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typewriter 16Broken Typewriters Are Angry Typewriters

And Worth Almost Nothing!

Over a period of 70 years (from the 1920s when we normalized the keyboard and manufacturers started popping up all over the world to the 1990s when we got things like auto-erase and spell-check), typewriters have evolved tremendously.  For several decades, they disappeared from the American office, while computers took over.  But since about 2010, there's been a growing interest in typewriters, both as collectors items and even as working, functional office machines.

But whether you're looking for something to help you fill out legal forms and type up letters, or you want a fine, antique to show off in your office lobby, finding a good, working typewriter can be a chore.  Sure, there are thousands of models available on ebay and other sites--some of them even in good condition.  But most of these have one or more defects.  The carriage doesn't move as it should, the ribbon doesn't advance or change directions the way it was supposed to, keys stick, etc., etc.,.

typewriter 02At Cincinnati Repair, we specialize in restoring full functionality to antique and vintage typewriters... electric and manual.  This sometimes involves creating parts that are no longer available--or even substituting parts from other machines.  But one thing we always focus on is the mechanical integrity of the machine itself.  While it's important to keep an antique in as original shape as possible, if it doesn't actually work, then the value drops considerably.  IE, it's more important for a machine to work than to retain its original parts.

In other words, a machine that DOESN'T work, is WORTHLESS.

That is our outlook as we dive into each job.

And that is how we treat all of the typewriters we obtain to restore and resell.

Whether you are looking for a unique typewriter to purchase, or you want an old artifact working again, Cincinnati Repair can help you.  Take a look at what we have in stock and ready to buy.  Give us a call, or use the contact us page to get the ball rolling.

exclamationLook closely at the keyboard here.  You'll notice several things missing:

1 - No Enter/Return button.  Jumping down to the next line and returning the carriage back to the beginning was done manually, via the Type Bar.  Even the first electric typewriters didn't include one.  When they finally did come up with one, it was a 'Return' button, because it returned the carriage back to the beginning of the line.

companion09When I refurbish a typewriter, and decide the color is too boring, I have a particular method of choosing the colors I want to introduce.  Some of it's based on my own preference (generally, I like bright colors).  Some of it is based on current events (like the red, white, and blue colors or the Bengal Tiger paintjob I recently finished).  And some of it is just based on what kinds of paint I have in stock at the time.

ribbon replaceOn Royal desktop models (not so much on the portable units), the typewriter ribbons have to be rewound.  You have to use the spools that the typewriter came with.  It's not too big of a job, but prepare for some black finger tips, as you have to touch the ribbon a lot.

kmm refurb07Obviously, I'm not going to spell out my entire process.  I don't have time to write it, and very few would have the time (or interest) in reading it.  But I do want to share just a few of the processes that I go through to get a machine from old and junky to shiny and working.  I'll do it in a series of blog posts, and try to show as clear pics as I can.  Perhaps it would be a better video series, but... well... it takes more time to do that and time is something I'm short on.

I'll start with the moving parts.

moneyThis question comes up again and again. But the question itself can be answered in different ways. What’s more, the answer all depends on the motives of the person asking the question.

For instance, what a lot of people REALLY want to know is, “How much money could I get out of this typewriter, if I wanted to sell it?” In this particular case, the answer might seem easy. Simply go to ebay, and see what the other models are selling for, right? Wrong.

typewrier1If you’re in the typewriter business, you don’t have a lot of competition. You have some—but not much. And for that reason, those of us who have dug in, are allowed to make some of our own rules. We don’t have to play all the corporate games because some people have no other choice than to deal with us. Well, almost no other choice. What I’m getting at is this: a typewriter seller or technician gets to set the tone, and even bad decisions won’t destroy his businesses.

repairman 07"I think it just needs to be cleaned... it mostly works, but some of the keys stick."

That's what we often hear from customers when they bring an older typewriter to us.  But generally, if the keys are sticking, then a lot of other things are sticking as well.  Those other things aren't noticed until the keys stop sticking--so there's often no way for the average person to tell how much work a typewriter really needs.  If you really want to know how much work your typewriter will require, then try checking the following:

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