Collezione: Collectible Typewriters

A collector's machine is judged by different rules. Condition matters more than convenience, originality matters more than performance, and what has been replaced matters as much as what has survived. Some of the machines here type beautifully. Some are better admired than used, and we will tell you which is which rather than let you find out. What we will not do is sell you a refinished machine as an original one.

What to look for

Serial number and date. Originality of paint, decals and keytops. Platen condition, which is the most commonly replaced part and the most commonly not mentioned. Whether the case is the right one. Typeface, since an unusual font can matter more to value than cosmetic condition. And a plain list of what has been replaced.

If a seller cannot tell you what they changed, assume they changed more than you would like.

What restoration means here

We restore to type, not to deceive. On a collectible machine that means the lightest intervention that makes it sound and honest: cleaning, adjustment, correct lubrication, and replacement only where a part is beyond use. Where we have refinished a machine, we say so — in the title, in the description and in conversation.

Every machine leaves with a record of what was done to it. For a collection, that record is part of the object.

Collectible Typewriters
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1 su 6