https://typecast.munk.org/2023/04/24/how-to-properly-describe-the-condition-of-a-typewriter/

Demonstrate your Electric in 10 Minutes by Remington-Rand, Inc.<br /> A Sales Training Film<br /> Produced by Visual Aids Department Remington Rand Inc.

via Periscope Film

1940s REMINGTON RAND ELECTRIC TYPEWRITER SALESMAN DEMONSTRATION FILM 49734

Typing Technique and Typewriter Design by [[Will Davis]] and [[Dave Davis]]

As early as 1932 Royal salesmen would use poor typing technique on purpose to cause skipping and piling and then use proper technique on their own machine to show how much better their typewriters were compared to the others.

Some repair and service manuals had sections about tuning a typewriter to the level of technique of the user. These may have included 5-6 specific adjustments for allowance to a particular user's technique, as an example indicated in this video.

"pounded out" - used by a heavy handed typist and now skipping (mentioned possibly in an Ames Repair Manual)

In the mid-century, the service life of a standard machine was 1-3 years of continual (heavy) use. After this it would have been remanufactured or swapped out.

reply to u/NoDoctor4602 at https://old.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1fjrjns/ive_spent_a_few_days_searching_for_any_concrete/

In the mid to late-1950's and after several typewriter manufacturers made limited runs of gold plated typewriters for special anniversaries or for bonuses to salespeople. They're uncommon, but not rare. I've seen at least 6 or seven pop up on auction sites in the last 6 months. If you really want one, watch the lower end of Facebook Marketplace, ShopGoodwill, Craigslist, et al. where one will assuredly pop up for a much more reasonable price. I'm not sure if it was this one or another I've seen since April, but one of these went up for sale on ShopGoodwill.com recently and sold for about $600. A week later it was listed on eBay for several thousand just like this one. Given the timeframe, I doubt they spent any time cleaning, oiling, or adjusting it in any fashion—it was a pure flip. I've also seen this recently with Royal typewriters with a less common, but highly collectible Vogue typeface: a Royal P sold for about $900 there and was listed on eBay shortly after for over $1,500 with no indication that it was cleaned or adjusted. (If you watch some of the sites carefully, you can pick up a Vogue machine for under $100 easily enough depending on the type and condition.)

In my mind, as a collector, I'd try to find one in the wild and clean it up or I'd want it in stunning restored condition for over $2k. You might be just as well off picking up a working model for $100-$150 and gold plating the pieces yourself. It would probably be cheaper in the long run and you'd have a better machine in better condition. Some sucker with money to burn will eventually buy a Gold Olympia SM3 for over $2,000.

Here's a vew posts/videos as examples of gold plated machines:<br /> - A video of another Gold Olympia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnUHgyABjw0<br /> - Royal QDL https://typespec.com/weve-got-gold-in-them-thar-hills/<br /> - https://www.huffpost.com/entry/kasbah-mod-typewriters_n_1453776

If you're looking for something great that you'll use, I recommend visiting a repair shop that has some stock to try out some machines to see if you'd like their touch/fee/aesthetics first. Visiting a type-in or two might give you some experience with a wide variety of typewriter models as well. Then try to find a rare or exceptional version that's worth putting some money into. Why put so much into an Olympia if it turns out you're an Olivetti, Royal, or Smith-Corona person? https://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/tw-repair.html (I desperately love Royals, but Smith-Coronas and Remingtons are much more forgiving of my mediocre typing technique, a fact which pains me dearly and cost a few hundred dollars and some sweat equity in cleaning and tuning machines to discover). Incidentally, I'll mention that for about $2,000 you could easily purchase a wide variety of about two dozen machines (even with shipping) and be able to get something truly exceptional in terms of condition and function.

Incidentally, the higher prices of $250-600 for repaired/refurbished/restored machines being sold by repair shops are usually what Harry Beercan is using as a pricing guide when he's selling his grandmother's musty, broken, old typewriter online not knowing that several hundred dollars in labor and parts has been calculated into the selling price.

aka u/repsychlerman on Reddit

via https://new.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1f5hpq2/just_listed_my_first_typewriter_on_ebay/

The 1957 Groma Kolibri by [[Typewriter Chicago]]

Another sexy sales video by Lucas Dul, this time for the Groma Kolibri portable out in the woods and backed by a lovely piece called Ashitaka and San by Joe Hisaishi.

Royal HHE Typewriter Demo of Features and Functions by [[Cincinnati Typewriter]]

Orange and black typewriter painted when they thought Bengals were going to Super Bowl.

Sadly didn't get the purpose of the numbered guides... presupposed they were in millimeters, but knew it wasn't that.

Very shaky video... nauseating.

Didn't differentiate between permanent and temporary variable line levels. Didn't get the way these work at all.

Missed subtleties of Magic Margin, but did well enough.

"strikers" instead of slugs or hammers

Painted the colors on the bichrome wrong.

Only partially understands touch control. Definitely doesn't know how to adjust them.

Definitely don't use this as an example.

Seems like an amateur painting and (maybe) cleaning up typewriters from home. I don't think I'd trust him based on this video.

1954 Royal HH, repainted | Typewriter Tutorial by [[Jot & Tittle Vintage Typewriters]]

Pseudo-professional explaining the functionality of a Royal HH (sales video)

took her two tries to get the proper ribbon reversal... <br /> didn't get/understand the touch control function<br /> Not original spools<br /> Doesn't understand card fingers<br /> At least knew "stencil", but didn't explain it beyond "it won't type"<br /> Didn't have a specific size for the large carriage<br /> Had issue with ribbon tension<br /> Couldn't get the hood button several times

"I wouldn't write a long book on here." What the hell is she talking about? This was the entire purpose of this machine.

https://www.tampatypewriter.com/<br /> Proprietor: Jack<br /> https://www.instagram.com/tampatypewriter/

I was in a vintage shop about 30 minutes from downtown Los Angeles earlier in the week and the proprietor had a mostly functioning 1950 Smith-Corona Sterling for sale for a roughly equivalent US $150. (One key was disconnected, but fixable, and some keys were sticky, the ribbon was disintegrating, it was incredibly dirty, with a case in very poor condition.) The Sterling was similar to the Silent, but without some of the extra bells and whistles. She wouldn't accept an offer of $40 for it, which I thought was a reach for the dreadful condition it was in. Her reasoning was that she was sure that someone (read: a sucker) would pay the $150 for it. At a yard sale it might be worth $5. Cleaned up a bit maybe $30. In online platforms they're going for a bit more, but you're also saving yourself some level of "shoe leather" in the work of searching for the exact model you want.

I've been specifically watching this model and a few related ones for a few months, and machines of indeterminate condition (though in my experience they're usually reasonably functionable or easily fixable), like this go for about $50 on ShopGoodWill.com (as auction items). There are usually about 4-5 per week which come up as this was a popular model in the 50s. You can probably find similar prices on eBay, though sellers there usually have a little more information about the working condition. They're definitely common enough that you could easily wait for the exact color options and typeface (pica or elite) that you're looking for, and could also probably purchase two for the price he's asking (including shipping.) I've been watching for a similar mid-50s Smith-Corona Clipper with similar colors and elite type for a while and just bought one online last week for $35. Patience definitely pays off.

I would only go as high as $150 on that machine if I knew it was well functioning and had a brand new platen in the last several years. You can tell him that most of the expensive machines in the range he's asking for are all fully functioning, have been well maintained and/or recently serviced, and often have new platens, rubber rollers, and feet replaced. He'll know that this isn't the case with his and may come down in price. They're likely pricing it based on other listings they see and not pricing it based on actual sales. If it's their only machine, wait things out until they see that there aren't any takers. If it's a vintage shop, simply move on.

The Smith-Corona Silents from this time period are really spectacular and solid machines, so good luck in your search for the perfect one.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/375385572993

Sold, presumably for $600 on 2024-04-20 with free shipping. This had previously been listed and relisted for 1000 reducing 100 every few weeks until now.

Taylor Swift effect with her new album drop perhaps?

https://shopgoodwill.com/item/196139225

https://shopgoodwill.com/item/191956978<br /> 2024-03-02 sold $102.00 !! 4 bids

https://shopgoodwill.com/item/192328912<br /> 2024-03-02 sold<br /> $9.99 fair<br /> 1 bid

https://shopgoodwill.com/item/192255013<br /> 2024-03-02 sold<br /> $112.00<br /> 8 bids<br /> (broken space bar)

https://shopgoodwill.com/item/192125668 <br /> 2023-03-02 sold<br /> $18.00 (opening price)<br /> 1 bid

https://shopgoodwill.com/item/192239320<br /> 2024-03-02 sold<br /> $31.00<br /> 11 bids

https://shopgoodwill.com/item/191848428<br /> 2024-03-02 sold<br /> $26.00<br /> 5 bids

https://shopgoodwill.com/item/192242999<br /> 2024-03-02 sold<br /> $16.00<br /> 3 bids

https://shopgoodwill.com/item/192251351<br /> 2024-03-02 sold<br /> $18.00<br /> 5 bids

https://shopgoodwill.com/item/192252614<br /> 2024-03-02 sold<br /> $36.00<br /> 2 bids

https://shopgoodwill.com/item/192152257<br /> 2024-03-02 sold<br /> $23.50 3 bids

https://shopgoodwill.com/item/192262866<br /> 2024-03-02 sold<br /> $23.00<br /> 4 bids

https://shopgoodwill.com/item/192239575<br /> 2024-03-02 sold<br /> $402.00 31 bids

2024-03-01<br /> $53.99<br /> https://shopgoodwill.com/item/192321322

2024-03-01<br /> $67.99 sale<br /> https://shopgoodwill.com/item/192324052