Source
r/typewriters•
6James

Looking for 2 specific typewriters. Any advice?

I must be living in some typewriter deadspot because day after day I see people posting about amazing typewriters they got for great deals, but where I am I hardly ever see any for sale, either in shops or online, and when I do they're usually priced much higher than the ones I see in this sub.

I currently have two typewriters at the top of my wishlist: an Oliver, more or less any model from 3 on, although I prefer the green finish, and a Remington Portable No. 2, 5, or Victor T. I'm only interested in typewriters I can use, so I'd like them to be in decent condition, but also I don't have an unlimited budget. I had a pretty bad experience buying one of my typewriters on eBay, although I'm not against trying again, but any suggestions of where to look and how much I'd need to spend?

Posted Jan 1, 2016, 12:10 AM UTC

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ahelper•

Uh, where are you located?

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lokicoyote1•

If you're in the US, you could try contacting Mesa Typewriter Exchange in the Phoenix area or Cambridge Typewriter in the Boston area. There's one on Etsy that needs a cleaning and is inaccurately described: https://www.etsy.com/listing/254886643/gorgeous-antique-remington-typewriter?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=remington%20typewriter&ref=sr_gallery_1

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lokicoyote1•

As ahelper suggests, location is pretty important. Also, looking for typewriters in decent condition and listing the Oliver and the Remington 2 on a moderate budget is difficult. If you are talking in the hundreds of dollars, maybe. Typewriters you can use that are "cheap" are possible to find, but may not fit with your aesthetic. I picked up an Adler J5 at a thrift store for $5 that worked out of the case. Smith Corona Super Silent for $40. Royal Aristocrat, same thing. They all worked fine. I go to thrift stores and look on craigslst, but I sort of avoid Goodwill, since they're rerouting anything that looks retro to an online site. Local independent thrift stores for me.

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6JamesOP•

Yes, sorry, I guess that wasn't too clear. I meant online and a budget of maybe $200-$300. I've basically exhausted the possibilities in-store (vintage and thrift stores) and on Craigslist where I live, where everything is very overpriced.

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