|
Collections are most usually comprised of things that are small. If you want to have hundreds of something, it has to fit in your home, right? What if you wanted to collect something larger? If you are a writer, you may or may not have one of those old Remingtons sitting around, those things you used to use before the computer became our main source of writer output. Collecting old typewriters is a fond pastime for many writers, but they are so big and bulky that it can be a difficult collection item. Sure, you can stack them in their cases in the attic or basement, but you won’t get much joy out of them this way. Perhaps if you have a great deal of money you can construct a shed or building specifically for housing your antique typewriters, but what about the rest of us?
Old typewriters are more easily found than you might imagine. I recently picked one up at a garage sale for three dollars. This typewriter is at least sixty years old and works perfectly. Garage sales are the best places to pick up typewriters as their owners are just looking to unload the junk from their attics, basements and closets. You can get your best deals here because your typical neighbor isn’t out to gouge you. Of course you can purchase them at antique stores, but you are likely to be paying a great deal more. Flea markets are also good places to pick these up and I have also seen some great prices at online auctions. Make sure the typewriter works and that you can still get ribbons for them, this will add greatly to their value. A case and instruction manual are also value adders.
Once you get your collection going, what do you do with them? If you are like most collectors, you will want to display your collection proudly throughout your home. One way to display typewriters attractively is to place them on shelves. You can construct one long shelf that extends the length of a wall to display typewriters, or you can stagger smaller shelves along the wall to place one typewriter on each shelf. Either of these is attractive. Another way to display your typewriters is to loan them to a museum. If your local museum is looking for a display, they may be happy to have your collection on loan. They will provide the display space, you will have the joy of sharing your collection with the public and also solve the problem of storage.
Don’t forget to take out your old typewriters and use them once in awhile. Get some nice stationary and write some letters to friends or relatives. It will be a letter that will be saved and not tossed as it brings back fond memories of the days when folks used to correspond with each other to keep in touch. Half of the joy of owning a collection is being able to use your collectibles, don’t keep them under glass unless they are extremely fragile or breakable!
|
| |
