Friday, February 13, 2009

Let's hope this doesn't morph into a new hoarding hobby

Ad posters from the sixties for the Olivetti Lettera 32 typewriter. Aren't they beautiful?


from here & here

I passed by Sungei Road yesterday and, surprised that the market was open (I had the idea it was a weekend thing), I popped by for a look-see. What I had in mind was camera bargains. What stopped me in my tracks was this lovely machine nestled in its matching box. Obviously old but still looking very gorgeous.



I almost walked away. I should not be spending money on things as random as typewriters. But my foot had not even lifted off the ground before I sort of pivoted and bent over to start poking at the keys. I was a little fearful when I asked for the price and was all ready to walk away at the sound of 40, 50 bucks.

When the uncle said 15 dollars, I started to ask myself, Now do you need thi...

But that was overriden by the other internal commentator who reasoned that 15 bucks is very reasonable even if this turns out to be just a display item. After one weak attempt at bargaining (I really suck at that), I was lugging the set with me.

As I walked away I wondered why I always end up leaving the Sungei Road market with enormously heavy things - I once lugged a really, really heavy bowling ball home because I wanted the bag it came in, the auntie refused to sell me just the bag or let me leave the ball with her, and I simply couldn't throw the ball away considering I technically just paid to own it.

But anyway. Back to the new toy. It comes in a cool box



you can flip close and just lift and go.



And printed on the inside box cover. I like the typeface.



Some time with Google churned out some interesting hits which included these tributes:

A Writer's Best Friend
The Advantages (and Romance) of a Typewriter
in the Computer Age

by Thomas Caldwell


and

An Explanatory Discourse
or Why I Use an Olivetti Lettera 32
by Matthew Smeal (Inspired by an email from Mr Robert McGowin)


both of which were pretty fun to read.

The Lettera 32 was popular with journalists and students. Certainly writing with a typewriter is very romantic. Completely understandable why creative types get smitten.

There are some descriptions out there calling the Lettera 32 "light" and "portable" which I find just a little misleading. It's 5.9kg. Technically, the term should be "light and portable for a typewriter".

I've slipped paper in to give it a go but whatever that's supposed to be moving, doesn't. The keys just keep typing on the same spot so unless all I want is to make black blobs in the middle of a piece of paper, I'm going to have to get someone to look at it.

More Googling trumped up these vendors. My favourite has to be Wan Shi Shun (means everything going smoothly) and after I bring it down, I'll let you know if this can be repaired or is destined to become a very heavy decorative piece.



(There are all these other immensely good looking Olivetti and non-Olivetti typewriters but we'll save that for another day.)

9 comments:

Shira Hime said...

wow! that's an amazing bargain! i've been thinking about getting one of these... should go to sungei rd soon hehe :D

(p.s. your blog is awesome)

Shira Hime said...

(and i totally know what you mean about hoarding... i have way too many cameras for my own good :( )

wallfleur_mama said...

thanks shira!

sungei mkt is such a hit and miss place but when you hit, oh man, it feel so shiok.

and yeah, the camera thing? it can get reeeally out of hand.

kid said...

man.. these things break your nails.. got my nail stuck in the spaces between the keys for a split second before and i was dripping blood cos it tore half my nail off.

i used to love them too.. my cousin had one so we will play typing on it... type type type... push lever to move onto next line... type type type.. haha... fun..

wallfleur_mama said...

oh man tts gross.

Anonymous said...

i really want to see the font of the type. Get it fixed quick!! - tfg

Anonymous said...

and... wth is jugoslavia?? - tfg

Anonymous said...

oooh, it's actually another name for Yugoslavia. - tfg

man, i'm like having a conversation with myself.

wallfleur_mama said...

uh huh