There's a very small flea market less than half a mile from my home, and they only have it one weekend a month. I keep seeing it on my way to work but I always miss it. It's been freezing here in Texas lately so I thought it might not happen this time, but I caught it open today and immediately saw this. It's not something I'd normally buy, frankly. When I'm looking at typewriters online, high shipping costs are what usually keep me from making a purchase. But since it was there, and passed my basic operation test (return lever works, bell rings, paper loads and advances, keys strike paper) and I didn't have to worry extra shipping, I just bought it. $9 is a fair price. I don't haggle on these things or try to get a better deal. What was I going to offer the guy...$7? Pointless.
It looks really good, though. It has the plastic snap-on cover too. It's fine. I may seem unimpressed about the whole thing, but there are many typewriters in my life, and they're not all equal. If this was a Lettera DL or a 22 I would be much more excited, obviously. I mean, it's not some awful Chinese-made Generation 3000 that will fall apart as soon as I attempt to use it...but it's not *really* a Royal, either. Not as I know them. I have a 1934 Model O. You ain't fooling me, pal, But I'll put it through its paces and typecast something as soon as I can get the scanner hooked up. My life is really in disarray. I'd planned to move some stuff out of the storage unit this weekend, but...snow. I hate it like poison.
At this point, I don't even know how many typewriters I have. I did make an impulse purchase on eBay the other night, a "Buy it Now" Royal that I can't guarantee that I won't regret buying. I do need to also discuss the *other* Royal I got in the mail last week as well. That's an entirely different story, and a little disappointing. But I'll get to those in a bit. Here's today's Royal...a tan, plastic-bodied, made-in-Holland Caravan.
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| I'm no better than a crazy cat lady now. I can see it. |
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| $9. What the hell was I going to do with it anyway, eat? |
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| Keys. Not like the ones I have on my other typewriters. No sir, not at all. |
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| And the Caravan is painted red and white. That means everybody's staying overnight. |
Don't worry, you're not the only one who has stopped counting their machines. Caravan? Looks a lot like the Adler Tippa - in bastardised Litton 70's design era get-up.
ReplyDeleteIt does have that look about it. I thought it was a Japanese knock-off at first, but it says "Made in Holland" on the back. This must have been at the very tail end, before they gave up and started buying those Matsushitas that everyone was using in the '70s.
DeleteSet your mind at ease. You did the right thing! This bargain machine will be good as a travel typer, a gift for a kid ... even a source of parts.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to have a lot of life left in it. At the very least it didn't feel the abuse that my recent Royal Sabre purchase seems to have endured. I'm sure it will be a keeper.
DeleteA Tippa in Royal livery, should be a good typer if you can get past the odd carriage lever alignment. I couldn't. I did like the touch a lot, though.
ReplyDeleteWill definitely take some getting used to, but light enough to take for portable typing...and it works well, now that I've put a new ribbon in it. A decent purchase.
DeleteWhen the price is right -- buy.
ReplyDeleteYou are not alone on knowing or not knowing how many machines are in the house. I quit counting.
I have that problem with not only typewriters but books. Since I have so many of them in boxes and in different places, and no list to refer to, it's not unusual that I'll have more than one identical copy of the same book.
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