GMK keycaps have several attractive features that may cost you around $200. The price can be as high as the keyboard itself or more. While looking for an aftermarket set, you are likely to pay an additional approximate $100 depending on the quality of a specific set. So, why are GMK keycaps so expensive?
Different facts make the GMK keycap set an expensive buy. The use of thick and premium quality ABS plastic increases its value compared to low-quality plastic. Moreover, the perfections in the structure and marketing through limited editions also add to the asking price. GMK keycaps in the aftermarket sector are also expensive to buy.
The following analysis will inform you about the costing issues related to the GMK keycaps and guide you toward the purchase in a comparative style.
What are GMK Keycaps?
GMK Keycaps are produced by a renowned German company named GMK. This manufacturer works on the design of luxury and expensive keycaps for mechanical keyboards. GMK is the short title form indicating Gunther, Meinhardt, and Kredler relating to the original founders of the company.
The keycaps have incredible uniqueness in custom and limited-edition designs. Generally, the keycaps of this brand are meant to be purchased six months ahead of time via group buys for an exceeding price. The brand uses a cherry profile to make the keycaps. The caps have a unique and individual design with a thick ABS plastic body.
Why Are GMK Keycaps So Expensive?
Structural differences and the inclusion of suitable features make the GMK keycaps so expensive. Let’s analyze the common aspects that contribute to the high price ranges.
The Addition of a Thick Cherry Keycap Profile
- GMK keycaps have a thick cherry profile that impacts the overall shape and height of the keycaps. This makes it really popular and highly demanded. The Cherry profile makes the keycaps ideal for gaming and typing. The thick plastic also makes an excellent acoustic sound when typing.
- As GMK collects the necessary tooling for the keycaps directly from Cherry, the Cherry profile for their keycaps is genuine and excellent. Therefore, they have to set a price higher than those having a replica of the cherry profile.
High Percentage of Perfections in Quality
The keycaps, made from a thin and poorly made ABS plastic, can not hold the quality for long. So, the keycaps of low-quality ABS make them cheap. But GMK does not deal with such low-quality ABS. Instead, they make their high-end keycaps out of thick ABS plastic.
Thick ABS plastic is good enough to improve performance, along with colours that pop better and better acoustics.
The Limited-Edition Keycaps with Unique Features and Designs
GMK is producing their keycaps with various unique designs, and they usually come as limited editions. The combination of sales and demand is so potent that you must quickly catch up with the sale period.
Therefore, the limited purchasing window and the editions of unique designs enhance the productive value of GMK keycaps.
Complicated But Competitive Buying Market for Consumers
- While ordering the GMK keycaps through a group buy, you can not expect instant delivery. Instead, you must wait around six months to get the product. But some people want fast shipments. Moreover, it would be best to complete the online purchasing process actively.
- Yet the GMK keycaps are incredibly popular, and the customers are eager for their requirements. Therefore, GMK can set a high price as customers are willing to go through competitive processes to order keycaps from them.
High Rated Purchase from Aftermarket
When you cannot get your GMK keycaps from a group buy sector, you must choose aftermarket forums like /r/mechmarket and geek hack. But this particular source adds more cost to the regular market price of the GMK keycap sets. Different groups sign up for groups to buy for the purpose of reselling the keycaps for a higher price later.
Are GMK Keycaps Worth the Price?
Compared to other brands or editions of Keycap sets, GMK keycaps have a higher price range, and different issues are behind them. So, if you invest in these keycaps, you might wonder whether the GMK sets are worth the price.
Considering the quality and supportive features, GMK keycaps are worth the investment. GMK keycaps get such a high range because of the exclusivity of the Cherry profile design and the uniqueness of each group buys.
Another fact is people’s high demand for these keycaps. A great thing about the brand is, even if you want to resell your GMK keycaps, you can expect to resell them for a price that might exceed your expected price.
The GMK keycaps will be worth the investment if there is a demand for luxury keycaps in the market and for the users. The keycaps have precise quality, but the body of the ABS caps will get shiny after heavy use.
You should be aware of scammers whenever you purchase anything through group buy or aftermarket sales. The original look and the online editions can mismatch, or the sale may be deceptive. Otherwise, purchasing an original GMK keycap set makes it worth the price.
What are GMK Keycaps Made of?
GMK Keycaps are structured with a cherry profile, and the dimension is shorter than regular keycaps, alongside slight thickness.
Unlike many other keycap sets made of Polybutylene Terephthalate, GMK is manufactured with Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene plastic for its keycaps. ABS is easy to manufacture because of having soft plastic.
The speciality of ABS plastic used in GMK keycaps is their premium designs. Moreover, the ABS of GMK has higher quality than regular ABS keycaps. This type of material in the keycaps makes it more bright and vividly coloured, which is unavailable from PBT.
The structural value of GMK keycaps increases because of their Doubleshot design. Being the Doubleshot keycaps, GMK sets are made from two pieces of plastic joined together. The keycap is on the top layer. There is a cut-out on the top of the locating area of the legend.
The bottom layer, along with the top layer, covers the cutout and forms the legend. A Doubleshot design makes the legends on the keycaps tough to be rubbed off or fade, unlike the legends on regular keycaps.
Do GMK Sets Shine?
You might be concerned about whether GMK sets shine. They are comparatively expensive, but the ultimate reality is that the structure is ABS plastic. So, after six months or one year of regular use, a GMK set is likely to start shining.
The initial brightness and customization facilities are attractive features, but ABS plastic makes it evident that it shines after a considerable time. The level and period of shine may vary from one variant to another.
Where to Buy GMK Keycaps?
There are different authentic sources to buy GMK keycaps. Knowing the details of those marketplaces is essential to make the best deal. Here are the sites you can look for this product:
Purchasing through Group-Buys
To purchase a GMK keycap set, getting acquainted with the latest group buys through Mechgroupbuys is a good option. They deal with multiple sorts of keyboard or keycap group buys and are not limited to GMK editions only. This site will guide you to all the different vendors selling the specific product.
Searching in the Aftermarket
To purchase a GMK keycap set unavailable through group buy, /r/mechmarket can be the most preferable option. Yet, you must be conscious of the purchase as several scammers are in the marketplace.
Amazon.com
Amazon has GMK keycap sets in their stock, but they are not really available on this popular site. So, you must look into other sources like group buys/aftermarket for more unique designs and variety.
A healthy collection at MechanicalKeyboards.com
One of the best sources of GMK keycaps is MechanicalKeyboards. There is a variety in the available editions, and you will find the keycaps, including GMK Yoda 2, GMK Classic Retro, GMK Vice Nights, GMK Miami, etc.
What are GMK Keycaps?
FAQ
GMK and PBT keycaps have their individuality with specific pros and cons. The ABS used by GMK has a colour variety and is soft and comfortable. But ABS has a lack of durability and tends to shine early. The PBT keycaps may not have the same variety but a better durable structure. The PBT can hold a silky texture throughout its lifecycle.
If you are looking for the best alternative to GMK keycaps, we recommend PBT’s doubleshot ABS range as an accessible alternative to GMK. If GMK keycap sets go beyond your budget or do not have the desired colour combination. PBT has a comparable, compatible range of doubleshot ABS keycaps.
Final Words
While buying GMK keycaps for a comparatively high price, it is always essential to understand the purchasing process and the productivity level. As there is a competitive fact like the PBT keycaps and ABS of low quality at a low price, you have to consider the pros and cons.
In the article “Why Are GMK Keycaps So Expensive? The Analysis of Possible Facts” I have discussed the issues related to expenditure, quality, benefits, lack, and risks. This is a guideline to make your purchase successful and satisfactory.
I am a regular user of computer keyboards. For using keyboard face different kinds of problems and also solve it very easily. I love sharing knowledge about keyboards.