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15-3-2016 22:39:35  #1


Allow Me to Introduce Myself

I apologize for this belated introduction.  I am not sure of just how to get those lovely things on the left hand side of the comments some of you have.  I also thought a lot of it makes the boxes unnecessarily larger than they need to be, so I refrained from it, possibly a little too much.  Maybe someone may help me with that.  But for now, allow me to introduce myself:  I am the one who uses the name TypewriterKing.  My real name is John Tapp.  I live in Waco, Texas, United States of America (please, no wisecracks about David Koresh).  I have lived here for about 42 of my nearly 48 years.  I am single with no children, but have a lovely girlfriend who has made a very big difference in my life every since my mother died 13 years ago.  My dad died when I was 2 years old, so I didn't remember him.  But losing the only parent you ever remember having is tough.  Took me a whole year to find out who I was again.  And the GUILT!!  What could I have done that would have helped her live longer more comfortably?!!  I got into typewriters because my mother used to do a lot of typing, and being my only parent, she was the one I wanted to emulate.  I took it a step further and got into repair.  Mind you, it wouldn't earn me a six-figure salary exactly, but it was something that took my mind off the miserable reality that I was a square peg trying to fit in the round hole known as life.  It was, and to an extent, still is, an opium I take to blot out of my mind that I am still an overweight, underachieving, blue-collar mess whose string of bad decisions have all but undone me.  But I can at least say that I do not smoke, I do not drink, I've never been in jail nor have I ever been in trouble with the law except when they've pinched me for not having my car inspected on time. Typewriters, on the other hand, are what I know and one of the few things I can be proud about--even if most people around me say, "So the h*** what?!!"  But, as was pointed out to me, my region gives me access to mostly American-made typewriters.  Machines like Underwood, Royal, Remington, Smith-Corona I know like the back of my hand.  The foreign (to the United States) typewriters, I am not as accustomed to, but I can usually figure them out once I get inside.  Computers, I know even less about.  I am to the computer world worse than what Paddington Bear (you know, the movie) was to London.  So if any of you out there get the idea that I'm this know-it-all showoff who has nothing better to do than to tell others how to fix their machines, just remember:  I am not all-knowing--even about typewriters.  Believe me, I have left A LOT of wreckage in my wake to know what I know, and there are still things I DON'T know.  I just get excited to finally getting an audience who just might be interested in what I have to say.  And as for responding to two-year or older posts, there is always someone who reads these who has had a similar problem (certain problems in typewriters can be quite common), and I am just leaving additional reading material on how I would fix that problem, whether the original poster has gone their merry way or not.  So there you have it:  Here I am.  Common as dirt.  Hasn't made too much of a splash in the world.  My house has a sign on the front that reads, "Don't Laugh--It's Paid For."  The car I drive has well over 100,000 miles on it and is nearly ten years old, and it's the only one I own.  And it's a Ford.  But in the world, my world, I am the Typewriter King of Waco, Texas.  Just about every typewriter that's gone through this hamlet has at least once been owned or repaired by me.  I got into it just about the time they were chucking the things out of office windows for $4.00 and $5.00 apiece for GOOD ones.  It was once a cheap hobby.  I have repaired thousands over 35+ years.  I have owned ones I wish I still had.  I have also broken many I wish I could have fixed.  But it's been a huge part of my world, and, like my girlfriend whom I met at the very tender age of 34 and 1/2 years, have helped me keep most of my sanity.


Underwood--Speeds the World's Bidness
 

16-3-2016 05:24:06  #2


Re: Allow Me to Introduce Myself

Hi John.  I enjoyed reading your introduction.  Welcome to the board and I hope you keep posting.  I think you have valuable information and experience that the rest of us can benefit from.

-Leigh (Spazmelda)

 

16-3-2016 05:36:50  #3


Re: Allow Me to Introduce Myself

Well, you can write well.  Must be all those years hanging around typewriters.
Texas holds some fascination for me (never having been there) - and I think Austin will remain on my travel wish-list for some time.  Waco, I know nothing about, however - is it worth the visit?
Anyway, a belated Hello and Welcome!


Sincerely,
beak.
 
 

16-3-2016 09:18:28  #4


Re: Allow Me to Introduce Myself

Welcome to the forum, John. Glad to have your experience here.


Bangin' around, this dirty old town, typin' for nickels and dimes...
 

16-3-2016 11:27:25  #5


Re: Allow Me to Introduce Myself

Welcome John! 


Smith Premier typewriters are cool!
 

16-3-2016 17:00:12  #6


Re: Allow Me to Introduce Myself

Thank you for the warm welcome, everyone!!!  I look forward to reading everything everyone has written, seeing all the pictures of all your neat and different machines, and contributing my bit whenever I can.  And when I get the wherewithal, I plan to post some pictures of my "babies."  I'm new to this computer thing, since I've spent so many years in my foxhole repairing my typewriters.  But, as I've mastered my lovelies, I will soon master what I need of the computer.  After all, this is the ultimate communication device of our time, whatever form it takes--from palm-size to military mainframe.  But there is one computer they have yet to come close to, and it's been around as long as we have:  Our brains.


Underwood--Speeds the World's Bidness
     Thread Starter
 

16-3-2016 21:09:47  #7


Re: Allow Me to Introduce Myself

I'm glad you've decided to stay. We of the internet typewriting community could always use someone with experience under their belt!

And I'd love to see some of the pictures of the typewriters you have painted over. Seems like most people just take some spray paint, an go over it once. Be great to see how it looks like when someone actually knows what they're doing!


A high schooler with a lot of typewriters. That's pretty much about it.
 

17-3-2016 11:53:53  #8


Re: Allow Me to Introduce Myself

Thank you for staying, Typewriter King! I look forward to seeing your posts and learning more from them.


Smith Premier typewriters are cool!
 

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