Advice sought on this one. I understand they're well regarded, but it's a manufacturer I have very little 'market intel' to go on - does £30 ($40) seem reasonable?

Consul 15xx
[img]Consul by Frank Judge, on Flickr[/img]

Thanks Mark, I'm glad you think so - particularly as I pulled the trigger within all of five minutes from posting. It is a pretty thing, isn't it? First one I've seen in the UK, too - it's usually the Olympia-esque Consul types you see here.

I don't have a clearly defined era of interest as yet, although I do have a particular fondness for the later  Olympia models. I suppose it'll work itself out in the end, but for now, I'm just buying whatever floats my boat. Do find myself hankering for a Royal De Luxe / Quiet De Luxe, mind... There aren't too many of those over here, either.

Fleetwing wrote:

Would that you could find your way to my neck of the woods for a week or so -- you would find no shortage of Royal Quiet De Luxes. Meanwhile, I've never seen a Consul around here.

I'm sure I would, FW - I'm often looking whistfully at US Ebay listings.

There was a lovely looking restored De Luxe here last week, which went for £106. There were only two bidders until the very end, my own (pre set) high bid being £75 - if I hadn't been out getting the Blue Bird, I'm sure I would have been happy bidding a little more than it finally went for...

I have a Model 62, 72, and I think a 75 (I haven't catalogued all of my Smith-Corona standards), but I'm not familiar with a Model 76. Do you have a link to the one that's for sale? I'm curious to see what it looks like. With respect to the Secretarial models that I own, they're average typewriters at best. Competent to be sure, but I've never found anything about them to be exceptional, or even memorable for that matter. Still, in working condition they're easily worth $25.

The one strange thing I've noted about them is that I've never come across a '50s or newer Smith-Corona standard in my area that was in decent aesthetic shape. For some reason all the ones I've found (and bought) are all well worn, and sometimes well-beaten in appearance.

Were it me, I'd snap it up without hesitation because I don't have one (and don't recall having ever come across one in person yet). It also has a no-risk price, and although it won't match the performance of an SG, I'm sure that it won't disappoint.