1 of 1- Shangas
- Speed Champion
Offline - From: Melbourne, Australia
- Registered: 17-3-2013
- Posts: 298
The Ones Which Linger and the Ones Which Got Away
Here's the thread to bemoan the machines you couldn't, or didn't buy, for any number of reasons. Why or why not? Let it all out.
I went to the local antiques center today to purchase a Royal No. 10. It was going for a good price and everything on it seemed to work. I sauntered in, and decided to have one last careful look at it, before I hocked up the cash.
That was when I spotted this...
Figured out what the problem is yet? It's a very small one. But it's very important. It's not the bale-rail rollers. I can get those re-rubbered. It's not the platen - that's perfect. It's not the feed-rollers. They're in excellent condition.
There's a missing part which makes the typewriter virtually useless as a functional machine. Spotted it?
It's missing the "I/i" type-slug, just to the right of the "L" in "ROYAL".
So I declined the chance to buy it. But the lady said she might try and fix it (she has other typewriters and spare parts). And she said she'd let me know if any others came in.
"Not Yet Published" - My History Blog
"I just sit at a typewriter and curse a bit" - Sir Pelham Grenville "P.G." Wodehouse
"The biggest obstacle to professional writing is the necessity for changing a typewriter ribbon" - Robert Benchley
- Valiant
- Touch Typist
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- From: Toronto
- Registered: 12-3-2013
- Posts: 153
Re: The Ones Which Linger and the Ones Which Got Away
Shangas wrote:
Here's the thread to bemoan the machines you couldn't, or didn't buy, for any number of reasons. Why or why not? Let it all out.
I went to the local antiques center today to purchase a Royal No. 10. It was going for a good price and everything on it seemed to work. I sauntered in, and decided to have one last careful look at it, before I hocked up the cash.
That was when I spotted this...
Figured out what the problem is yet?
I like your 'eye spy with my little eye...' post. Have to admit I didn't see the missing slug. I've missed bigger problems with typewriters in the past. Sometimes the machine casts a glamour that masks flaws, big and small. I've learned to check for a few things before I even consider the price of a machine, but suspect I'll get caught again in the future. Your story is a 'cautionery tale' -- thanks for posting it!
"Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of the typewriter."
- Shangas
- Speed Champion
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- From: Melbourne, Australia
- Registered: 17-3-2013
- Posts: 298
Re: The Ones Which Linger and the Ones Which Got Away
It shows the importance of paying EXTREMELY CLOSE attention to any potential purchase.
Apart from that ONE flaw, the typewriter was functionally perfect. Bell rings, ribbon-selector, vibrator, reverser all works, the ratchet and line-spacer works, keys all function, the drawband is in excellent condition, mainspring is perfect.
If not for that ONE issue, I would've carried it off right then and there and lugged it home. But alas...
"Not Yet Published" - My History Blog
"I just sit at a typewriter and curse a bit" - Sir Pelham Grenville "P.G." Wodehouse
"The biggest obstacle to professional writing is the necessity for changing a typewriter ribbon" - Robert Benchley
- •
Thread Starter- Stevetype33
- Touch Typist
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- From: UK
- Registered: 16-3-2013
- Posts: 172
Re: The Ones Which Linger and the Ones Which Got Away
I find it surprisingly easy to overlook things, so much so that I make myself go through a mental checklist when I'm looking over a new machine. I have an odd blind-spot for spool nuts...
- Valiant
- Touch Typist
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- From: Toronto
- Registered: 12-3-2013
- Posts: 153
Re: The Ones Which Linger and the Ones Which Got Away
Here's the thread to bemoan the machines you couldn't, or didn't buy, for any number of reasons. Why or why not? Let it all out.
I went to the local antiques center today to purchase a Royal No. 10. It was going for a good price and everything on it seemed to work. I sauntered in, and decided to have one last careful look at it, before I hocked up the cash.
BTW you didn't tell us how much the machine was being sold for... missing slug and all.
"Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of the typewriter."
- Shangas
- Speed Champion
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- From: Melbourne, Australia
- Registered: 17-3-2013
- Posts: 298
Re: The Ones Which Linger and the Ones Which Got Away
I do apologise!
The Royal that you see in the photograph there, missing slug and all, was going for $150 Australian dollars.
I've seen typewriters of the same vintage in worse conditions, going for two or three times as much. So IF it was complete, that would've been a pretty decent buy.
"Not Yet Published" - My History Blog
"I just sit at a typewriter and curse a bit" - Sir Pelham Grenville "P.G." Wodehouse
"The biggest obstacle to professional writing is the necessity for changing a typewriter ribbon" - Robert Benchley
- •
Thread Starter- Shangas
- Speed Champion
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- From: Melbourne, Australia
- Registered: 17-3-2013
- Posts: 298
Re: The Ones Which Linger and the Ones Which Got Away
I went back to the same antiques shop today to see the new typewriters which came in. Here's another one, which unfortunately is too expensive for me, considering the work that needs to be done on it.
What we have here is a Remington 11 Standard, with the accounting-keys add-on, underneath the spacebar, in pounds, shillings and pence. It's going for $220.00, requiring some refurbishment (mostly new rubber): 
As you can see, this is a MONSTER of a machine. It weighs about 40 or 50 pounds, I reckon.
"Not Yet Published" - My History Blog
"I just sit at a typewriter and curse a bit" - Sir Pelham Grenville "P.G." Wodehouse
"The biggest obstacle to professional writing is the necessity for changing a typewriter ribbon" - Robert Benchley
- •
Thread Starter- TypewriterKing
- Inactive Account
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- From: DeepInTheHeartO', Texas
- Registered: 17-2-2016
- Posts: 1,011
Re: The Ones Which Linger and the Ones Which Got Away
I turned down an early 1950's Royal RP electric typewriter because the owner was selling it for more money than I had ($20.00--I had only $15). It was unusual in that it was equipped with a half-backspace, a repeat forward space (unheard of on an RP), and the print was unusual for a Royal. The 6 slug was loose, though. I went back to the flea market (swap meet to some), he and the typewriter were gone. That was my chance. It happened that a couple of weeks later, my typewriter friend, Bob, had a 1957 Royal RE electric--about five years younger than the RP. It had the repeat forward spacer as was standard on those machines. But it also had the half-backspace AND the unusual print I found on the other typewriter was also on this one!! Woohoo!!! And best yet, the 6 typebar was still tight. I still own this typewriter--it's one of the very best electrics I have, and I will send a picture very soon.
Underwood--Speeds the World's Bidness
