Hm, yeah.  Spray paint would not be cool, unless the machine's finish was already pretty bad (not much to lose, KWIM?).  If I was going to do it, I'd see about having them powder coated by someone who knows what they are doing.

Personally, I'm longing for a red typewriter.  Can't afford them for what they seem to go for!

Ebay prices! Go figure! Here is an everyday story of several Hermes 3000s. 

There were two listed, ending last Saturday (9 days ago) three hours apart. I was out with my friend Natalia at 5.30 when the first one was ending, and we stared open-mouthed as my bid was quickly swallowed up and spat out and the thing shot like a cannon up to - £195!

Three hours later we sat in the pub and watched the second one - which I thought was going to be beseiged by all the desperate people who didn't get the first one - top out at £90, less than half what the first one had fetched. Still too much for me. 

There were, however, two 3000s listed on a Buy It Now, both for £135 including postage (i.e., £70 less than the first one; in my world you can probably get three typewriters for £70). They continued to sit there (one of them had an interesting international keyboard, with accent keys and both £ and $) until they both ended, unsold. They were both relisted for £125 including postage. 

Then a new one appeared, with a start price of 99p - and this one was within commuter-belt distance of north London, so I just watched it and sat tight... 

The interesting one, in due course, sold. 

So last night the bidding went in on my watched one, about five minutes before the end, at £3.20. I think there were a few of us watching it, and the price rose fast. But not THAT fast. I am very pleased to say that I WON it! (Short pause here for massive excitement and jumping up and down!!! Had to act really deadpan last night and hide it from other half etc etc but really am excited woooo!)

AND, because I am always parsimonious, very happy to say that the winning bid was £41 - less than half my (desperate) max bid - and also less than the £90 that was less than half of the £195.

It looks in beautiful nick, too, and I'm going to collect it this week. And there is still one sitting there on a BIN of £115 plus shipping.

There is no moral to this story. The end!

PS: If there is a moral to this story, it is that I did a search on SOLD listings of Hermes 3000s, and wrote them all down, and averaged them out. The average was £100, and for this reason my bid was anything up to about £85; but (even though one went the other day for £135) this new selling price has just lowered the average to £94. And, to be honest, half of them went for under £65. So the moral is do your research.
 

Last edited by KatLondon (27-4-2015 10:10:47)

Uwe trust me, £41 is a lot for me! And it only takes two idiots to drive an auction way past what was sensible. What kills me is that they paid £195 while there were two identical ones on a buy-it-now for two-thirds that.

We're also suddenly having a little spate of Smith-coronas, which ypu normally don't see here, and they're fetching slightly silly money. A couple of ridiculously cute robins-egg-blue Clippers... Fortunately I have my rusty, wrecked-looking stone-grey one with a broken 5 key... ;)
 

Ztyper, it's a deal! I got the bug for the 3000 after getting a 1961 Baby - the best moel of the Baby, I think, with the gull-wing ribbon covers but also with a colour selector and touch control - and not too garish a green, It was stiff to use at first but aall of a sudden one day it just loosened up and became a dream to type on. The feel and the sound are totally different from an Olympia. But the feel was so marked that I got my Splendid 33 out to compare, and they came up even. And I love the Splendid.

I've cleaened the Silent-Super up quite substantially but was thinking yesterday that I could do with taking some pictures. I'll try and do that today. It took a bit of work and ingenuity getting rid of the mildew smell and getting it typing well again - but I've done it!