Hahahahaha....

I'd love to get half that amount for a Lettera 25!

And it's incredible how many photos of typewriters in ads that I've seen over the years that feature a clump of jammed typebars. Instant fail in my books. 

I see listings like this in ebay all the time.  Laugh everytime.

Oh dear.  That IS embarrassing.  Those typewriters are so expensive.  I found that site when I was first looking to get a manual, and I was terrified that I was going to have to pay $500- $700 for a nice typewriter.

Last edited by Spazmelda (08-6-2015 05:52:53)

beak wrote:

I've looked at that site a few times and wondered if they ever sell anything at all at those prices.  I guess some people are wealthy enough not to care about how much things cost.

Definitely. I know a local vendor who has a regular customer who buys older typewriters sight unseen, for far more than they're worth. Apparently, he's a professional of some kind (dentist or lawyer) who never uses them and only buys these typewriters for display purposes.  

beak wrote:

Then I wondered more; is it actually a fair price, given that the mac hine is professionally overhauled and guarenteed?  I just don't know.

I'm not a fan of that website - for other reasons - but I think the prices are very fair. As collectors we might balk at those prices, but when you factor in the labour and time involved to properly and professionally restore a machine, you would have to be insane to sell it for any less. And when you consider the one-time buyer, a person who only wants one typewriter, is that really a lot of money for a fully functioning antique? How much do people spend on a laptop, which they regularly replace every five years or less? A $700 typewriter will last them the rest of their life, it will never be outdated, or need upgrades, and I'd venture that one day it will be worth more than what they paid for it.