Also, I really enjoy fiddling with them and learning how they work. I like learning how to clean and do what repairs I can figure out. Some repairs are beyond me, but I enjoy learning what I can.

09Underwood wrote:

It's kind of hard to believe anyone with 20 or so typewriters uses them all... As I said I was not passing any judgement 

I'm sure you're not, but implying you don't believe someone when they explicitly say all their machines get used is liable to be interpreted negatively.

Getting back to the question, for me it's Royals. Not from any kind of design, it just worked out that way. I have more Royal Model Ps (four) than anything else, because they're so irresistibly pretty. I also have two Royal Quiet Deluxes, the second of which I like much better so the first is probably up for giveaway. Also I've been trying to settle on a standard machine, and the first one I came across was a Royal KMM, but when my recently acquired Smith-Corona Super Speed comes back from the shop the battle will be on.

As far as Smith-Coronas/Coronas go, I have a Corona Comet De Luxe, a Smith-Corona Silent-Super, and the aforementioned Super Speed. I had a Sterling but didn't care for it so I gave it away. Also I have another that I keep just for the math symbols, but I admit that I seldom need to type square roots.

My collection is rounded out by 2 Olympias (SM3 and SM7), a Hermes Baby, an Olivetti Lettera 32, and an Underwood-Olivetti Studio 44 that is also at the shop right now.

Jeez I wish I had a Royal P...

Just one....

I definitely buy them to use.  I rotate them and always have two on my desk and the rest, out of their cases, in the other room.  if they are in their cases, I find I don't use them as much.  out of sight, out of mind. 

Being a student with limited storage space and funds, I make it my rule not to own more than one typewriter of the same make at any time, as you can tell from this screenshot of my typewriter table.



I always track repairs and ask sellers where they got their typewriters so I can to include as much information as possible. Hopefully this means that one day, when I'm hundreds of machines the wiser and my memory is failing me, I can still tell a detailed story of my typewriter fancying to posterity, and pass on everything I know about my collection to its beneficiary in my will.

Also, if I'm honest, and I can't remember what I ate for breakfast let alone the history each typewriter. After realising I'd sold my dear Corona 4 for nearly half what I paid for it, I vowed never to make the same mistake again.