True to a point. I suppose what's helped me is vetting the sources.  I believe Polt's website is an immense help in that he has some of the Ame's repair literature online.   I am also seeing that repair manuals based on factory literature are coming out.  The online community is coming into full bloom,  and getting folks to read source material will help preserve typewriters as knowledge beats shade tree any day.

SoucekFan wrote:

As far as the one simple piece of advice that is not said enough:
Do not type against a bare platen. If you test or play with a machine without paper in it, you will either dirty the platen or--if on stencil or without ribbon--possibly damage the platen. This may be obvious, but I see it done all the time, even by people who should know better.

 
Embarrassing fact: While obvious bow that you point it out, I actually did not know this... 
See--this was my point. Let us spread more learning.

M. Höhne wrote:

The Proposition: We have reached the point in typewriter collecting where more machines are ruined by inept repair than by shipping mishaps. Discuss.

 
I don't want to believe this, but my intuition is that while it could be true, I don't think it is. Facts and numbers may be hard to come by on this one, so I'll give my anicdote:

I used to work as a package loader for UPS (my sincerest apologies to anyone who's packages came out of my facility damaged) and I saw first hand what happens to these packages in shipping. And I also saw why it happens. So, with that experience, it's hard for me to think that enough people ship typewriters in safe secure ways to make the number destoyed in shipping less than the number destroyed through botched repair attempts. But I don't think that even THAT is the reason most machines are getting destroyed.

My generation has this godawful infatuation with two things that are eating perfectly good typewriters: Steam punk and do-it-yourelf crafts. So you see these canibalized machines being sold as steam punk craft and perfectly good typewriters being sold on ebay specifically to have their keys chopped. And they show pictures of a perfectly fine looking typewriter, like a cow you are picking to have butchered.

But I digress in a substantial way, breaking my own requested guidelines for sticking to facts. My appologies, again.

CoronaJoe wrote:

You're sinking the ship before it left port.  Pound the bricks, get out there and talk to folks.  I know of 3 typewriter repairman who gladly share the wealth if you're willing to do the work and above all LISTEN.  Show respect, they've paid their dues, listen to their story and the knowledge comes out.  If you're too cheap to find the books, you're too cheap. 

Listening is the best way for everything, I agree with that, but I have to say tricnomistal has a point. I´ve seen repairmen unwilling to share their knowledge because different reasons, and that doesn´t leave them in a good position either...

An extremely reasonable one is the impatience of the enthusiast. You won´t learn in a couple of weeks what´s taken years of hard work. Experience can´t be rushed, patience is the mother of science and if you miss that point you´re gonna get into trouble. There the potential learner has to take a step back and right their wrongs.

But at the same time if the master just plainly considers himself above everyone, then most probably you don´t need that kind of person teaching you. Modesty works in both directions, and there are bad students just like there are bad teachers.

Another issue is time and age, and this is a sad one. My trusted repairman Pascual has finally retired at over 80. His health is not what it used to be, and while I wish I could pester him night and day with my questions and begging for help, this wouldn´t be right. He´s earned much more than my respect, and he doesn´t need someone like me drilling him with escapement issues. My point is that sadly many true experts of the trade are getting older and older, and this will make things harder for everyone in the future, but no one can fight time.

A middle point is the defeat before the battle. Not wanting to pass on your knowledge because it won´t go anywhere, someday everything will be dust or "this guy won´t get it". Try at least, please! Anyway, I can understand that coming from someone in their 80´s...

The part I can´t agree with is that with paying your dues. Does it give anyone the right to become a diva? No, and an enormous no, I say. Respect is constantly paid and earned, you can´t just ignore someone "because I could turn an Underwood 5 inside out blindfolded when your mom and pop hadn´t even met so you are inferior". I absolutely respect knowledge, but there´s always someone keener than you. Besides, that could be a sign of having lost the whole point of learning: it never ends. Fortunately, this doesn´t happen frequently.

The good part of everything is that most people around the Typosphere are really nice and willing to share their knowledge. In the years I´ve been into this I´ve always found helpful people and far less competition than in other "collecting sectors".

I agree that keychopping and steampunk and even garden displays are claiming a lot of typewriters for no good purpose, but I restricted my proposal to repair and shipping because they are the two activities that we enthusiasts have a direct hand in. I used to be sure that shipping was the biggest threat but lately I see so many posts, in various places, not here, like: "Hey! I just got this great IBM this morning at the church sale. My first typewriter! How do I take it apart to restore it?" and "The roller wouldn't move at all so I took the [escapement] apart and now I can't get it back together right." and "It broke when I tried to...." and " ...went flying across the room and now I can't find it..."

Javi maintains that shipping remains the biggest threat. Any other analyses? This does fit in with the thread's purpose of "What do you wish people would ask about, but don't?"