This Erika 10 arrived from Germany today. I first encountered an Erika 10 at a friend’s house. I instantly was drawn towards its curves and lines. Once I produced some words with its keys, I was smitten. I had to have one. It has an amazingly smooth action, and it is at once sturdy and…

Every collector has to figure out where to store his or her typewriter cases and crates. Space can be limited, and so most people end up storing the cases in a closet or basement. Cases, however, can be repurposed and preserved at the same time. Stack a few vintage cases in top of one another…

I posted about this machine the other day. I was not interested, but the price was $25 and I figured I could fix it up and sell it. The draw band simply needed to be replaced. Well, there was more to it. The spring coil drum was out of alignment in ways I could not…

Today I walked into the antique mall for my weekly dose of stress relief. I was searching for an old license plate to use as a paper tray for my Olympia SG1. At this point I have a reputation there: “It’s the typewriter guy!” and, ” How are you, Mr. Typewriter?” All typewriter collectors understand…

I picked up this 1948 Royal KMM for $25 at a thrift store some time ago. It was in tough shape. Very dirty. I removed the platen to clean under it. I had to reshape some parts so that the paper would feed smoothly. In the end, and in spite of some small rust underneath,…

As all collectors understand, it is sometimes necessary to let machines go as one’s collection expands and takes on definition. My collection splits into two categories: 1) pre-1940s machines that I occasionally type on but always gawk at, and 2) 1950s to 1960s machines that can withstand heavy writing. I don’t have a lot of…

A friend of mine sent me a replacement cover for this SG1. (It arrived today.) I picked up the typewriter–dirty, sticky, and coverless–for $20.00 from a local antique dealer two weeks ago. I figured no one would buy it without a cover. Now it’s clean and complete. These machines sell for good money. Should I…

(This is for personal use. I wanted to place the chapters in one post. The chapters were written out of order.)