Yes, it does seem that some people have the idea that their stuff is worth a lot more than it actually is.  Having shopped at a whole bunch of flea markets, antique and junk stores, I encounter it alot.  Usually, I just wait until they come down on the price of whatever they seem so proud of.  As for this merchant selling $200 typewriters (I'll just bet neither of them even print, nor are they even anything rare, but I'm just guessing without even seeing these machines.  I'm only going by what I've run into) to teenage girls, my guess is that they are only going to use these machines for decoration on a shelf (bookends or DVD ends, maybe).  But $200!?  I guess nothing's changed--they're about as bad with their money as I ever was.

Id move on. So many people today think they are worth thousands. These people just dont understand (Not being rude, just saying) that they are what they are called. Typewriters. Especially a Royal Arrow! (Which they are pretty common). Now if its rebuilt, thats different.

ztyper wrote:

One technique that I use to talk down the price of an expensive typewriter, is to just simply out-jargon them. If you use a lot of the words that are used to describe the condition, the function, and the operation of the machine, then the seller is suddenly confused.

That worked for me with an Olympia Splendid 33, but sadly it usually goes the "Royal Arrow Route". Somehow, common typewriters which are not too old are getting a lot of hype as decorative items because they´re "retro" or "vintage". An Underwood 5 is too old, too office-like, but you can toss a little Royal Arrow into any room. Maybe someone will come and cough up the $200, and yeah, things are worth what people are willing to pay for them, but I still feel there´s something wrong with that.

Javi wrote:

 Somehow, common typewriters which are not too old are getting a lot of hype as decorative items because they´re "retro" or "vintage". An Underwood 5 is too old, too office-like, but you can toss a little Royal Arrow into any room.

...Funny you should say that because my Royal Arrow is currently being used as my living room centerpiece  (It's more of a very sneaky move on my part to store a typewriter so I have more space in my room and anyone that comes over sees it, and so therefore now knows that I collect typewriters. So it's a win-win-win!)

I also have many typewriters dancing around at home, and of course I love seeing them there, they´re beautiful pieces of engineering and a good place one brings life to your house. That´s the extremely good part of typewriters as decorative objects

But what I wanted to focus on was on the bad part, and believe me, I´m having a hard time to explain it because I can´t find the appropriate words! What I´m thinking about is like when people use books as decoration. I mean, it´s as if you buy a bookcase and you fill it with books which look good. The red ones for the upper shelf, blue ones mixed with green ones at the middle, then a couple of bookstops which could be two colourful typewriters and at the bottom some kind of 20-tome encyclopedia. And you´re never going to read any of the books, and they could even be false books for that matter (like props from a movie).

Thhat´s why think selling typewriters as decorative pieces while targeting at a high spending public who don´t even remotely care is absolutely wrong. Yes, if you´re willing to pay nobody´s going to stop you, and the same goes for the books. If you want to use them for decoration because they give your home an air of "cultchor" and "nowlech", good for you. You´re unmasked, congratulations.

This may sound be a bit too extreme, and maybe I can´t exactly tell what I´m thinking (the language barrier, sorry ), or even maybe I´m overshooting it, but it´s a bit like that thing with the crushed typewriter at the press. That, somehow, fells wrong.