Today, Ohio Valley Antique Mall was crawling with typewriters … and I crawled through it too. Now you can do the same just by scrolling through this post.
Two of these typewriters are models I had never seen before “in the wild.” One of them was a must-buy. I think it will be pretty easy for you to guess what I’m talking about, unless you’re a newbie to typewriter collecting. Feel free to post your guesses in comments. I’ll post the answers tomorrow.
I would definitely purchase the bakelite DM 22. That is one unusual portable. We could share ownership! You take it in 2020 and I'll take in 2021. :) A great add to German Portables!
That Commodore, though…
Oof.
Can't help but want one.
Definitely the DM22 & Commodore. Depends on the price for the SG1.
The Leader of the pack.
Oh wow, that one really jumps off the page, don't it? and only $49? Certainly that DM22 in burgundy Bakelite! :D
I'd also have probably grabbed at that duckbill Commodore Consul.
Wowser, I'd call that a very successful Safari! (:
I'd have snagged that Plana and the Royal QDL. Maybe the Commodore too… good safari!
I forgot to post the answers! But my perceptive readers spotted the unusual machines. The Commodore is one that I've never seen before in person. I believe it's a model 235. I was impressed with its solid construction, smooth operation, and keyset tabulator. But it was dirty and pretty pricey. The DM 22 (a name variant of the Olympia-Plana) was a must-have. The "DM" machines were produced by Olympia to appeal to the politics of the '30s: DM stands for (Die Maschine des) Deutschen Mechanikers, or The Machine of the German Mechanic, and for a while I owned a DM that used Nazi jargon on its Fraktur decals. That was too much for me, I had to get rid of it. But there is nothing obviously political on this typewriter.
The Underwood Leader is good-looking, but when you look more closely it's marred by an identification number scratched into the paint by a former owner. It is not particularly rare or particularly well-built, so I gave it a pass.
I suppose I should say that the Commodore has a "dial-set tabulator." You move the dial to the left of the keyboard up or down to set and clear the tab stops.
The glossy Remington Super-Riter was also tempting at just $39.99.
By sheer coincidence, I've just posted on a 1942 Sears Christmas Book ad for the Marx Dial.
And only last night I wrote a blog post on Rheinmetalls, Tramiel and Commodores for Charlie Foxtrot, but goodness knows when that might be published.
I'd have bought the DM and the Royal Safari.
I thought the DM. I have the same portable Commodore and recently spent a few hours fixing it up. If yours is busted I can tell you how I fixed mine!
I just bought a Olympia plana (DM22) in Germany, I'll receive it in about 2 weeks.. On my wish list is still a Smith Corona Zephyr!
Wow. Would that such a mall replete with machines were near to me! I can cruise the shops near me an entire day and come across perhaps two or three machines or low-to-no appeal. I see a Royal KHM among your pics, and I just this week acquired one. I'm anxious to get to work on it. Congrats on your new purchase.
I didn't buy it, but thanks.