I'm looking to sell or trade a 1948 Olympia 8. I really don't want to ship this delicate monster, so I'm issuing an alert to all typeheads in the mid-Atlantic states (I'm in the Maryland suburbs of DC).

Pan-European keyboard. Healthy rubber feet, intact glass windows. The feed rollers feed and the platen ain't too bad for rubber from the '40s. Superior typing action--this baby ranks up there with the best machines I've ever used.

It's in great condition but has a few quirks:

1. The right spool spindle arm is broken, so the right ribbon spool will fall off if you move the machine. However, I have fashioned makeshift cap that holds the spool in place.
2. Both N and D keys appear to have been crudely welded on. Result: The lower and upper case Ns hit lower than the other letters; ditto for the uppercase D, but not the lowercase D, which strikes slightly higher (see type sample).

I'd be willing to trade this machine for a 1930s Hermes 2000 or most Erika models from the '30s to the '60s. I'd also consider offers of other high-end European mid-century portables and standards.

DM if interested.