
Once upon a time…
Once upon a time…
Body serial number: 7-2663226
Carriage serial number: 8-2710434
Custom Basic Writing No. 67 typeface; 6 CPI (4.2 m/m), 3 lines/inch
Body cover in Saturn White with Slate Gray bottom shell.
None of the Olympia typeface catalogs I’ve ever seen include this particular typeface. The closest I’ve seen to a match for it is the Basic Writing No. 67 (6 CPI) which was available as a custom order for Smith-Corona machines in the 60s onward. The 1964 NOMDA Blue Book includes it as does the Smith-Corona Typestyles catalog from 1968. Slug/foundry marks I’ve seen for the Smith-Coronas have a “29” on them while mine reads “2985”. I’m suspecting the 29s have something in common via the foundry while the 85 might be indicative of the length of the rule on the carriage.
In comparing exemplars, I’m reasonably certain that they’re identical due to the nature of the distinctive numbers 4, 9, the letter t and the sharply angled connectors on the u and the n.
While it was surely a custom order, Olympia apparently did it often enough that they bothered to have Perspex carriage rules custom made for the size. The rule on the back of this one has a “42” in the left rear corner which was surely an internal indicator for a 4.2m/m typeface. (4.2 m/m = 25.4 mm/inch x 1 inch/6 characters). It’s common on most Olympias for their rules to be either stamped or marked with the rule size like this most likely to ensure the correct rules were put onto the appropriate typewriters during manufacturing and assembly.
This particular machine has a very wide 15 inch platen and the rule only measures up to 85 characters! For type this large, you’re sure to want wider paper to actually fit something on it. As a comparison, my 1977 Olympia SG-3 with a shorter 13″ platen has a rule that measures up to 145 characters. That machine is also marked with a 21 in the left corner to indicate that it’s 2.1 m/m or 12 pitch (elite) machine.
Because of the large format typeface, this machine does not accommodate bichrome ribbon like most SG-3s. As a result, the ribbon color selector on the left side of the keyboard which would typically be labeled blue, white, red (from top to bottom) is labeled white, white, blue. I’ve spooled it up with a new monochrome black ribbon on universal spools. Though it’s from the early 70s when it was more common, this machine also has a 1/! key to better differentiate the numeral 1 and the lower case letter L.
To show just how large this typeface really is, I’m including a sample of it along side of the standard Royal pica and elite typefaces.
The typewriter itself is in reasonable condition for its age. Someone has obviously left it in a somewhat humid environment where it was neglected for a few decades. The spacious area underneath the carriage had the cobwebs and skeletons of at least four nice sized spiders. Some of the metal pieces inside have some surface rust that will need to be mitigated. I’ve wiped off the exterior shell and given the interior a preliminary blow out with the air compressor. I’ve oiled the carriage rails lightly, and I’ve put a new ribbon into it and the alignment seems reasonable, though I’m sure to make an adjustment or two when I get to giving it a full clean, oil, and adjust. The carriage has something slightly out of alignment as it binds at about the midpoint, but I’m sure I’ll find it when I’ve stripped it down for a full clean.
In the meanwhile, it’s in good enough condition for general use.
Heavy steel punch in gray enamel with chromed handle
It was in pretty solid shape with some heavy dust, light pitting on some of the steel, and some hints of rust on one of the bars. A quick cleaning today with some degreasers and anti-rust solution along with a brass bristle brush has brought it back to its original life. It really is stunning how solid this piece of office equipment still is all these years later.
Wilson Jones Co., one of the largest office supply manufacturers in the United States, was purchased by Swingline Inc. in 1959 and is now a part of ACCO brands who boldly state that Wilson Jones was the inventor of the 3 ring binder, though evidence indicates its origin predates this. The “Hummer” was one of their original and storied punches.
I’m unsure of the date of manufacture of my punch, though it was made in their Chicago, IL plant.
With the grey enamel and shiny chrome, I’m thinking this 4 pound 13 ounce punch will match nicely with my 1949 Henry Dreyfuss-designed Royal Quiet De Luxe typewriter.
To help this machine along to recovery, I did use a similar 1958 Royal FPP with the cameo pink smooth colorway which may end up being a parts machine due to a broken portion of frame and what I’m suspecting to be some serious escapement issues. I pulled off a few pieces including the colored body panels, some e-clips, a few springs, and the carriage return assembly which was in better condition on the donor machine.
After a day and a half of clean up work, a light oiling, and some fine tuning adjustments, this can now enter my regular rotation of restored machines. Since I’ve got a few Royal platens and this one’s is too hard, I’m planning on sending it out for recovery. The rubber gaskets and feet are in excellent condition, so I don’t need to swap them out.
The internal felt was desiccated and crumbling to dust, so I’ve removed it completely. I’m considering whether or not I should replace it with some felt.
I’ve got two other Royal FPs including two in elite, one of which has a Clarion double gothic typeface. This one is obviously in pica and I’ve temporarily spooled it up with some pink ribbon. Given that I’ve got about fifteen standard machines now, I may be rehoming a few of the restored machines soon. While this one is solid, the fact that it’s pica and my favorites tend to be elite may mean this is one of them…
What data do you keep on them?
How big was your collection before you decided you needed to do something?
Black cast iron and metal
For the sake of clarity, I’ll be addressing the majority of the typewriter sales in the secondary market which are broadly the most common typewriters made for the commercial market after about 1925. Most of these were manufactured in the realm of hundreds of thousands to several millions each and are thus decidedly not rare.
Within this market, the savvy consumer knows that the condition of the machine is generally the biggest driver of the sales price. Sadly the majority of machines you see for sale are in poor to absolutely dreadful condition, but are priced as if they are cleaned, oiled, and well-adjusted right out of a professional typewriter shop. If you watch patiently, you’ll notice these so-called “rare” machines never sell. If you’re buying, you should ask yourself the following: Is the exterior of the machine in good cosmetic condition with clear and intact decals? Is the interior clean and free from excess dust, oil and other residue which can affect performance? Does the machine function as well as one could expect or almost as good as if it just came off the factory floor? Is the type properly aligned on the page? Does it make clear, bright imprints for all characters? Do all the buttons, levers, and adjustment points work as expected? Does the escapement work across the length of the platen? Will paper feed through properly? Are the rollers round, even, and grippy? Does it have its original metal spools? Does it have new or even usable ribbon? All of these cosmetic and functional factors effect the ultimate sales prices in the market.
The truth is that the vast majority of typewriters on the broad online marketplace don’t fit many of these criteria. Most are barely capable of any of these. A large number are dusty “barn” machines that have been sitting around for decades and barely befitting the name typewriter. Far too many have “sticky” keys or other mechanical problems. Many have broken or disconnected drawbands. Others suffer from a broad array of other repairable and even non-repairable maladies.
Having purchased around 50+ machines from a variety of online shops and thrift stores for $9-150, I have never gotten what one might call a “perfect machine” as one would expect recently serviced from a professional typewriter repair shop. Only a handful required an adjustment or two and a solid cleaning and new ribbon to be close to perfect.
I’ve recently been to a handful of type-ins now, and I can attest that most people who have their own typewriters are amateurs who at best have dusted off the exterior of their machines and are charitably limping (a base level of typing) along as best as they can with what they have. While this is certainly fine and potentially acceptable to some, it’s definitely not the lush level of a well-adjusted machine. If you want to be a good steward of your typewriter and plan on using it extensively or even professionally as an author, it is definitely worth the time and attention to have at least one solid machine in your arsenal. If you have the funds, definitely replace the rubber feet and re-cover the platen on at least one machine to enjoy pure typewriting nirvana.
One will regularly see posts of unknowledgeable sellers who insist they “know what they’ve got” offering dirty and disgusting typewriters for $500 or dramatically more. Most of the typewriter collecting community see these typewriters for sale and have a good laugh knowing that the seller is comparing their machine to an immaculate version of their typewriter that has been lovingly restored.
As a thought experiment based on several years of collecting and restoring/repairing typewriters, I decided it might be useful to create a ballpark representative graph of what the typewriter cost space looks like to have and use a great functioning typewriter. To do this I’m going to look at the raw base costs of what it takes to have a professionally adjusted and cleaned typewriter serviced by three different personas in the space. I’ll look at the seasoned professional with 9 months to many years on the job in a typewriter shop, the avid typewriter collector with between 15 and 50 or more typewriters in their collection the majority of which they’ve self-serviced, and the beginner to novice typist who is potentially buying their first, second or maybe third typewriter and who may likely never go beyond that number.
The primary variables we’ll be looking at will be time, experience, and general costs. We’ll also look at tools and their availability, the cost of the machine itself, replacement parts, and the cost per hour of labor. I’ll be ignoring the cost of storage space and other miscellaneous overhead costs of actually running a business which a repair shop might require, but that an amateur is only tangentially responsible for by using space in their home. We’ll try to keep as many of the variables constant across the spectrum for a reasonably useful comparison of cost and time for these personas.
The availability and cost of various tools will be a factor and vary dramatically across the three categories. If the beginner doesn’t already have them, they’ll want at least a minimum of a couple of screwdrivers, an adjustable wrench, some canned air, a toothbrush, and some mineral spirits for about $100. A collector will have all of these as well as a dedicated air compressor, a full set of screwdrivers, wrenches, and several basic pliers, a variety of brushes (nylon, brass, and steel), some oilers, spring (push and pull) tools, and possibly even more for an investment of $300 or more. Finally the pro will have all of the above in addition to a wide variety of specialty tools for less common repair and adjustment needs. Many of these are not easily accessible and many are no longer manufactured. This will include a wide variety of custom pliers, benders, and potentially even a dunk tank for cleaning typewriters. This equipment will often require an investment of one or several thousands of dollars. Because this larger investment is depreciated out over the span of years and used on hundreds of machines, I’ll set the tool price per typewriter for the professional at $5, the collector at $20 and $90 for the beginner.
Next is the actual cost of the physical typewriter itself. Whether it’s a Smith-Corona Corsair from the late 60s, a Smith-Corona Silent from the 50s, a 1930s Royal P, or an Olympia SM3 from the 50s, even a dirty, disused, old typewriter is going to cost something. I’ll consider what we’re buying as a baseline run-of-the-mill machine of the type you’ll find at almost any thrift store that is in desperate need of a cleaning and which may have a few sticky keys, has it’s fair share of eraser shavings and cobwebs inside, needs a couple of small adjustments and perhaps one repair or replacement part that doesn’t include replacing rubber feet or a platen. As most beginners don’t know the market well, they’re highly likely to pay in the $50-150 range for such a machine while the savvier collector will end up in the $20-75 range. The pro shop will quite often acquire their machines as donations or bulk pick ups for $5-20 each and the cost of gas to get them depending on what sorts of makes and models we’re looking at. As an anecdotal bit of data, one professional restorer recently told me he wouldn’t go over about $60 to buy a garden variety Olympia SM3 which most collectors would probably be on the hook for about $120.
Pro shops are often much better off than the other two categories as they often have a dozen or more parts machines which they cannibalize to repair machines. They may also have custom suppliers of screws and springs which dramatically reduce the cost of researching and buying from places like McMaster-Carr, Fastenal, or your local hardware store. We’ll place their replacement part cost at about $5. Collectors may have parts machines, but are also likely to have friends, acquaintances or sources parting out machines inexpensively for around $15. The beginner will struggle to find repair parts and would potentially pay in the range of $40 for the same pieces.
Professional repair rates in the United States are currently in the $40-75 per hour range, but for our back-of-the-envelope calculation, let’s stay with the more conservative $40/hour rate. The collector doesn’t have the same level of knowledge as a pro, but isn’t dreadful and knows where to look for what they need, so we’ll give them a $30/hour rate for work. Finally we’ll pay the wholly inexperienced novice the United States minimum wage of $20/hour. This is sure to save them a lot of money compared to the pro, but it’s also going to take the novice a huge amount of research work and tinkering to come close to the proficiency of the pro, so perforce, it will take them far longer to come to having a machine as nice at the end of the process. I would expect the experienced collector to slowly come close to the level of quality turned out by the professional, but this is going to exist on a scale based on level of experience.
Professional | Collector | Amateur |
Reticent amateur
|
|
typewriter | $30.00 | $90.00 | $120.00 | $120.00 |
tool cost | $5.00 | $20.00 | $90.00 | $90.00 |
cleaning time | $320.00 | $480.00 | $2,240.00 | $3,360.00 |
repair parts | $5.00 | $15.00 | $40.00 | $40.00 |
totals | $360.00 | $605.00 | $2,490.00 | $3,610.00 |
As a result of the ballpark numbers above, I’m going to graph a few points for the various levels admitting that there is generally going to be some variance around the values. This variance increases as we move from the professional level (small variance) to the collector and then onto the novice (a much larger variance). Because the experience and ability of the beginner is so large, I’m going to plot two points for them to emphasize this variability. We can now take some of our rough numbers and plot the cost values against the amount of time it would likely take each of these levels to put out a single, clean, repaired and reasonably well-adjusted typewriter, keeping in mind that the level of the beginner will almost always lag behind the capabilities of the advanced collector or pro.
A professional shop with only one trained repair person will likely repair, clean, oil, and adjust a single machine in about 5-8 hours while the collector can likely do the same in about two days of full time work on average. The beginner, presuming they are mildly mechanically inclined and willing to try will take two to three weeks of full time work to pull off the same level of quality. This generally presumes the typewriter is not in horrible shape to begin with and doesn’t have complicated issues like subtle escapement problems.
This graph, while it has some obvious variability given some very conservative numbers, will give the beginner at least some idea of not only the time, but the cost associated with buying and self-repairing/restoring a typewriter to the level that a professional shop would. Here I should say that we’re explicitly not including the costs of any new rubber feet, rollers, or a recovered platen which would potentially add a couple of hundred dollars to the overall base-level costs. Despite the availability of online advice and fora, the beginner often isn’t aware of the hidden costs of tools, materials, time, knowledge and effort involved to bring their machine close to its original condition. Typically they’re usually looking for the bare minimum to get a machine working and not to get it working to its peak capabilities the way a professional shop would.
If you’re a professional writer interested in getting straight to work on a professional level machine, it’s incredibly easy to see from this chart that you shouldn’t waste the time, effort, or expense of trying to buy a $20 typewriter (or worse, overspending on a $300 dirty typewriter) to clean up for yourself and your daily work. It’s a definite no-brainer to check out your local shop and buy a machine for $400-600. It’s even a no-brainer if you have to drive several hours to a distant shop to do the same. You could probably even fly and come out ahead. There is certainly a similar calculus if you’re a first time buyer in the market for a gift for a significant other or even a young child’s birthday or holiday present. Is it worth the supposed “savings” to buy a cheap machine and then spend the time and energy to bring it back to life? You definitely don’t want a gifted machine in poor shape to become someone else’s white elephant when they realize it needs some serious repair or cleaning work. Worse might be to spend a few hundred dollars on a machine in mediocre condition and then need to spend another $500-$750 on it at a repair shop to get it into the same condition you could have just paid for $500 upfront.
Further, you’ll notice that professional typewriter shops are not making a huge profit margin for their time and experience, even at the comparatively much higher levels of paid labor. (Remember we also didn’t factor in any overhead, retirement funds, health care, insurance, regulatory compliance, etc.)
Now the question becomes a bit harder to answer if you’re an inveterate tinkerer who wants to have a typewriter or twenty. If you’ve already got a nice toolchest and some garage space, perhaps the cost of doing your own machines is worth the trouble? Do you have the mechanical chops to begin with? Do you enjoy the research and digging required to puzzle out the repairs and adjustments of your new-to-you typewriter? Is it worth the hobby time as an “investment” in yourself and your mental health? Would you be acquiring lots of machines? Or do you just want three? What level of repair work are you willing to add to the mix of your sort of typewriter collection? How sustainable is that level over time and across the number of machines?
Obviously the more machines you collect and repair, the more valuable it becomes to invest in the knowledge, manuals, tools, and materials to do the work. Once you’re into it at the level of 50 machines with the majority of them in solid repair status, you’re beginning to hit the levels of a professional repair person. This also presumes that as you’re progressing, you’re also spending the time and effort to collect (buy) the uncommon tools of the trade as well as repair manuals to be able to more efficiently do your work. If the fun of repair becomes drudgery and “work”, then perhaps it’s time to invest into your local repair shop’s future? Doing this can help ensure the ensuing generations can still appreciate and use these machines.
If you’re both a collector and an active writer, are you properly balancing your priorities of writing and tinkering? Is the tinkering beginning to stand in the way of your productivity as a writer? Are you using the excuse of perfecting small adjustments on your typewriter to actively miss your deadlines?
What about the more expensive Hermes 3000s and Olympia SM3s of the world? In the realm of dirty, used typewriters there are some shining pricing exceptions that will provide even more exceptional value. For the past year or so the popularity and reputation of the Hermes 3000 and the Olympia SM3 have put their prices much higher than a lot of the rest of the market. As a result, an un-serviced Hermes 3000 can start at $250 and the Olympia SM3 can start at $120 even for the experienced collector. (Yes, you can get lucky and find these at garage sales, but that takes additional time and effort which isn’t included in our cost evaluation chart.) Despite this premium, professional shops are still selling these cleaned, oiled, and adjusted in the range of $500-550. This makes them exceptionally great values from repair shops for budding authors and professional writers. It also makes them larger risks for beginners who may need to spend even more attempting to clean and repair them if they’ve got significant damage.
At the end of the day, there’s a huge gulf between the experience of typing on the dirty typewriter from Joe’s grandmother’s attic that you (over) paid $200 for and the clean-as-a-whistle well-adjusted typewriter that you smartly acquired from an experienced vintage typewriter repair shop for around $500. If you’re buying a machine for regular writing use, you’ll know and appreciate the difference. Of course if you just need something as a bit of decor, then do what you will and go on about life, but at least you’ll have a bit of an idea of what you’re missing out on. If you choose not to miss out, you’ll have a much better idea of what sort of work you might be in for and what the trade-offs are to get the sort of machine you’d like to ultimately have.
What are you doing to celebrate? I’m writing about the typewriter market to help out beginning collectors.
Serial number: FPS-16-7133632
Sandstone (yellow) panels on a gray frame with cream colored plastic keys and platen knobs
Clarion (Double) Gothic typeface in elite (12CPI), 6 lines/inch; US keyboard with 43 keys/86 characters
Manufactured in U.S.A.
It doesn’t have a “1” key and the traditional use of the lower case “L” as a substitute fails. Here one has to use the uppercase “I” to make a 1 to match the rest of the numerals.
Aaron Therol of Typewriter Connection brought along a signed Voss from Tom Hanks’ collection which included a sturdy green canvas typewriter cover with leather edge trim and an embossed leather Playtone logo. The cover included small, strong magnets sewn into the front and back edges which allow it to be physically attached to the front and rear of a typewriter’s metal body to keep the dust out while it’s sitting on a shelf in an open room and out of its case.
The cover was customized to the dimensions of the typewriter to cover from the front “chin” of the typewriter to the bottom of the back bottom edge. The color of the cover, trim, and materials can obviously be customized to the room and display shelving to highlight one’s collection and the decor of the room. In the case of this particular example the dark hunter green pairs well with the light metallic green of the Voss’s body and the dark colored keys.
With such a well-designed cover, one can then take the typewriter down off the shelf and place it on a typing surface and then the cover could double as a typing pad to dampen the sound as well as potentially preventing it from walking across one’s desk while being used. Given the weight of the piece, I would expect a piece of internal felt was (or could potentially be) sewn into it.
I look forward to seeing what the rest of the typosphere does with this clever method.
One of the biggest of the very few companies still manufacturing typewriters in the new millennium is the Shanghai Weilv Mechanism Company. Sadly, for the hobbyist space looking to get into typewriters, while these are easy to find online, they are notorious for dreadful quality control, lots of plastic, and poor type alignment. As a result, they make a terrible investment compared to the far more robust vintage and antique typewriters which were manufactured from the late 1800s into the 1980s.
If you know nothing about typewriters, but are looking to purchase one (either for occasional/regular typing or even as a display piece), I couldn’t recommend them given the fact that there are so many far better machines in the secondary market which are more robust and will last for centuries compared to these poor, plastic machines.
Prior to purchase, you should be aware that many reputable typewriter repair shops will often refuse to work on or repair them, and most probably wouldn’t even accept them as donations to be parts machines. Most collectors and typewriter enthusiasts I’ve encountered will almost universally recommend against purchasing these.
Will Davis has determined that they’re based on the Olympia Carina design.
Shanghai Weilv Mechanism Company has licensed the names of some older manufacturers and are making typewriters variously rebadged and sold under the following names:
Generally, the internals of all these machines are identical with the biggest differences being the external shell styling and the colors in which they’re offered. Typically they sell in the range of $200-300 and given the ubiquity of the number $259, I would guess this is the manufacturer’s suggested retail price.
In case you don’t want to trust my individual opinion recommending against these, you might appreciate some specific reviews from others:
Dr. Richard Polt, long time typewriter collector, former editor of ETCetera, the Journal of the Typewriter Collector’s Association, maintainer of The Classic Typewriter Page, and author of The Typewriter Revolution (Countryman Press, 2015): Typewriter review: Royal Epoch
Lucas Dul, a typewriter repairman from Typewriter Chicago, reviewed a 2023 Rover:
I’ve also collected some links which talk about some of the models:
Hopefully some of the data here has helped your decision for a well-informed purchase. You might notice that in online reviews, most of the people who purchase these machines and give them high marks seem to value them as decor and for their aesthetic. While this may be great, you could still get older vintage machines in a broader variety of looks for a fraction of the price.
Naturally, some will still want to buy one or more of these machines anyway. If you must do it, I would recommend that you can find gently used versions of these machines, often in their original boxes, at auction sites like ShopGoodwill.com for $5-15 several times a week.