gnuyork wrote:

I just bid the highest amount I've ever bid for a typewriter today (on Ebay)  and I didn't even come close to winning. I got spanked. It was a Royal Quiet Deluxe ('57 era), so I think you're on to something with that model. I hope you can find one for a good price. I think some of the earlier ones can be had for less, even better if you find a hidden gem somewhere locally. Good luck, and welcome.

Was it glossy? If it was a glossy Quiet De Luxe, that is why. The glossy ones, by virtue of their paint, sell for a massive premium over the matte versions. They are not any better, but people love the aesthetics. On glossy QDL's, you are paying for the looks. Typing-wise, they are no better than the 50's matte models.

Hey all!  I'm David from Atlanta and currently shopping for my first vintage manual typewriter.  I've been wanting one for a few years now and I finally started spending the time to do some research and browsing.  I'm 46 years old and have used typewriters before back in high school, just not for a long time.

I haven't had any luck finding anything at local Goodwill, etc... so I think I'm going to end up having to buy something online.  It's just a question of figuring out what to get and finding a good specimen at a reasonable price.

While a small portable like a Rocket, Skyriter, or Lettera 22 sounds nice to have in a collection, I think for a first typewriter I would rather have a larger portable or even a standard sized one as I hear they are an overall better typing experience.  Some of the ones I'm curious about include:
Royal Quiet Deluxe or Aristocrat (which I think is basically a QDL without the soundproofing?)
Smith-Corona Silent/Sterling
Remington Quiet-Riter
Olivetti Studio 44 (although I'm not sure their build quality is up to the others on my list)
Hermes 3000
Some of the older Royals like the KMM, KGM, or KHM
Underwood 5 (may be out of my price range for a good one)

Anyway...  I'm open to any thoughts or advice you can give me.  I find myself attracted to older chunky curvy designs over the later rectangular stuff.  Is it a bad idea for a beginner to start out with something like a KHM or KMM?  I'm torn between thinking it will be built like a tank and easy to work on due to size vs. being too unwieldy or more likely to get damaged in shipping.

Question too about shopgoodwill.com.  How bad should I expect typewriters from there to be on arrival if it at least looks decent in the pics?  I'm happy to do some general cleanup and stuff but I won't have any expertise yet and what I don't want to happen is to have it turn into a fiasco that will sour my wife on letting me pursue this hobby.  She'd like to use my "new" typewriter for some odd tasks too like scrapbook journaling, cards, and writing down passwords, so I want to get something that will yield a positive experience and not make her think of a typewriter as an expensive 40 pound boat anchor

Hi, David!
If you're from a large metro area like Atlanta, I'd just check Atlanta Craigslist or LetGo.com to see what's in your area. That way, you can check out the machine before you buy, can negotiate on price, and don't have to worry about packing and shipping. 

Yes, welcome! And I second Frank's comments about the Studio 44 -- really well made typewriter. I just didn't care for the typing action, which is a comment shared by a number of folks here.

I would suggest you go the local Craigslist route, so you can inspect the machines yourself and save the angst of awaiting a machine that may or may not have been damaged in transit.

Any of the machines you mention would be a good choice. But definitely also look at the Olympia SM3/SM4, SM&, or SM9. These are the best portables out there, I think.

I know the SM9 is very well regarded as a typer, but it doesn't really have a vintage look to it.  Hard to have everything in one package I guess

After a brief glimpse at the letgo options, most of them look rather dingy, all have only one photo, and the descriptions are very brief or nonexistent.  I've identified two new possibles.  There's a pretty dusty looking Underwood Portable with no price listed and a Royal KMM that's actually nearby.