This is my first ever post on Typewriter Day... I set it as a goal to finally contribute this year and not allow any distractions or deviations to prevent it... I almost failed again but this time, my post was only delayed to the 23rd hour!!!
To begin, i acquired a new typewriter:
It is a 1931 green Underwood Portable, works fine but previous owner used a lot of oil in it, luckily she kept it clean so no real dirt or buildup, still ill end up cleaning it.
After I picked it up, i realized i was really close to an antique mall by the beach that i had visited maybe 2 years before and saw a pretty good assortment of machines, i figured, it's typewriter day, i should definitely seek out some typers!!
Off i went:
on the way home i went to another antique mall... it was pretty big:
they had some elaborate stalls and floor demonstrations and also had 2 cars in there:
Cool way to spend T-Day! Great sightings but those prices....
ReplyDeleteNice T-Day gift for yourself, love the color.
yup - got it for a steal and i picked it up as well so got lucky and i love these underwoods
ReplyDeleteWow… that is a great selection of typewriters for an antique mall! Looks like one seller has started specializing in them. Those prices though. x.x I've avoided antique stores this year because the prices have gotten even worse than ebay.
ReplyDeleteBut there are exceptions, as your green and gold proves. :)
Agreed - antique store prices are obscene, it's as if they try to take advantage of impulse buy or people who dont want to have something shipped.
DeleteDo you do mostly craigslist? You have a lot of fine machines
Whoa! Some hefty prices there! May be the reason that they still sit on these shelves. And will probably remain there for a while yet. Though you made yourself a nice gift for the Typewriter Day - congratulations!
ReplyDeleteThanks! Seems like a good amount of us treated to a machine or two. I actually got myself another machine delivered but it'sit's going to require repair - damn ribbon vibrator is dead.
DeleteSooo many good typewriters. Brilliant! Such a shame that red Remington was so expensive. That machine is damn sexy. Great underwood score, too!
ReplyDeleteScott - that red remington was certainly the best one and now I kinda want one and am kicking myself since I remember I could have gotten one for about $70 once. I wonder why those green remingtons dont go for as much. Guess its all about the red
DeleteCongratulations on your fine Underwood, it looks great.
ReplyDeleteThose antique malls have quite a bit of nice things. Too bad they, like most antique shops, have prices way out of line with the real world. I wonder why they oil typewriters (which require very little oil and only in specific areas, and they do not oil fan motors which do require oil, and sometimes even repacking the bearings.
The girl I bought the underwood from got it 8 years ago. She said she bought it from an antique store and they told her it was civil war era hahaha.
DeleteI think she oiled it heavily but then also kept it clean so im happy. Im going to make this underwood clean as a whistle soon
I like the Robot-Ron. Shame about the price though. :)
ReplyDeleteYeah that robot was cool. I know theres a couple typospherians who absokutely love robots so I figured id get a pic or two
DeleteLove that two-tone Underwood!
ReplyDeleteWoser, that green and gold underwood is a great treat for yourself on T-Day. Honestly, though - those prices are right in line with what a cleaned/oiled/tested machine goes for in the real world of non-focused collectors. Maybe a little higher in Cali than inland, but roughly about what the market supports here.
ReplyDeleteAs collectors who are focused and knowledgable (and who haunt the non-focused markets like Shopgoodwill, thrift stores, yard sales, etc where prices are cheap still), we may see the "normal" prices as crazy-high, but rising popularity and spreading knowledge has caused the real world to stare us glaringly in the face more and more often, and that will only get more obvious as time goes on. :D
oh, and I personally see the greater emphasis on nicely displayed vintage office supply gear in antiques stores to be indicative of the greater appreciation and interest in this collecting area. They've been cleaning up the junk displays and putting out better quality merch, and they'd only do that if it was worth doing financially.
ReplyDelete