Collection GuidesPhotographing a Typewriter: A Collector's Guide to the Record That Outlives the MachineA good photograph of a typewriter is an insurance document, an identification record, and a listing asset at once. Most collectors take none of the above. Here is the setup, the angles, and the habits that make a photograph worth more than the camera that took it.Department
Collection Guides
Machine identification, condition grading, market values, and the quiet craft of building a considered collection of typewriters spanning 1890 through 1980.
8 articles in this department
Collection GuidesPhotographing a Typewriter: A Collector's Guide to the Record That Outlives the MachineA good photograph of a typewriter is an insurance document, an identification record, and a listing asset at once. Most collectors take none of the above. Here is the setup, the angles, and the habits that make a photograph worth more than the camera that took it.
Collection GuidesInsuring a Typewriter Collection: What Coverage Actually RequiresStandard homeowners policies cap 'collectibles' at a few hundred dollars per item and pay actual cash value, not replacement cost. Here is how to schedule a typewriter collection properly — and why most appraisals are not worth the paper they are typed on.
Collection GuidesSmith-Corona Silent-Super: The Reporter's Portable ReconsideredOvershadowed by the Royal Quiet De Luxe on the collector market, the Silent-Super is arguably the better typing machine. Here is what it does well, where it struggles, and how to buy one.
Collection GuidesThe Royal Quiet De Luxe: America's Suitcase WorkhorseBetween 1939 and 1955 Royal built more Quiet De Luxes than any other portable in the American market. Here is how to read the serial, spot the good years, and avoid the tired ones.
Collection GuidesA Working Grading Standard for Vintage Typewriter ConditionTen letter grades exist in the wild; five actually mean something. Here is the working scale most serious collectors use, and how to apply it in ten minutes with a flashlight and a sheet of paper.
Collection GuidesValuing Rarity: Why the Rarest Machines Are Not Always the PriciestA 1902 Blickensderfer 7 sells for less than a 1959 Olivetti Lettera 22 in the same week. That is not a mistake. It is the market telling you what rarity actually means.
Collection GuidesSpotting Hidden Gems: A Field Method for Flea Markets and Estate SalesThe best machines rarely sit on the table under a sign that reads 'antique typewriter, £600'. They sit under a tablecloth, behind a broken lamp, in a leatherette case someone thought was a bowling bag.
Collection GuidesBuilding a Focused Collection Instead of a Room Full of MachinesTwenty typewriters chosen around a theme make a collection. Sixty typewriters chosen because they were cheap make a storage problem. Here is how experienced collectors close that gap.