Spaz, only if its a GOOD PROFFESIONAL paint job, at least from collectors. People who dont know anything about them will bid crazy prices for an even terrible paint job.

^ Im against repainting machines in non factory colors too. The USB thing is bad too! Dont they cut a hole in the side of the typewriter?

USB typewriter conversion kits don't require that you cut a hole in the side - the control panel is stuck on and you can take it and all the wiring and so forth out of the machine again when USB connections become obsolete or if you change your mind. The strip of copper connecting parts is held in place under the machine with hot glue which is removable. I converted a machine - a Remington Portable 2 and then didn't like it, (so many wires, urgh) so took it all out. The machine is fine! The paintwork did not suffer
Personally I don't have a problem with changing the colour of a typewriter unless its a fabulously rare example. The factory colours especially from the fifties were often drab and boring, and unless you are covering up a fancy decal, I don't think the essential spirit of the machine is altered. For me, the important part is the mechanics inside. I don't have a problem with hot-rodding typewriters - there are some great examples out there. Pink isn't really my thing, but as long as it's done well, it can, IMHO, improve a machine. Anything that gets people interested in getting and using a typewriter for the first time just gets the thumbs up from me. It might be that a key chopper would think twice about chopping a brightly coloured machine... maybe... (even a badly painted machine can be blasted clean again )

malole wrote:

USB typewriter conversion kits don't require that you cut a hole in the side - the control panel is stuck on and you can take it and all the wiring and so forth out of the machine again when USB connections become obsolete or if you change your mind. 

Anything that gets people interested in getting and using a typewriter for the first time just gets the thumbs up from me. It might be that a key chopper would think twice about chopping a brightly coloured machine... maybe... (even a badly painted machine can be blasted clean again )

Didn't know that about USB.  If reversable & no harm done.  Why not!

Can see your point about keeping typewriters around rather than having them end up in the recyle bin.  I'm probably cynical when it comes to key choppers though.

Don't think it would make any difference to them whether a typewriter is bright pink or dull gray.  My hunch is they'd just see it an old piece of junk.  "Salvage" the keys and make jewelry for... 

That's where it gets interesting (for me at least.)  Who is buying the jewelry?  Asked wife & teen daughter.  Both gave it the proverbial thumbs down for different reasons.

Obviously a market for it though, or they wouldn't be doing it.  Here's hoping the fad will quickly run its course.

I think all of us can agree on that one! 

best

--Brian

I see an awful lot of bashing towards people that alter their typewriters from the original condition. Frankly, who cares? If someone else wants to buy a typewriter, using their own money, and then modify/paint it as they wish, what's the problem? I guarantee you that people far into the future will have plenty of typewriters to pick from, in completely original condition, should they feel so inclined to acquire one. If you are worried about a typewriter's value, well... I shouldn't think there are many typewriters I'd ever call "valuable" at this point anyway. Probably 90%+ of typewriters are worth less than $200. If someone ruins a rare typewriter due to ignorance, well, they'll suffer the consequences when it comes time to resell. At that point, it is THEIR problem, and again... why bother caring? It's just a typewriter. There are for more important things in life to truly be concerned about.

I still find nice mechanical manual typewriters for well under $20 (sometimes under $10) even today. I even found a Smith-Premier No. 4 for $10 only a few months ago. Nearly every estate sale I go to has a one or two typewriters sitting around. Most of them aren't rare. Some of them will become jewelry. Some of them will be re-painted/modified. Some of them will be put to use. Some of them will be added to a collection and have its full originality "preserved". This is how it goes for ANY vintage collectible. 

I personally think it would be really cool to clean up an older,pre-1930 large open-frame standard machine and paint it something like fire-engine red or turquoise blue. The original black and olive green "office" colors are soooooo boring to see all the time. Thankfully Royal figured this out in the 1950s and tried to spice things up a little on their office machines. 

Everyone has their own tastes for vintage typewriters. Having a preference for "original condition" machines may be your thing. Having a preference for well executed, brightly colored "restored/repainted" machines may be some else's thing. All of them are cool. As stated above, whatever gets people interested in typewriters is a good thing. 

In all honesty, I used to be the "must be 100% original!!!" type. As time has moved on and I've explored lots of different hobbies, I have adopted a much more mellow outlook to collecting. I've dealt with stuff that, if significantly altered, would reduce the value by hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of dollars. So, this hardcore "must stay original" outlook I see here is somewhat surprising, especially when we're dealing with items that can be regularly found for under $50. I guess it all depends on perspective.

Last edited by Retro-Z (24-7-2015 01:13:31)