You are not logged in. Would you like to login or register?



22-6-2019 19:48:32  #1


Is paying for a restored typewriter worth it?

I’ve been looking at purchasing a Hermès 3000 and the prices online (eBay) are high. For the prices they are asking I could get a fully restored one from Gramercy Typewriters in New York. Is it worth buying a fully restored machine or gambling on eBay?

 

23-6-2019 08:53:23  #2


Re: Is paying for a restored typewriter worth it?

I wouldn't trust an ebay add, claiming to be restored. I would ask at least what is the type of restoration it has undergone, is the rubber in the platen new? are feet new? is the mechanism spotless and absolutely clean? is it all original?  there are people in internet that sell "fully restored by qualified technician" machines that are just cleaned. If you have lots of money then go to a reputable seller of refurbished typewriters, and if you have time just search and search until you find a Hermes 3000 in good condition for cheap, in internet, in thrift stores... and then have it restored if you want to spend money on it. But to be honest this model is absurdly overpriced so I wouldn't call it "gambling on eBay", I would just call it "getting scammed for a good typewriter" or "getting scammed for a bad typewriter", but in any case getting scammed, absolutely ridiculous prices! 

 

23-6-2019 20:21:01  #3


Re: Is paying for a restored typewriter worth it?

Hi Sconners

If you are looking at a typewriter on eBay that the seller claims has been professionally refurbished, reconditioned or restored, ask them to send you a picture of the invoice from the company where the typewriter was restored. There are some sellers on eBay who specialize in typewriter reconditioning, these ones will give you a full description on what has been done to the machine and will often give a couple of pages including pictures of their work shop and previous restoration jobs they have done.

Although I do my own cleaning and servicing of typewriters, I would never list one as being refurbished or restored unless I had the paperwork to back up my claim. I list  them as cleaned and serviced, or maybe reconditioned if I have had the platen re-covered by a reputable company like J.J. Short or had Dean Jones do one of his Turbo-Platen jobs on the machine. Hope this gives you some ideas with which to sork,

Sky

 


We humans go through many computers in our lives, but in their lives, typewriters go through many of us.
In that way, they’re like violins, like ancestral swords. So I use mine with honor and treat them with respect.
I try to leave them in better condition than I met them. I am not their first user, nor will I be their last.
Frederic S. Durbin. (Typewriter mania and the modern writer)
 

24-6-2019 15:32:33  #4


Re: Is paying for a restored typewriter worth it?

All good advice.

I'm of the mindset that you should buy something local that you can test in person, and get very cheap. I understand that it may not find the model that you're after, but there are plenty of good typewriters out there that will work just as well for you.

As Steini suggested, the Hermes 3000 (first generation) is a very hyped and as a result the prices being asked for them are unrealistic to most collectors. If you have your heart set on that model then you might not have a choice but to overpay for one. I don't think the typewriter is worth more than any other model from its period, but that's just me. 


The pronoun has always been capitalized in the English language for more than 700 years.
 

27-6-2019 04:44:13  #5


Re: Is paying for a restored typewriter worth it?

I own quite a few Hermes 3000's. They are my favorite typewriter from a typing/functionality and quality of machinery perspective. But that's just me. If you have your heart set on this model, you can't go wrong (in my opinion), except you should expect to pay a pretty penny (or wait for the right one to come along).

Unfortunately eBay prices have ruined it for everyone, and even the local machines I have found have been priced through the roof once sellers have seen what they go for on eBay. So if you can find one locally, for a good price, check it out, haggle them down, and get it. If eBay or Etsy are your only choices, be forewarned...most eBay sellers don't know how to ship a typewriter, and it may very well arrive broken unless you give them explicit instructions about how to pack it (assuming they actually read what you wrote - most don't). But to your question, should you buy refurbished or not? What I have found is that there are a lot of typewriter repair guys and refurbishers out there who really don't know what they are doing. I met one last week, in person, nearby, and he was squirting oil willy nilly inside one of the typewriters he was repairing. All four that I bought from him had major issues. Had I known, I would not have bought them. There are people that are refurbishing these machines and putting non-stock feet on them, touching up the paint, etc. I have found these machines to be "looser" than stock machines, and not put back together properly (in most cases). I would never buy one of these. Your best bet is to find one on eBay that has just been listed for $200 or so, that some little old lady stored in her closet for the past 30-40 years. That's how I was able to find mine, and they are all near mint, fully functioning, and I was able to get them for reasonable prices.

 

28-6-2019 07:38:18  #6


Re: Is paying for a restored typewriter worth it?

I have found it best to buy typewriters that have been taken care of for a reasonable price, either from EBay, Craigslist, or from a garage sale. Buying a refurbished machine is great if you want a particular model and don’t mind paying a premium for it. Personally, I have had the most success finding a gently used machine and cleaning and making the necessary minor repairs myself. I have had nothing but good results from shopping around EBay and making thoughtful purchases there. Often sellers will come down in prices, and I have found that most do know how do pack and ship typewriters and I have never had a typewriter broken in shipment. The key is communication. The same goes for Craigslist. While a lot of people want way too much money for their typewriter on Craigslist, often they will take less and I love being able to test it out before buying.  

Also, if a machine types well, I don’t worry too much about platens and rollers, etc. I will often clean a platen, but if the typewriter accepts and rolls paper well, and the type comes out clear on the page, I don’t worry about the hardness of the platen. Of course, if the machine won’t accept or roll paper well, then new rollers must be installed. 


I’m being followed by a moon shadow.
 

Board footera

 

Powered by Boardhost. Create a Free Forum