Greetings Everyone, I have long-used this forum as a resource for repair as well as for learning about typewriters that I don't (yet) have.  I'd now like to say hello.   I am currently caring for approximately 30 typewriters with a nice selection from every decade from the 1920s to 1980s.  I use my typewriters to write short essays, short stories, letters, lists, and to record my dreams!  I love repairing typewriters almost as as much as I love writing with them.  I don't use Facebook, so it's very nice to have a non-Facebook alternative for all things typewriters!  My thanks to Uwe for creating and maintaining this fantastic community across so many years.

My name is George and I live in Eugene, Oregon USA. I’ve had a long journey that can be described as “to there and back again.” When I was a bit younger, sometime in the early 1960s, dad brought home a Remington 12 typewriter. I loved typing on that machine. I have no idea how many reams of paper I consumed taking notes and copying book passages for whatever my interests were at the time.  Sometime during the 70s I bought a new portable Sears typewriter and I think the folks gave the Remington away.  When I first acquired a computer in early 1980s I became enamored with the new technology and the typewriter became lost at some point. Then as I approached “retirement” I developed an interest in cursive handwriting with fountain pens.  My long time love of stationery in the form of pens, ink and paper became a bit of an obsession. Having worked in heavy construction over 50 years my hands are a bit arthritic and handwriting has gradually become more difficult. When my neighbor mentioned having a number of typewriters he had, the seed to another form of analog writing was once again sown. Sadly, living in a small city, finding usable typewriters in person is not readily possible. I spent time researching and browsing online sources and one day found a Craigslist post of someone giving away an IBM Selectric 2 machine for free and only an hours drive away. It was very sticky inside and dusty but the motor started and a key could be struck with at least a 30 second wait before it could be struck again. Perhaps I could clean it. Hah! Little did I know how complex this amazing mechanical machine was. I found a shop in Portland, OR that would clean it for a fair fee but they had at least a two month backlog. I looked at a manual Smith-Corona someone was selling but it was also sticky, dusty so I kept looking. Then I saw Craigslist posts for a number of manual machines in Canby. I decided to take the 100 mile drive and after trying a few machines I came home with a very nice green Olympia SM4. My neighbor gave me a Selectric 2 that needed a bit of TLC and he had a friend that had once been a business machine tech, now retired. That machine, while still not perfect, once started works great until shutoff.  So I now have both an electric and a portable manual and my love of typewriters is once again kindled!

Thank you Uwe. I've gathered that the typewriter is once again increasing in popularity as have fountain pens for writing tools. However there are still makers of fountain pens; not so typewriters. Plus once the typewriter technicians become more scarce, how will the knowledge be passed on? 

Hello all!  My name is Joel and I am a recent entrant to the world of typewriters.  Earlier this year I was helping my Mother clean out some stuff and we found my Dad's old typewriter.  I took it for a spin and really enjoyed using it, so I went out in search of one to call my own.  Now, I have several and am really enjoying learning about new brands and models.  There haven't been many brands/models that I flatout dislike, but I tend to gravitate towards 50s/60s models and earlyish electrics.

Besides typewriters, I really like classic movies, fountain pens, and modern boardgames. 

Hi all, I just discovered this site today whilst researching the Imperial Model 10. I live in Cambridge in the UK, and I'm a researcher/appraiser for a company which trades in antique, vintage and collectible items to raise money for charity. Typewriters aren't my main interest (vintage cameras are more my scene), but I do see a lot of them - in the last week, in addition to the Imperial, I've had a Royal Model 10, a Royal Model P, an Olympia Traveller de Luxe, a Silver-Reed Silverette and a Corona Model 3 on my appraisals desk and I can definitely see why you're all fascinated by them - so perhaps it's my destiny to become a typewriter fan!