Typewriter 101: Tips for Purchasing a Vintage Typewriter
Typewriter 101: Tips for Buying a Used Typewriter
As an English major and teacher, there’s little cooler to me than a vintage typewriter. I have never owned one before now but finding mine and getting it repaired was very educational indeed. I’m in love with the satisfying racket of the type slug (that’s the part with the letters) and the warm hum of the little electric motor. I bet lots of you might feel the same, so read on, Wildflowers! My dad brought me the sage green Smith-Corona electric typewriter (purchased years before at a yard sale) from a ranch outbuilding and after knocking some of the mud dobber nests free from the underside, he remarked that it probably still worked. Much like the automobiles of the same eras, vintage typewriters are built to last. They are heavy, metal, and often times made in America. I live for old stuff like this and promptly set to work figuring out how I’d get it in good working order. 1950s Smith-Corona Vintage Typewriter- dirty, dried out the ribbon, mud dobber mud, and hay.
I couldn’t believe how difficult it was to find someone to fix the typewriter. Granted, I live very rurally, but even then I had to make several calls around to various computer and office stores to finally get the recommendation of the delightful Mr. Bill Skillman of www.selectric.com in Ashland, OR. Mr. Skillman has been repairing typewriters for years and is a professional and a gentleman. He repairs typewriters from all over the country and I’d recommend him to anyone. He and his lovely wife welcomed me and my sleepy toddler into their home when I quizzed him about what to look for in a used, found, garage sale, or otherwise rustled up the typewriter. Here’s what the expert suggests when purchasing a vintage typewriter:
Typewriter 101: Tips for Purchasing a Vintage Typewriter
If you want to see and hear this gem in action, here’s my casual Periscope broadcast that is available on my YouTube Channel.
Once you have either purchased or came into ownership of a typewriter, here’s a few things to keep in mind.
If you love practical guides like this one, subscribe to the mailing list and never miss one of my sewing, canning, & old fashioned DIY posts!Share your comments in the section below, Wildflowers! Will you be sprucing up that ol’ typewriter from the attic or seeking one out at the next yard sale? |
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