TheVanKeyboard's "Operation Goodbye": One Last Chance To Get A MiniVan

I’m a bit reluctant to share this under the “fun finds” category as it’s IMHO a rather sad topic. But it nevertheless seems to be the most appropriate category, so here we go:

Received this newsletter by @evangs on Friday. (Found it just today in the spam folder — meh!) As we know, he’s shutting down TheVanKeyboards.

Despite everything is marked as “sold out” on thevankeyboards.com since very recently, Evan still seems to have a bit of stock left which he’ll sell from this week on.

He wrote in the newsletter:

I want to thank everyone for reaching out over the last few weeks. I want to thank you for your kind words and sharing stories of how these keyboards have changed your lives. I am humbled to have created something that has impacted so many people around the globe.

I have been feverishly shipping orders and finally shipped that last one last night. This has allowed me to see exactly what I have left.

The good news is that I have parts for a few more kits.

Next week I will be listing the final kits. There will be 130 available. The case colors available with be catalyst smoke, clear, and black.

The kit will include the case, a hotswap pcb, rubber feet, screws, case badge, and stabilizers. The kit will be approximately $100.

If you are looking to get a MiniVan, next week may be your best opportunity.

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I stocked up on j-spacers for a few builds to come… :slightly_frowning_face:

FYI we already got a thread about if over here

Yeah, I linked to it. Admittedly only a few minutes after posting, but I was aware of it.

EDIT: Interestingly the autolink feature in that posting only referred to your comment and not my posting, probably because I only added that link retroactively. Then again, I still got a badge for cross-referencing another posting.

The thread title implies that Evan is stepping away from making boards?

Yes, unfortunately. See the posting The Van Keyboards is shutting down as already referred in my posting and by @dwarflemur.

I saw the link after the fact, that’s crazy.

the remaining stock will be available on friday. I have the various items added to the store and will be updating the products with relevant information this week. on friday I will make all the items available until they sell out.

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Thanks for these details!

Now I have to go to fetch my most recent MiniVan order from the post office box: A white case, a purple case, two PCBs and some J-Spacers. :slight_smile:

And let me take this occasion to thank you for the MiniVan keyboard in general — and also for DSA Light Cycle and GMK Paperwork!

The hotswap MiniVan is definitely my most favourite standard-staggered 40%, especially the one with the Catalyst aluminum case. It’s very well designed, very usable, and one of the few 40% keyboards with a dedicated cursor cross on R4/R5.

And for the sake of completeness: My most favourite ortholinear-ish/uniform-staggered 40% is the Zlant. Can’t decide if I like the MiniVan or the Zlant more as they’re so different.

Then again, I so far own only one Zlant (waiting for the preonic-like 5-row 50% Zlant) — but after the imminent visit to my post office box, I own four MiniVan keyboards: 1 aluminium case, 3 plastic cases (black, white, purple). This probably says something about my favourite 40%, too… :wink: (And two sets of each, DSA Light Cycle and GMK Paperwork, where one of each sits on a MiniVan. :slight_smile:)

I wish you Godspeed in all your future endeavours!

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Thanks @evangs
What’s the best way to be updated when the sale goes live?
I really don’t want to miss it!

Thanks for everything you’ve done for the community!

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I’ll post on instagram when it opens

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sale live here Trashman.club

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Thank you, @evangs, for all you’ve done for the keeb-munity. I’m saddened that I will never fulfill my dream of a Rack Minivan with Paperwork on it now :sob:

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