Well, Friday was a warm and beautiful day, another gentle and lovely harbinger of the end of the ecosystem as we know it. After work, I headed off in an utterly random direction that, purely by accident, brought me to the Riverside Centre Antique Mall.
I've never found much in the way of typewriters here before, but this time, there seemed to be one around every corner. Let's play the usual game: Did I bring any items home? If so, which one(s)? The answer will be posted in the comments in about 24 hours.
A dealer also showed me two machines that weren't priced yet and that I did not buy: a very clean Smith-Corona electric and an early Royal 10 with double glass panels on each side, clean paint, good decals—but lots of rust in the mechanism.
Having thoroughly perused the mall, I passed up the opportunity to dine at the Swampwater Grill and continued to enjoy a late afternoon drive, passing through metropolises such as Felicity, Ohio. But was there anything new in my trunk? What would have been in yours?
I've never found much in the way of typewriters here before, but this time, there seemed to be one around every corner. Let's play the usual game: Did I bring any items home? If so, which one(s)? The answer will be posted in the comments in about 24 hours.
L. C. Smith Super-Speed, $85:
The L. C. Smith was on a Hi-Lo typewriter stand. In case you don't know, this stand allows you to raise or lower a set of wheels by pushing down on some levers with your feet, so that the stand can easily roll or stay put. Reduced to $45.
AMC (Japy), carriage stuck in raised position, escapement not advancing, $50:
Royal Parade, "made in Poland" (actually Holland), "keys don't strike all the way" (actually, the typebars did strike all the way, but the ribbon vibrator was stuck in its highest position). $20.
This typewriter was on a metal typing table:
Another Royal Parade, with a sticker from a local dealer, $59.99:
Underwood no. 5, $70:
"Remington Rand Typewriter [no. 17] w/ exceptional signs of use, a museum piece really, $67.00":
Check out the keys. Do you know where the green ones come from?
IBM Model B with elite type, with a sticker from Jamaica, NY, $25:
A dealer also showed me two machines that weren't priced yet and that I did not buy: a very clean Smith-Corona electric and an early Royal 10 with double glass panels on each side, clean paint, good decals—but lots of rust in the mechanism.
Having thoroughly perused the mall, I passed up the opportunity to dine at the Swampwater Grill and continued to enjoy a late afternoon drive, passing through metropolises such as Felicity, Ohio. But was there anything new in my trunk? What would have been in yours?
The IBM. And for $25? Seems like a steal to me. Either that or the L.C. Smith Super-Speed, including table. If not one of your picks, they would've been mine. Both appear to be in pretty good condition. At any rate, sounds like a fun afternoon.
ReplyDeleteI'd say the IBM, if not that one, then the Hi-Lo L C Smith but, I'm ashamed to say, I'd go for that mainly for the wheel-in wheel out table ...
ReplyDeleteI like the LC Smith with the Hi-Lo stand. These would be especially fun for people to use at Word Play.
ReplyDeleteI would have probably passed on all the machines, but snagged that nice wood topped table :)
ReplyDeleteAstounding chutspah in pricing - have to admire the audacity, 'museum piece' indeed. :-)
ReplyDeletePerhaps to take that little Royal with the stuck vibrator for, hmm, a tenner? - should be fixable and a very usable machine to pass on...
Well, all of these typewriters had something to recommend them, except the much-abused Underwood. I would have taken the Hi-Lo stand if I didn't already own two of them (Leigh, go for it!). The Super-Speed and the blue Parade were nice, but a little on the expensive side. The IBM would be a total bargain if I wanted one, but I already have one like it that's an Executive proportional machine. I love Remington 17s and would enjoy making it more than a "museum piece," but I assume that those Teletype keys and labels are on the keyboard because the original keys are blank (it was probably a teaching typewriter); I would have to replace the keys, which would be a pain.
ReplyDeleteI took the remaining two typewriters: the "Polish" Parade recommended by RobertG (it ought to be fixable, as he says) and the AMC (I've already fixed the stuck carriage, which is a common problem for these machines). The AMC also ended up having an unexpected, apparently unfixable problem with its variable spacer, but fortunately, I have a parts machine.
AMC was my next guess. I had to look it up, but now I understand its appeal.
ReplyDeleteI would have bought the Super Speed (if I had not already bought one).
ReplyDeleteI'm a fan of the Super-Speeds