Sunday, February 12, 2012

Post(Card)-A-Day 12: Thoughts on Etsy Typewriters (1)


Looking at Etsy typewriters in descending order of price, one notices that the photography and descriptions get better at the high end of the range... naturally. Still, there is no better proof of the subjectivity of pricing than the fact that so many plastic typewriters - nicely photographed, but still plastic - are listed at such fantastic prices.

Of course, the best bargains are to be found in Europe :-), but here are a few typewriters on Etsy I would feel reasonably good about getting if I was in the market: Lettera 32, Olympia SM-7, Antares Parva, Underwood Noiseless Portable (with glass keys!).

Nothing quite like Robert's fine Condor, but it takes some patience and a bit of looking to strike Etsy gold!

9 comments:

  1. I probably need to give Etsy a try, having ready your write up. I think I remember it from ages ago when people just put up photos and drawings, but I may be wrong there. e(vil)-Bay certainly need some competition.

    [Also after having read some of your blogs i did wander over to e(vil)-Bay Chermany, and there's some really tempting Schreibmaschine there, particularly for me who has to write in Swedish quite often (and a Cherman keyboard has all, but one, Umlaut).]

    By the way - I like your photo of the early prototype Segway.

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  2. I do not know which I like best; the girl, the tricycle, your post or the typewriters on Etsy. I found Etsy sellers to be more truthful than those on Ebay. Most Etsy sellers at least know the basics of typewriters. I have bought typewriters from both and find there are inflated prices on both and really good prices on both. Both sites let buyers leave feedback and if I remember (been a few months sine I used Etsy) Etsy feed back can be more detailed that the short one liners on Ebay. Good post. Thank you. Another place in the States is Bonanza. http://www.bonanza.com/ This site requires a bit of waiting to find things as not too many people use it. There may be one typewriter there today and none for a few months. Then there may be several. I have even bought radio gear on Bonanza. The only problem I ever had is that the site is not popular.

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    1. Thanks for your nice comments as always, Bill, and for turning me on to Bonanza. I had never heard of it before. Some of the listings seem to be on Etsy also, but there are some interesting new ones. Bookmarked as another fine source of typewriter eye candy!

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  3. First, I was thrilled to see your postcard. That's the Grotemarkt in the Dutch city of Nijmegen where I lived for four years! Totally overshadowed the vintage bicycle for me.

    Thanks for the sensible review of Etsy, there are treasures to be found there indeed but I agree, it takes patience, patience, patience. The notoriously padded Etsy pricing is such a big turn off, I usually just switch to ebay.

    That said, whoever bought the typer you sold is one very lucky person.

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    1. What a cool coincidence! The back of the postcard explains that the tricycle was made in England in 1882, and the picture was taken at a collectors' event called Velorama that was held in Nijmegen :)

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  4. Etsy does seem to be an expensive but classy place, relatively intelligent and genteel. (Craigslist is at the bottom of the IQ scale but does offer great deals sometimes; Etsy is at the top; and eBay is in the middle.)

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    1. Indeed - I almost forgot about Craigslist. Obviously I haven't had any occasion to use it, but I would imagine it is like our own local classifieds sites here, with unbelievable deals to be found every once in a blue moon... I'm still on a high from an olive green Groma Kolibri I got that way last year!

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  5. I have to agree with you! Etsy is way better than eBay. The products are much better and the layout makes it easier browse and everything looks more attractive. But most sellers are form US, few include shipping to Europe and when they do the shipping cost are unaffordable.

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    1. Fernando, for Europeans I think there is little point in purchasing from Etsy - shipping is expensive and there is rarely anything which cannot be found over here with a bit of luck. You are better off browsing the pretty pictures or maybe even selling something of your own :-)

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