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There are half-a-dozen Brother models that look nearly identical to the one in that Craigslist ad. And I'd never pay to have a Brother shipped. If you check Kijiji ads in your area (and Craigslist in Detroit) regularly and one will turn up. Also worth a look are all the local donation stores such as Goodwill and Salvation Army.
These are all Brother models (private label versions). I have many more - some in blue - but you get the idea why it's important to remember a few of the details about the one you used to own if you want to buy the exact same model again.
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Uwe wrote:
I just looked at my Universal from that period. Do you recall if the one you learned on had the green control keys, or black ones as in your photo?
The keys were all black. Those green keys looked 'wrong' to me when I first saw them on a Universal of this vintage. I seem to recall (ok, that means my memory is foggy on this) the paint was black vs grey, but I've seen photos of different examples now in several shades of grey (apparently) so it may have been a dark shade vs black. Does that help determine its year of manufacture, I wonder?
Last edited by Valiant (18-9-2015 19:05:40)
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Hey Uwe
I am trying to remember the necessary details of what was my first typewriter.
It was well over 40+ years ago.
This is why I have been looking at so many websites attrmpting to narrow it down. At first I wasn't ever certain that it was a Brother but by the process of elimination we have narrowed it down to a certainly.
The case match has also helped a lot. The colouring and size are correct. And now from looking at your Webster 500 I do remember the red tab key.
Were getting there.
I think the Webster may be it. At least it's closer than anything else that I have seen.
Thanks, Wayne
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beautiful typewriter! i only have Hermes and Olympias right now but i'd love to own an Underwood someday.
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Thanks Typewriterlv
Keep looking. You'll find one soon enough.
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The problem with typewriter shopping in Los Angeles is that the prices are astronomical. Too many hipsters are driving the prices up. I live near the movie studios too so their prop departments must be getting to the typewriters before I ever do.
People always talk about finding machines for next to nothing at thrift stores but that is not the case around here. EVER. There are virtually no machines to be found at thrift stores and the machines at "antique malls" are outrageously overpriced for the tourists and hipsters. Even Craigslist is overpriced and all you ever see are the same overpriced machines being listed week after week, month after month. <sigh>. I guess I'm resigned to living vicariously through you guys.
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Hey, typewriterlv, I'm in a similar boat - not only am I in London, I'm in Hipster Central. That answer really is to watch eBay like a hawk - do searches that will catch the interesting machines, and also tje poorly listed ones. I've had some great bargains.
But also, you've got 'only' Olympia & Hermes typewriters! So you've started with the best. Hard to know where you'll go from there... ;)
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Also. Is it just me, or has tbis thread distracted us all from Valiant's infant screenplay??
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I'm lucky to have started with a few good machines but the unicorn I'm chasing now is a Smith-Corona Silent Super with the upright cursive font. Just about impossible to find around here. There was one listed a couple of months ago on Craigslist 1/2 way accross the country. I caught the listing too late. That typeface appears on a few other brands but I like the look of the SC. Thanks for the tip on EBay. I troll it on a daily basis already but I only wish that more sellers, if they don't say that it's script, would at least post a pic of the slugs so I can see for myself.
Last edited by Typewriterlv (26-9-2015 16:35:03)
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KatLondon wrote:
has tbis thread distracted us all from Valiant's infant screenplay??
If anything, it's veered well off-topic from theoldman's Underwood Champion. I recently had a chance to read a couple of pages from Valiant's screenplay and he may have missed his calling by not becoming a writer. I vaguely remember anything that I wrote when I was that age, but I'm sure it wasn't near the standard that Valiant was working at.