Downsizing Your Typewriter Collection

[@douglasjackson9058]

Great video Joe! I have worked my collection down to 80. I'm one of the hobbiest who buys non working machines and repairs and refurbish them and then sell them. I love saving there lives and finding them good homes. The thought of getting down to 2 of each type gets my head spinning. I admire how you evaluated your collection, perhaps I will do that someday. I have a tendency to sell the really nice and beautiful ones and keep the worn and rough ones. Great video,so well done 👍

[@thethomasraymond]

My partner was so happy to see me watching this video!

[@Joe_VanCleave]

I told my wife the subject of this video and she suddenly seemed very interested!

[@ЕржанНасанов]

Good choice on Optima 😮

[@someonespadre]

I have 9 currently but 2 or 3 I actually use and like. I decided to not be a collector because I am out of places to put them. So I have a phantom collection. If I see one I would like to collect I add it to my phantom collection. Plenty of room in my mind for my phantom collection. I read about people moving with 200 typewriters and it sounds difficult to do that without damaging them. Also I’m thinking of the children, my adult children who may have to deal with them in the future. My phantom collection doesn’t have these problems.

[@Joe_VanCleave]

I like your idea!

[@_landro_1092]

Great vid again. My personal collecting suggestion is find one machine that can literally do all: double spacing, half spacing, basket shift, portable, mechanical, four line spacings, paper support, magic margins settings ... just to name a few characteristics. There are just a few machines which comprehend this. Then add you collection according to your style: more eletrical ones, more antiques like the folding Erika, more exotics like Hammond or Oliver or by technology - AND of course, apart from technical stuff, you can choose by typefaces. That keeps me from buying all. @Joe: Since you mentioned it... Did you already made a video to compare softest touch? Don't forget pre-WW2 Erikas like the "S", "5" and "M". The parallelogram way of key-to-typeslug connection is outstanding smooth and easy to type.

[@JLajos]

Well timed video, thank you! My domestic superior is strongly urging me to downsize my motley collection of 30 or so somewhat neglected typewriters. So, this Fall and Winter, I plan to run for myself a single-elimination bracketed tournament to thin the herd and find the top five of the bunch, based on comfort, performance, print quality, and style. I think I could pick out my top ten right now, but narrowing it down from there will be difficult (and probably painful).

[@Joe_VanCleave]

I like the idea of a single elimination tournament! My wife asked me what the latest video was about and when I told her it was about downsizing, she suddenly got very giddy!

[@JLajos]

@@Joe_VanCleave hahaha!

[@AtelierDBurgoyne]

Wonderful topic, Joe, and nice setting outdoors. Argh! Picking the portables to let go is really difficult for me since I have an emotional attachment to so many. Gifting those to younger typists would probably be the best option. For the standards and the Selectrics, the issue is that they are so good to type with, but they take so much room! Then again, I think about all the people who only had one single typewriter for decades and were just happy... Is there a lesson for me there?

[@ethanunlimited]

I love all of these shots. they've got a great look and I really like how you mixed the views up mid explanation. v.nice!

[@Joe_VanCleave]

Thanks!

[@dadtype2339]

Great discussion Joe, Well, Thankfully my collection is under 10 Typewriters, 7 are working and 2 are not, and of the 2 one of them is a Praxis 48, lol I have two you may recall, 1 is the nonworking donor, the other carriage works great, type bars done work and I think it's due to a missing belt. I really need to work on it but I have so many projects going. My working and used collection currently is as follows: 1952 Olympia SM3 1959 Hermes 3000 1964 SCM Galaxie Deluxe 1968 Royal Aristocrat Special 1972 SCM Electra 110 1981 brother EP-20 1992 brother EP-43 Not working 1964 Praxis 48 x 2 1974 SCM Electra 120 If I were to downsize I'd probably chuck the non-working SCM 1974 Electra 120 It would be very hard to sell or get rid of any of my working machines but if I did it would continue to look like this: To Go: brother EP-20 1968 Royal Aristocrat Special 1964 SCM Galaxie Deluxe I'd probably just keep: The Olympia SM3 '52 Hermes 3000 '59 SCM Electra 110 '72 brother EP-43 This way I can still type on the go with the brother EP-43, have both awesome Hermes and Olympia SM3 and a electric mechanical typewriter like the SCM Electra 110 for times I'd like the write without hand ache. But I think I'd miss the others and probably be searching for them again. That '64 SCM Galaxie Deluxe is a great Typewriter mine, well actually all of my machines are close to mint condition they are in great cleaned working order I meticulously cleaned and repaired myself. Man if you go to change the feet on your SM3 be prepared to first and with some duct tape, use a small 15/64 small open ended wrench like I did, had no idea about the tiny nut behind the backside that locks down on the screw, I thought I made the biggest mistake doing this as I had lost the nut but the found it, and then worked and worked on trying to get everything back in oh good grief was it a pain BUT so worth it, now it really grips the table I no longer have to use the Typewriter mat underneath. The SM3 case has new feet too. Too many projects you see!? Lol. Hey Joe check out messages, I sent you some more one is an inspired walk you helped inspire ❤ Thank you for reading.

[@neilmcmichael1111]

I hope your blue Selectric never watches this video, because it would break her heart to know that you would (hypothetically) put her and her type elements up up for adoption! Kinda breaks my heart too. 😢 Having recently downsized my collection I experienced many of the issues you discussed. As always, great video Joe!

[@joelsbulk]

This is definitely an interesting thought experiment. It would be hard for me to choose without considering the "if I change my mind later, how hard would it be for me to get another one of this particular model?" question. For example, the Groma Kolibri isn't as fine a typer as a lettera 32 but if I later changed my mind I could probably get another leterra 32. However, I've only ever seen one Groma for sale locally in the years I've been collecting. That makes it so much harder! Great video, as always.

[@dianemaher3538]

A tough topic, for sure!

[@ChrisAldrich1]

Gotta keep my partner from knowing videos like this and your videos for "The Minimal Complete Typewriter Collection" and "Episode 31: Culling the Herd" even exist... but it's still a good topic to meditate on from time to time.

[@Joe_VanCleave]

My wife sure liked the topic!

[@ChrisAldrich1]

@@Joe_VanCleave My wife loves conversations which entail downsizing the collection. Then a "parts" machine arrives so I can "fix up" a machine to sell or give away....

[@jeffcurry1280]

What if we thought outside of the box and, rather than downsizing, perhaps we could reclassify. Just as a house has various accoutrements such as lamps, artwork, vases, perhaps even a sculpture or two, one could reclassify their own typewriters as similar decor. Think of the possibilities for intellectual stimulation within the home when surrounded by such academic design that not only inspires thought, but also allows for the immediate and infinite possibility to create! So, instead of seeing your typewriters as objects of a collection that need to be downsized, think of them as decorative items that can provide your home with an intellectually stimulating decor that is also, quite literally, at the fingertips of your imagination!

[@Joe_VanCleave]

I like where this is going!

[@michaelcase8574]

If there is not a case made for the typewriter, is it really a portable? I'm glad this is only an exercise! A nightmare in real life.

[@Joe_VanCleave]

That’s a good question!

[@joãoAlberto-k9x]

O.K.

[@Linus007]

Hmm. So, I can buy five more typewriters to meet your recommendation of ten. 😂

[@Joe_VanCleave]

Precisely!

[@DavidALovingMPF102]

Any mosquitoes down there? Nice video.

[@Joe_VanCleave]

Surprisingly no mosquitoes, there are more at my house!

[@DavidALovingMPF102]

@@Joe_VanCleave YES!! I bought one of those HV tennis rackets at Harbor Freight (CHEAP) and I kill mosquitoes on the back porch. Probably 4 a day. Lots of fun.

[@lm2be]

Somebody had an argument with their wife?

Blasphemy!