What to do with old electric typewriters? [Archive]

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CathyA

3-1-11, 12:27pm

I'm not sure what to do with these. I'm keeping our Selectric, but have a couple others, like Sear's, and am not sure what to do with them. They still work. I guess some place like Goodwill? They are so hard to use, compared to a computer keyboard!
I have an old Smith-Corona that is manual. Boy, that thing was a real hand/finger work-out and very slow! I'm keeping that one though, just for old time's sake.

seekingsimplicity

3-1-11, 1:59pm

I would take it to the thrift shop if it were my decision.

pcooley

3-1-11, 2:15pm

I still use my old manual typewriter for a lot of the writing I do, and I believe there are still plenty of typewriter enthusiasts out there. (At least enough to support web businesses selling typewriter ribbons and rebuilt manual typewriters).

I'm not sure a Sears brand really makes the collectors' cut, but I would take it to Goodwill or try to sell it on Craigslist.

CathyA

3-1-11, 2:41pm

Thanks seekingsimplicity and pcooley.
Gosh.....its so dang hard for me to get rid of things!! But I'm on a clean-out roll and I'd better not start getting sentimental just yet! Its always a real challenge for me to know if something is valuable or not. I know when obvious things are valuable......but not other things.
Thanks for your suggestions.

folkypoet

3-1-11, 5:48pm

Growing up, I had a great, old Brother electric typewriter. When I recently dug it (and several ribbons) out again, I decided to give it to a child I know. It was a way for the kiddo to write (type) stories without having to have a computer. You might try posting it on Craigslist or Freecycle and see if there are any takers....

Zoe Girl

3-2-11, 12:09am

I gave a non-electric typewriter to a preschool, they used it for a writing center or something. Pretty cool

redfox

3-2-11, 2:25am

I brought home an old, 1920's portable manual typewriter a few years ago, and when my then 15 year old saw it, here is what took place:
Eric: What's that?!?
Me: A typewriter.
E: What's it DO??
M: I'll show you (I inserted paper & typed)
E: Oh, wow, that is so totally Old School! I am SO gonna write a history paper with that!
M: Great idea, honey! (Hmmm - he'll actually WRITE a history paper?!? -It never happened...)

Fawn

3-2-11, 7:01am

CathyA

3-2-11, 7:44am

LOL
Similar story.........I got out my iron to iron something when my kids were young. They said "What's that??" LOL. I guess I don't iron much!

Float On

3-2-11, 1:01pm

I have a small collection of old manual typewriters. I just like them.
My MIL uses an electric one all the time to address envelopes and cards and to make short notes. She has horrible handwriting that has only gotten worse as she has aged. Based on that, you might see if a nursing home might be interested in one or two of them.

KayLR

3-2-11, 3:07pm

A preschool teacher I know has one in her classroom she brings out occasionally as a reward. The kids LOVE taking turns on it. If you think about it, probably none of them have ever seen such a thing!

pony mom

3-2-11, 10:06pm

Gosh, Back in junior high school in the mid 80s I had a Typing 1 class on manual typewriters with blank keys. To this day I can still type really fast---and use all of my fingers!! Not many people nowadays learn how to type correctly. During speed tests if you typed too fast all the keys would get jammed up. And you had to press really hard!!!

My sister had an IBM Selectric we had to ship to the west coast to her. She also had a Smith-Corona electric and we have a very old manual one stored in my cousin's basement. That one is interesting to look at but other than for decorating, I don't know if anyone would use it. I've seen them in thrift stores for a few bucks.

larknm

3-28-11, 10:42am

Nursng home or any other place where people might not be able to afford or learn to use a computer.

Juliska

4-20-11, 1:01am

Give them to the Typewriter Brigade! Let me explain: Every November there is an event called National Novel Writing Month (even though by now it's international). Thousands of people around the world attempt to write a 50,000 novel in thirty days. I accomplished this twice, in 2007 and 2008.

Here's the website: www.nanowrimo.org.

I use a computer, but there is a fun, fanatic crowd called the Typewriter Brigade who prefer, well, typewriters! There is always a long thread in the NaNoWriMo forums about typewriters, where to find one, how to repair one, etc. Many people post that they would love to write their NaNo novel on a typewriter if they could only find one.

So here is my plea: Go to the website. Join (it's free) so you can post. Then, in the forums, find the regional forum for your area, and post a message that you have typewriters you'd like to get rid of. I'll bet you will get a response, and your typewriters will go to good homes. Your manual typewriter will be especially coveted, I think.

Edited to add: NaNoWriMo is in November, its sister event ScriptFrenzy is in April, but the forums are active year-round.

If you have the patience, search in the website's NaNo Technology forum for the Typewriter Brigade thread, as well, and post there, too.

So many people bemoan that typewriters are just not around any more; you could make some NaNoWriMo writer really happy.

bae

4-20-11, 1:11am

My father-in-law still does all his writing on his trusty manual typewriter. I think it's pre-steam-power.

jp1

4-25-11, 11:05am

thinking back to my 8th grade typing class (1982) our school could only afford 2 electric typewriters. All the rest were ancient Royal manuals but we all got to rotate onto the electrics for a week so that we'd learn how they were different.