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Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Hammacher Schlemmer Flimflam?

Witness the Classic Manual Typewriter for sale at Hammacher Schlemmer, a catalog retailer in the U.S.. Priced at $199.95 and sporting a profile not at all dissimilar to a late-model Brother, this machine is supposedly newly manufactured, "not refurbished" (as the catalog proudly states.)

Just for comparison's sake, here's my own machine: $3 from the thrift store, plus a can of automotive paint:

Brother Correction 7, After

I bet $199.95 spent at someplace like Cambridge Typewriter will get you a better machine than this new "Royal" whatever-it-is, and will actually last, too.
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6 comments:

  1. Richard PFebruary 29, 2012 at 5:46 PM

    Yeah, 200 bucks for this is 200 bucks down the drain. However, it seems to indicate that manual portables are still being made in China, which is kinda nice to know.

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  2. Lauren HairstonMarch 1, 2012 at 7:23 AM

    Sheesh! My 1930s Corona cost less than that.

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  3. mpclemensMarch 1, 2012 at 9:14 AM

    Lauren, I'm sure that Corona is a lot better-looking, too. And has another few decades in it.

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  4. notagainMarch 1, 2012 at 4:18 PM

    Oh for pity's sake! That would buy half my collection! It is too reminiscent of the SuperDeluxe

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  5. notagainMarch 1, 2012 at 4:23 PM

    and here is a blatant falsehood: "The 44 keys make 88 symbols in 10-characters-per-inch Pica 87 font."
    the period, at least, would mae the same character.

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  6. MarkMarch 7, 2012 at 4:02 PM

    I have one of those, given to me as a gift and actually my first typewriter. It is highly disappointing, and not a Royal at all. I know it's not a Royal because I saw an indentical "Olivetti" somewhere.

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