i have a Lettera 35.  it's a nice little machine but it's not one of my favorites. the body style does not appeal to me for some reason.  the feel of the keys are fine although i much prefer the feel of my Hermes 3000.  as far as price, i've seen plenty selling for well below $115 even in excellent condition.  just my 2 cents. 

the good thing is that the 35 doesn't feel cheaply made. It's heavy because the body is metal and its pretty well encased.  my 35 is beige. I've been very tempted to reprint it red but it's in such excellent condition that I don't want to ruin it. So, beige it is.

What is letterfolders.com?? It looks like some kind of office goods warehouse store website. 

Easy enough to look this stuff up on the web. Royal is now Royal Consumer Information Products, and here is the only manual typewriter it lists on its website:  http://ow.ly/TaLIE

It is clearly, from the looks of it, both cheap and very nasty.

Here. off Wikipedia, is information about the relationship between Olivetti and Royal: 
'In April 1986, Olivetti, the Italian typewriter/computer manufacturer, announced plans to purchase Triumph Adler and Royal from Volkswagen. For nearly two decades Royal was a part of the Olivetti family.In September 2004, Royal became a private American company again.Now known as Royal Consumer Information Products Inc., Royal’s product line has evolved to include cash registers, shredders, PDAs/electronic organizers, postal scales, weather stations, and a wide range of original and compatible/remanufactured imaging supplies supporting today’s most popular printers, faxes, and copiers'.

The Olivetti Wikipedia page tells us definitively: 'By 1994 Olivetti stopped production of typewriters'. 

An Olivetti Lettera typewriter, however, is a wonderful machine, and they are both plentiful and affordable vintage machines. You can get one almost anywhere that looks and works like new, and it will be great. 

I can't really understand why we're even having this conversation?

Last edited by KatLondon (08-10-2015 10:22:00)

Okay, so now you've corrected me, what's the answer to olivetiger's question? 

I wasn't correcting you Kat, just pointing out that Wikipedia isn't the reliable source/final answer that many think it is. There's a widespread belief (not suggesting you're in that camp) that if you read something on the internet, it must be true. I'm an old school guy, and sometimes I find it alarming just how much misinformation the internet is responsible for.

What's the answer to his question? You mean about the quality of the machine? Even some of the worst later model typewriters produced that I've typed with were usable machine. But have to expect that you'll get what you pay for. A new $120 (recently made) typewriter obviously isn't going to be made to the same quality and standards as a machine that sold for the same amount 40 years ago. It would be unrealistic to expect it to be as good. It's an inexpensive typewriter, clearly built to a modest price point, and no doubt made to serve a supplementary rather than mainstay role whether in the home or office. The only reason to buy one would be for the fun of it. For the experience of buying a new typewriter in 2015, and how it juxtaposes with the antiques we spend most of our time talking about.