Forums » Smalltalk » Will it be worth it to invest into a typewriter?

Before you call me a hipster, hear me out.

My sisinlaw's mom died a couple of weeks ago, and I helped my sisinlaw with clearing out her mom's apartment. We stumbled upon a bunch of things that were still intact, useful or simply decorative and took some things home.

One of these things was an Olympia Traveller typewriter, fully functioning with no damage to the typewriter itself. Only the cover of the case it's in is yellowed from wear and time.

I was allowed to keep it, and so I did! When I was little, my parents still had one of these things and I spent countless hours typing nonsense away because it was so much fun. It also helped me learn how to type, making it easier to adjust to a keyboard. Having a typewriter has some sentimental value to me.

The only thing that needs replacement is the ink ribbon inside of it. There aren't any stores around here that sell these things, so after scouring the internet I found some places that will ship these things. The only issue I'm having is that shipping costs almost always match up to exceed the price of the ribbon itself. Which is ridiculous because these little shits fit into an envelope without problem and weigh next to nothing!

Even more ridiculous is that importing from the US is cheaper than buying from a Dutch seller. The prices in USD are the same as they are in Euros (So $7 for a ribbon = €7 for a ribbon, with $6.50 for shipping and €6.95 for shipping).

I don't mind spending 5 bucks/euros on a ribbon. But when it turns to 10 euros or even 15 euros, I'm hesitant.

Yes, I will be using this typewriter. Mainly to write letters to friends because unlike some other cool people, I can't do calligraphy so this is a fun alternative. But I won't be using it a lot.

I don't know how long a ribbon lasts. They dry out with time and use, but if one ribbon will lasts years with minimum usage then I've no problem ordering from a Dutch seller. If they only lasts a year or less, I probably won't until I have the luxury to waste money.

I guess what I'm asking is for your opinion. I'm 50/50 on this and other people's opinions will probably sway me over to make a final call. What are your thoughts? What would you do?

I say go for it. There may not be a whole lot you can do with a typewriter, but it'd be sorta saddening just to let it sit there and collect dust . That way, you can have fun producing fun little letters for your friends like you said.

And 10 Euros isn't a little, but it also isn't a lot, especially for something that lasts about a year or so. Think of it like buying ink for a printer! That stuff goes fast, especially if you print off a lot of things.

Although you might feel sorta guilty about it or something at first, when you start using the typewriter, you'll probably stop feeling like you wasted the money. Plus gaining back 10 Euros probably wouldn't take TOO much time. .

But I say go for it. Life's too short not to spoil yourself on little things that make you happy.

If you use it, I demand a letter

I have one myself somewhere, and might try to find it in the attic.
I loved them when I was little and spent so much time just typing little stories or poems.

We had an eletric one, and a mechanical typewriter.

So yes, buy it and write me a letter, and if I find MINE, I'll write you one back written on a typewriter.

This sounds like so much fun.

I've found the ribbons to have surprisingly good longevity, at least if my Electra 120 is any indication.

Also - there's something satisfying about writing on a device that sounds just a little like a locomotive.

I so wish that I still had the typewriter my Nanna had... I'd say perhaps ask around concerning how long the ribbon lasts before making a decision.

Thanks for your thoughts, guys!

@MadRatBird: You raise some excellent points! 15 euros for a local purchase isn't too awful if it means I get to do something special for my friends every now and then.

@Jane: Of course! We should penpal the hipster way, LOL.

@Jinxy111: I've no idea when that woman changed the ribbon last time. She was a hoarder and had kept stuff from as early as 1998 (useless receipts, candy, broken items etc.), and the typewriter doesn't look like it had incredibly much usage. There's a chance this ribbon is a decade old already and it still functions somewhat! There isn't an awful lot of information about it online, unfortunately, but if yours has a longevity then, knowing how this lady was, I'm going to guess this one's too. And yes, the sound is amazing!

@spellplague: That sounds like a good idea. I'll wait until the weekend to see if anyone has more info on it, but by what's been posted so far I'm definitely leaning towards getting a new ribbon.


Guys, here are some pictures of the thing! The ink isn't too far gone to type something on it, though I had to push hard and type slowly to make it this visible. With regular typing the ink a lot more faint than this, so it definitely needs to be replaced.

Write a novel on it

If I was a better author, I would.

I have never actually seen a type writer before, that's pretty cool. If you're hesitant about spending the money, you could always do a quick commission (like a sketch or something) for the cash! I hope you get some good use out of it, that's pretty awesome!

Nice looking typewriter! Depending on how much of the ribbon is already used, but honestly you can just keep using it until it starts to fade. It took a very long time for our old one to run out of ink and then the quick fix was to dab ink over the ribbon. They could last for years depending on use etc. but if you use it pretty regularly (meaning you use it about as much as you would a computer now a days) it'd probably last the year, if you use it significantly less than you type on the computer but more than handwriting probably a few years.

YES!

Let's do it - we will be so cool

@Loki: I just don't have the time or energy anymore for art, I can't even remember when I last drew something. But I can scrap some money together without too much of a problem.

@Rubix: Thanks! The entire ribbon is pretty much used up. I turned it over because it only looks like it used the top half of it, but most of what I write normally is already pretty faded. Here's how it looks when I type normally:




I wouldn't be surprised if this ribbon is indeed over a decade old.

I had a typewriter for several years as a teenager and never had to replace the ribbon. I used it a good long while and a great deal when I had it. I don't know if they make 'em like they used to, but I suspect you're going to enjoy it.

If you've got a free typewriter, maybe get yourself one ribbon and time how long it takes it to need replacing? After that, you can decide whether it's worth it to get another. You'll know then whether or not you make use of the thing and can do a cost/benefit analysis with real data instead of hypotheticals and best intentions.

I believe that you can actually re-ink a typewriter ribbon.
It may be worth looking into.

I went ahead and ordered one ribbon. I looked into re-inking typewriter ribbons, and I'm reading mixed things on the results. I'd also need to get a special ink that would cost as much as the ribbon to purchase, so yeah.

I did get the typewriter for free, so I guess I'll see how long this ribbon will last! With some luck it'll last a long time to come.

I would love to use a type writer, the only problem being that I can't spell lengthy words (Thank god for google chrome ) otherwise, you would all be tried of reading my mistakes...now all I need is something for grammar...

The ribbon in our old typewriter lasted very long. I guess, a few years.
I think I even turned the ribbon around and used it again.

Not sure if that works with your typewrite because the one I am talking about, was the mechanical one.

The one I have is also a mechanical one. I already turned over the ribbon because I read that's something you can do, but even the unused half is totally dried up.

I should be getting my other ribbon soon I guess! Then I can write letters to you all.

Man, I love my typewriter. There is something really like, raw, about writing on them. I think it's the distance to the paper, and the orthodox compression of lines - it makes writing on them seem really infinite and productive. Not like writing on the 'net.

I've got a 1930's Remington and she's beautiful. The sound of a typewriter is audible sex. Fact.

As for the ribbon. Mine last's about a year, and I grease it regularly with WD-40, which is really good for making the ink transfer down the whole length of the ribbon.

You should get into typecasting, blogging, but on a typewriter. There's a whole cult.

I wish I had the time and energy to keep something like that updated. Between my freelance job, what little social life I have, RPR and looking for a new place to stay, I just can't. :c