Typewriter Talk / Composition of your typewriter collection

**Posted by colrehogan** 05-1-2016 13:37:59

So, what are the brands of typewriters that you own and how many of each do you have? Do you have a lot of any one brand?

**Posted by Spazmelda** 05-1-2016 16:39:43

Here's from my 'typewriter spreadsheet', in no particular order:
1963 Royal Safari
1969 Smith-Corona Classic 12
1926 Woodstock No. 5
1970 Olympia SM9
1964 Olivetti-Underwood Studio 44
1943 Underwood S
1948 Royal Quiet Deluxe
1962 Royal Royalite
1928 Remington Portable
1938 Rheinmetall Portable
1957 Underwood SX-150
1960s Hermes 3000
1964 Olympia SF De Luxe
1956 Remington Letter Riter
1964 Royal Empress
1928 Underwood Standard Portable (3 bank)
1960 Royal Royalite
1960 Olympia SM4
1952 Smith-Corona Sterling
? Smith-Corona Skyriter
1955 Royal Quiet Deluxe (blue)
lt 6x Smith-Corona Corsair
1960 Torpedo Modell 18
1962 Royal Futura 800
1894 Blickensderfer 5
1930 Remington Portable
196x Royal Safari (mustard yelow)
? Oliver No. 3

Sold or donated:
1969 Penncrest Caravelle 12
1969 Royal Custom III
1959 Hermes Rocket
? Olivetti- Underwood 21
197x Sears portable
196x Royal Empress
1963 Olympia SM7

**Posted by TypewriterGuy** 05-1-2016 17:35:10

Heres mine...

1959 Royal Futura
1946 Remington KMC
Unknown Date Remington KMC
1910 Remington Standard 10
1911 Remington Standard 10
1929 Remington Model 1 Portable
1948 Royal Arrow
1956 Royal Speed King
1922? (I forget) Royal Model 10
1957 Royal Safari
1956 Royal Custom
Unknown Date Royal KMG
Unknown Date Royal KMG
1929 Underwood Standard 5
1927 Underwood Standard 5
Unknown Date Underwood SS
1960s Smith Corona Coronet 10
1903 Blickensderfer 7
1905 Smith Premier 4
1903 Smith Premier 4
1920s Refinished Sundstrand Adding Machine - Typewriter Related
1935 Corona Four
1916 Oliver 9
Im getting a Smith Corona SIlent
And Im getting a Comptometer

Repaired:
1906 Royal Model 10
1949 Smith Corona Super Speed
'
Sold
1925 Underwood Standard 5
1954 Smith Corona Skyriter
1960s Olivetti Lettera 32

**Posted by Uwe** 05-1-2016 17:49:14

It might sound like splitting hairs, but there's a big difference between brands and manufacturers, so it's important to make the distinction. My collection happens to be sorted by brand, which unfortunately means that it isn't an accurate manufacturer count. For example, I have machines that were sold under the Sears brand name, but were actually manufactured by Smith-Corona, and yet those machines aren't included in the Smith-Corona total.

The top five brands represented in my collection, which at the moment includes 43 different names, are:
1. Olympia (40 or 14.65%)
2. Royal (35 or 12.82%)
3. Remington (27 or 9.89%)
4. Smith-Corona (20 or 7.33%)
4. Underwood (20 or 7.33%)
6. Commodore (17 or 6.23%)

**Posted by 09Underwood** 05-1-2016 18:15:52

Boy you guys are way beyond me. I have only the one, a 1909 Underwood No.3 Standard. along with the appropriate service manual, user manual, and a copy of Underwood's 1904 edition from sight to touch. I plan to get the correct cleaning kit and cover ands will call it done. I'd like to get a decent typewriter desk and mount the typewriter, but so far I'm just enjoying my one machine. At some time I'd like to get an early Underwood portable and perhaps a No.5 is in the future, but at the moment I'm enjoying the No.3. I think a lot of collectors get into just collecting for the sake of collecting,and not so much using, so while I do not so much understand the need to have a huge collection, I can not judge another's desire to do so. Personally for me, it is more about the actual typing, and I prefer to get to know my machine and learn to use it well, rather than just collecting machines and not using them. To each his own and I do not judge anyone one machine or one hundred, we all have our own interests and view on the hobby.

**Posted by TypewriterGuy** 05-1-2016 18:24:23

Don't worry, give it a year....

Or maybe a few months...

And you will soon be in contact the typewriter collecting virus.

**Posted by Uwe** 05-1-2016 18:41:51

09Underwood wrote:
I think a lot of collectors get into just collecting for the sake of collecting,and not so much using... I prefer to get to know my machine and learn to use it well, rather than just collecting machines and not using them.

That's quite the assumption. With the exception of those machines that are waiting for repair/parts, I USE all of my typewriters, and whenever I buy a typewriter it's always on the basis that it will be used. That's one of the reasons why I don't have any interest in early machines that are not as practical to type with. And trust me, I know all of my machines very well.

**Posted by beak** 05-1-2016 19:02:25

Same here; I have about 15 machines and they all get some use, though some far more than others.
I think this accumulation of machines happened because I type a fair amount, and I never saw myself as a collector but as a user. It just happened as I searched around for good machines.

About half of these are Olympias, and all but a few German.

**Posted by TypewriterGuy** 05-1-2016 19:14:42

Same as Uwe and Beak, I use all of my machines.. Maybe not every day, or even week, but the least used ones always get a tap on the spacebar once in a while to keep them moving. Im like a collector/user/seller/repairer. I enjoy collecting to see how early of a machine I can get, the nicest etc. I use them for school, for instance I just typed up a report on my Royal Futura for school earlier. I have sold a few, and I want to sell off more, and I repair typewriters for people.

**Posted by Spazmelda** 05-1-2016 20:17:01

Most of mine are very usable. I just got the blick and oliver for Christmas and I'm still working on them. I've got the blick almost working now and have just sent the platen off to be recovered, along with 2 other platens that were usable but very hard. I have no interest in purely decorative typewriters. I want them to function.