[Milsurplus] Question regarding J-38 keys

[Facility 406]

> that, and I suspect of course there's a dwindling supply, but are they 
> _that_ collectible, or just that well built?

No.  They are nice, but also, relatively speaking, very, very common 
junk (that is, nothing special at all), as everyone, everywhere, used 
one for most everything.  They are the "soda cans laying on the side of 
the road, and in alleyways" of keys, when it comes to the amount made, 
and commonality.  Even Radio Shack, Cracker Jacks, and no-name kits, all 
had knock-offs.  A few tens of bucks for one like new, even in the box, 
is reasonable.  Dwindling?  Not really, and whatever parts out there are 
no doubt used to make more as people find parts, or trade around.  It's 
not like they get used up and trashed, they just change hands, with 
relatively few, if any tossed.

I regret to say, I sold my piles/buckets/boxes of keys, and focused on a 
  few super nice, and unique ones, so can't help, or I'd send you one 
for a few token dollars.

I'd say, ask/look around, you may even be sent some to play with.

OK, out of curiosity, just did a quick search...  I'm seeing '37's, and 
'38's out there.  Some pricey, some unreasonable, but, most reasonable, 
and taking inflation, and a bit of coolness factor into account, aren't 
unreasonable in price, but also not the 25 cents each WWII surplus 
prices we all remember.

If I needed one now, and had no other leads, I'd take my pic of the few 
dozen on the expensive auction site, and buy the bestest I could afford. 
  I'm seeing new for $35, by the time I burn gas, and buy foofy coffee 
at Starbucks, to pick one up from the PO, I would have spent close to 
that.  One person even buggered up their listing, and has one key at 
$36, and again at $150.

Here's two I like, first, due to coolness factor, but about as smooth as 
I knife switch (intended for aircraft use, so you would WANT to send CW, 
the key doesn't allow mistakes):

https://www.ebay.com/itm/176200890636

And this one, so smooth, it can almost read ones mind:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/305073765526

If you hold out, you can get either of those, new-old-stock, for a few 
bucks.  I think I paid about $20 each for mine.

Kurt