Beginners Guide to Artisan Keycaps: Everything You Need to Know

You just got your very first mechanical keyboard and discovered a whole new whole of  keycap sets and artisan keycaps. There are just so many options that you do not know where to start and what to do to get those adorable or fancy keycaps you see people posting about. 

If you're seeking guidance on purchasing keycaps without the hassle of scouring Reddit, forums, and endless Google searches (or Discord groups), then this comprehensive guide is just what you need!

Styles of Keycaps

• Keycap sets: Perfect if you want to change out your old keycaps or simply want to give your mechanical keyboard a new look without having to buy a new one. Any design you can think of as long as it is not the "normal" looking keycaps and comes in enough pieces to fit your keyboard. 
• Accent Pieces: Usually used on a lesser used key like "Escape" or simply a center piece(s) for your keyboard.
• Custom: Anything you can imagine is probably able to be turned into a keycap based on your imagination and vision, along with the skills of the artist.
• Resin/Polymer Clay/Blanks/Novelty - Based on the artists interpretation and inspiration they create their keycaps and you buy them if you like them from their store or google forms (via raffle sales) etc...

Price

If you are looking for value then getting keycap sets for more keys might be more worthwhile instead of an individual keycap which can cost about the same. 

In general, retail prices can range from S$10-90+ for a single keycap (depending on its detail, the price set by the artist and what you really think it's worth).

Where to Buy

For those of you who are in Singapore (or South East Asia) and are on a budget but still want an accent piece (or two), then Shopee is a good place to look for keycap sets and artisan keycaps which can typically range from S$10-60+. 

If you are wondering what is Shopee, it’s basically a shopping platform like Amazon but with pricing closer to Temu. They have an app for Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines and Indonesia, mostly for the South East Asian countries. Besides the (probably) more affordable (cheaper) pricing, shipping is either free or less than SGD$2 (for majority of the sellers). The only downside is that you need a local number and address for each of the country app. 

 If you have not signed up for Shopee and want to get S$5 off your first order, sign up 🠊here🠈😊

[Keycap Series: A Shopee Guide to Affordable and Good Quality Artisan Keycaps]

For everything else, the keycaps can range from S$35-100+ for just one little keycap, and that does not include shipping yet:

1. Raffle Sales: Usually, the artists will promote and open raffles sales on their limited designs on Discord, Reddit and/or Instagram. Interested buyers try their hand and sign up  for a chance to win the opportunity to buy those keycaps. Google forms are the usually methods for signing up and PayPal a very common payment method. No one knows how many actually sign up and only the artists knows how many pieces they really have for sale. If you get an invoice, you've "won" else try again the next time. These might be pre-orders or fulfilment orders where they just sell the limited amount they have made/will make.
• ✅Pro: 
• Most of the time the designs are limited and one of a kind. So perfect if you are looking for that perfect keycap.
• Payment via PayPal is always good for buyers (buyer's protection).
• ❌Con: 
• For Raffle Sales, you cannot buy it even if you want to, you have to be "lucky" to win a chance to purchase the marketed one of a kind creations.
• Depends on what the artist is selling so designs may be limited or no longer available once its run its course.
• Usually in USD$ and can be pricey (that’s not even including the shipping yet). 
• Tax is not included (explicitly), so there might be a chance for it to get stuck at customs.
• The use of Google Forms and collecting your address might be a privacy concern for some.
• As they are mostly made upon order, it might take a month or so for you to receive your keycap.




2. Online Shops: Some artists choose to create their own online shop using Shopify, Wordpress or similar to sell their creations. Paypal should always be the preferred choice of payment as that would offer buyers a little more protection and getting their money back (just in case since they do have Buyer's Protection).   
• ✅Pro: 
• Sellers can provide better discounts or cheaper shipping due to (probably) lesser platform fees.
• Some designs are only available on the online shops. 
• Mostly ready stock, you might not have to wait so long to receive the keycaps as they are usually already made and ready for a new home.
• Other than the above, there is no other benefit for buyers per se. But more so the freedom and flexibility for the sellers as they are not restricted by platform rules and fees etc...
• ❌Con: 
• Depending on the artist / sellers IT savviness, your data might be compromised if security fixes are not taken care of and breaches occur.
Not all online shops convert the currency for you. So make sure you check the final price and currency before check out to make sure you know the amount you are paying for.
Usually in USD$ and can be pricey (not even including the shipping yet). 
Tax may or may not be included, already so there might be a chance for it to get stuck at customs if it’s not included. 
Anyone can create their online shop and fulfilment of those orders can be a tad sketchy at times given the trend nowadays with online scams and security breaches. They can close shop and disappear with little to no avenue for any recourse if things go wrong.




3. Amazon: You'd be surprised that Amazon also has keycaps for sale, but I rather go to Shopee instead as they are more reasonable in pricing and have greater variety. 
• ✅Pro: 
• Assurance and ease for refunds if things go wrong (most of the time). At least they have a contact us / support section should the seller go missing in action or the delivery did not reach you.
• As a platform, it has a reputation to uphold and should have a higher sense to stay updated for security breaches.
• Free shipping (for most sellers).
• Tax is already included, so it definitely saves the hassle of calculation and payment.
• ❌Con: 
• Limited variety.
Expensive (overpriced most of the time on Amazon)
There’s always a chance if things going wrong when you buy things online. 




4. Shopee:  For those of us in South East Asia (and Singapore), Shopee should not be unfamiliar to us. They do have a wide range of keycaps at affordable prices.  
• ✅Pro: 
• Assurance and ease for refunds if things go wrong (most of the time). At least they have a contact us / support section should the seller go missing in action or the delivery did not reach you.
• You can search and look at different designs from various sellers all from one place without have to leave.
• As a platform, it has a reputation to uphold and should have a higher sense to stay updated for security breaches. If anything goes wrong, they should be responsible. 
• Free shipping (for most sellers).
• Tax is already included, so it definitely saves the hassle of calculation and payment.
• ❌Con: 
• Long delivery times (sometimes 6 to 12 or more working days)
Taking a risk on sellers or listings which do not have any reviews. 
There’s always a chance if things going wrong when you buy things online. 




5. Etsy: Some artists open their store on Etsy, a site which is essentially a platform for sellers to sell their handcrafted items (for a Singapore context, it's like Shopee and Carousell combined).
• ✅Pro: 
• Tax is already included, so it definitely saves the hassle of calculation and payment can also be via PayPal. 
• The cool thing is there are occasional discounts which make it more friendly on the pocket. Discounts can be very worth it sometimes.
• Unique keycap designs that you cannot find elsewhere, all in one place. 
• Makes it easier to search across sellers all in one platform. Not having to look and search for individual seller's shop one by one.
• Assurance and ease for refunds if things go wrong (most of the time). At least they have a contact us / support section should the seller go missing in action.
• As a platform, it has a reputation to uphold and should have a higher sense to stay updated for security breaches.  If anything goes wrong, they should be responsible. 
• ❌Con: 
• Some sellers have really ridiculous international shipping fees probably due to the additional fees the platform imposes(?).
• Some listings are really overpriced markups from Aliexpress or Taobao. So check with caution before you check out.
• Lack of consistency -  Each store has different shipping pricing and policies. 

Artists

Enjoying art and fun shouldn't come with a hefty price tag; it can be both high-quality and affordable (as much as possible)!

That said, I will be featuring keycap artists whom I have come across and bought from them as I love their designs. Their pricing and shipping options are also reasonable and worth it (to me), so here I am sharing them with you so you can support them too if you are looking for intricate, unique and reasonably priced artisan keycaps and shipping. 

[Keycap Series: Featuring Artists of the Month]

Remember to compare prices and shipping costs across different artisans and platforms to find the best fit for your budget!