saying anyone has to buy something ofc if you dont want to deal with that. but often times they are not the manufacturer so its out of their control >

What? Yes, the people that make the product use various platforms to do the GBs. Ofc it isn't drop.com's fault, for example. I'm talking about the people making the product, lol, that should've been obvious. It is fully in their control and "don't like, don't buy it" is an awful response. I've done group buys and waited the time needed to get the product- it's just a trashy way to do business and an absolute fuck-you to all of us that partake. That's all there is to it. >

I'm talking about the designer. And if anything vendors should get more of the blame since they actually have the money to bankroll it. Which drop does a lot of the time to their credit. >

I feel like you might not have a strong grasp on how traditional business planning works or how starting up a company works. (I mean no offense, but) If I want to sell baked beans at my local grocery store, it isn't the store's financial burden to make that a reality. I have to get the beans and can them, and then sell them to the store to be sold to the consumer. I don't leave a plate on the shelf with a sign that says "leave cash, will provide beans at a date to be announced!" Haha. It isn't the store, nor the consumer's responsibility to make my dream of designing and selling baked beans a reality. That's all I'm trying to say. Drop shouldn't need to bankroll the designer and even in doing so, that changes nothing for the likes of us, we still complete a transaction and receive the product some random time later. 
The designer could make a deal with someone and get a backer as that's how it works in majority of the industry, and that backer invests in them, they get x amount of shit made and then they sell it once the product is done and then the invested parties get whatever agreed upon percentage and the designer gets their cut. This is a common way of doing business and much better for the consumer. I'm still unsure why you're defending such horrible practices that literally only affect us, the buyers, lol. >

and the vendors are supposed to be that backer and as ive said many of them have been doing that now. but a lot of them are reruns so they are proven to be popular also i think theres some niche sets that would never get support like that. should those just not exist then despite people willing to pay upfront to get them >

Laugh in RamaWorks >

I can’t think of anything I would sit and wait for for 3 years.
Enjoy your keycaps though! >

At this point its sit, wait, anger, dispear, forget.......... then surprise and joy when it arrives >


then surprise and joy when it arrives

Or more anger and sadness because your builds/tastes are now different, and the set will not work anymore. Then some relief when you realize you can flip GMk sets on r/mechmarket. >

Then you realise it’s 2023 and you can’t flip anyone because of the recession no one want to buy anything >

:( >

3 years for a WoB set? That's absurd >

I'm still waiting for my EPBT Be The One ordered in CandyKeys, It's now over two years. And I do not even want that thing anymore, found other and IMO better stuff elsewhere. I'm not cancelling the order just because I like the shop. Otherwise I would.
Never again. Now I just order high quality PBT Double Shoots online only when they are deliverable in a few days or max two weeks due to international delivery times. Or because someone is selling such an "exclusive".
I'm truly out of this awful group buys. I only did two and the first one was a disappointment and I'm afraid the second one will be as well. >

Yeah I'm done with GB's too. Mostly because I'm done with the hobby, stopped ordering 2 years ago. I'm still waiting on 2 other GB's from Keyreative that's been going for 2 years now. 
It used to be much better when the turn around was 6-12 months. >

LOL OMFG. I'm rolling on the floor right now.
Today. Exactly the day I decide to write this I receive a parcel from Candykeys. Inside it can only be the EPBT keycaps I ordered over two years ago.
I'll open it later. If I waited two years for them, those fuckers can wait a few more hours to meet me, after dinner and some book reading. >

Hahaha what a coincidence! Glad you got yours. >

Disappointment V2.0
After two years I'm awfully disappointed. Pictures and product don't match, and yeah... I'm out.
Now that I think about it. It's a long time I see no more real custom builds here. You know, like soldering and writing your own firmware, and producing your own coiled cables... Where is everyone?
I feel like a frog that was slowly cooked in water without realizing that the party is elsewhere. >

I feel like that stuff is mostly on r/ErgoMechKeyboards or in Discord servers now. >

The wait time is absurd, but i checked out the product page and they are niiiiiiiice keycaps. enjoy >

Yeah man the shine is beautiful. JTK was nice enough to include another set for the long wait! >

I had almost forgot about this GB, what caused it to be delayed this much? >

Thank you! >

3 years?? me types happily on a keychron that is borderline insane >

Some people.used the pandemic to jump into this hobby, but it sorta killed it for me. 
I had two sets of caps come (another in boxing ATM) to my house over the last few months and they're just sitting there and bummed I wasted 600 + in shit I'm not using. >

You can resell it on mechmarket. >

Even mm is getting hard to sell anything >

Waiting on SA geoma
got pushed back to september before sets are made >

Now you makes me want a set, they look so shiny >

Still waiting for my brutalist keycaps >

I could have sworn i canceled this like 2 years ago, so I was very surprised when I got the shipping notice! >

SA Ramses?  Did I just imagine it? >

Don't get sucked in by fomo and the hype machine. You will see a product in streamers and content creators hands being passed around. Yes, some do testing but it's advertising for the GB runner. 
Some content/streamers are paid to show the product which is fine it's a business but the consumer can be the one who put up the money to make it happen.
If you don't panic and put in your order it will pass and your brain will forget or kick into another gear to look at something else. The work being done for in-stock now is much better for the consumer, so support those brands and people if you hate the wait. >

The commitment you guys have is unreal and truly admirable. I salute you all. >

Been waiting for my nightrunner r2 deskmat for 1 1/2 by now
Just hurts >

gets lost in the Mail. have to pay customs fees >

That's just evil haha. >

3 years for WoB keycaps?! >

Oh sweet Jesus >

I never got my Wood keys APX Planck case, and that one was 4.5 years ago. The last ema I got was 4 years ago. :( At least you're getting some hope. I've abandoned any notion of getting my case or a refund. >

They look like CXA WOB to me and those are in stock. I don't understand group buys. >

For a wob set no less. Peak r/mk >

I just received my metropolis key caps after two years !