Surprise ! 
I am in Germany, but I have the possibility to go to France, and potentially Benelux countries as well (and a part for Dutch, languages won't be a problem). 

Thnaks for the link ! 

Actually, that were the links I already found (even if the 3rd one mentioned in Germany does not sounds as a 100 % reparator. He might more "reshape" the writer"). 
One of them is a quite close from where I am... I can give a try (or at least, a call, since students don't have cars ). 

I know it's a touchy question, but... any experiences in the German repartors ?  :-) 
Second question : I know that not knowing the shape of my typewriter is definitevely making this question barely answerable ; howerver, for a "medium" (between really light and really heavy) restauration, how much might I be expecting to pay ? (Just to have an idea. A number between 1 and 1000 :-) ?. 

Last edited by iMe (21-2-2014 13:47:28)

Just to let you know : I contacted two shops and described the "problems" I was able to detect to have an idea if 1. it's possible to do it, and 2. how much it might (really) approximately cost. 

I am still waiting for the replies :-) 

Last edited by iMe (07-3-2014 11:28:51)

It's very difficult to give an exact quote based on an emailed description, so the range of the cost they sent you isn't surprising. Neither is the cost. It's an unfortunate reality of collecting typewriters; they are very inexpensive to buy, but very expensive to have professionally repaired. You don't mind paying $200 to repair something that cost you $20,000 to buy, but paying $200 to repair a $20 item is a tough pill to swallow.

And you can't blame the repair shop. They have overhead to pay, a profit to make, and they need to be paid for their time and materials.

So how do we weigh such things? Well, if you have a very rare typewriter or it has a strong sentimental importance to you, then it is very easy to justify paying $200+ to restore it to full functionality. However, if it's a common typewriter that you just 'like', then you're better off either trying to repair it yourself - or find another one that is in better condition.

When I look over my collection I have duplicates of several models. Partly this is because I like to compare their performance, but also because I like the idea of having a spare machine that could be used for parts (in a real emergency). 

I'm curious as to what you're going to do.I think you mentioned that you have an Olympia Progress like the one I have? If so, it's not a rare machine and it shouldn't be too hard to find another one in good condition. I didn't pay very much for mine, AND it was shipped to me from Germany.