Category Archives: Thrift shop finds

December 14, 2016 · 6:04 pm

Mother’s Pie Crust

ye olde recipe boxe

I’ve been looking for one of these for some time. My mother had one similar, but with a tartan pattern and beige brown lid. It too was stuffed full of mostly handwritten recipes. I venture this came from the 50’s, judging by the handwriting (tiny and perfect) and the business card stuck inside, which has a phone number that begins with letters (GR in this case). Having searched most of the cards I’ve only found one that was typewritten, and of course it is clear and easily understood. It looks to be elite (12 cpi), but from what machine? The stasi would have known these things! For those who might be making pies for the holidays, here is that recipe. Note the hopeful suggestion about fingers crossed.

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Filed under Cooking, Thrift shop finds, Typewriters

Tagged as index cards, pie crust, recipe box

October 27, 2016 · 5:49 pm

Shiny Black Things

Volkwagen

Seen last summer

Streamliner

Seen today

Can’t afford either one! OK, maybe the Remington, but $130? I have a Deluxe Model 5 already…I think it was $25.

Oh to be on the road in my VW with my Streamliner beside me on the seat, typing as I drive along. Ridiculous, you say? Yes, but how many people died because some idiot was typing while driving? My guess, very very few. How may have died because some idiot was talking, texting, or browsing their smartphone? My guess, thousands. Once again, the typewriter proves its worth.

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Filed under Street photography, Thrift shop finds, Typewriters, Uncategorized, Vintage cars

Tagged as remington streamliner, vw beetle

September 19, 2016 · 5:10 pm

JP-3 Sighting

Brother JP-3, Profile 720 model

Mint condition, rare JP-3 model with parallel action carriage shift, push button ribbon selector, wide carriage and all original papers. I have nowhere to put this, but if it had been regular carriage and $20, who knows?

P.S. more photos of the paperwork. It was made in 1967, and had a rapid paper feeder!

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Filed under Thrift shop finds, Typewriters

Tagged as brother profile 720, jp-3

September 13, 2016 · 10:05 pm

Typewriter Love, Italian Style

beautiful curves

More about the machine: a close inspection reveals this is really well built, like indestructible! The mechanics of the carriage are unlike most every other typewriter; it has large dished bearings which hold a thick stainless steel bar that carries the carriage. Basically a larger and much stronger version of the Lettera 22. It feels like a 22 as well, with the precise but soft touch. Quiet, too, for a typewriter! From the small number of these that I’ve ever seen in the shops, they weren’t terribly popular, and perhaps were quite expensive. One can imagine this would have been high priced – it appears to be made with no expense spared. Even the case is different; a truncated pyramid shape when stood upright. By the serial number the TWDB says it was made in 1961 or 1962.

carriage runs on this round rail – note the huge pinch rolls

innards

oversized platen for this scale of machine

elegant keys

large folding paddle like lever is easy to push

right side – note the scooped lower edge! So subtle..

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Filed under Thrift shop finds, Typewriters

Tagged as olivetti studio 44

August 25, 2016 · 11:35 am

The Road to Elvis

Elvis with his phonograph/amplifier

When I discovered long ago that I shared my birthday with Elvis, it came as something of a shock. Despite knowing that millions upon millions of people had the same birthday, January 8, somehow I relished the thought of Elvis and I as birthday buddies. When I was a young teen I even bought several of his current hits on 45, including Return to Sender, She’s the Devil In Disguise, and One Broken Heart for Sale. Two of those must have been on one 45, but I can’t recall which, nor the song that filled out the other missing side. I also had such hits as PT 109 by Johnny Horton, The Twist by Chubby Checker, and Hello Dolly by Satchmo. I’m slightly embarrassed by all this, with the exception of Louis Armstrong, who I still revere as a true musical legend. This may be apostasy with regard to Elvis, but I have this sinking feeling that Elvis’s fame, though seemingly immortal, will one day fade away to a footnote. Only his early stuff will, and should, endure as great music; the rest should be forgotten.

That being said, Elvis still exerts a strange fascination which was piqued yesterday in the aftermath of my examining an interesting old portable phonograph in a thrift shop.

it resembled a typewriter, but wasn’t

Opening the lid I saw it was a phonograph, and a very interesting one indeed. It was a Perpetuum Ebner Musical 5v Luxus, as near as I can determine.

Rex, stands for the King

I took a picture of it and went home. Later I did some research. Now I wish I’d bought it, but when I returned this morning it had been sold. Perhaps another buyer had Googled it right on the spot and seen what it was! Maybe I’m fortunate however, seeing as how I really have no use for it, and nowhere to put it.

The point is of course, Elvis had one in Germany. He used it not only for listening to records but as an amplifier for his guitar.

What sort of look is this? Puzzlement, curiosity, or disdain?

the one that got away

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Filed under Technology, Thrift shop finds

Tagged as elvis presley, perpetuum ebner, portable phonograph

June 25, 2016 · 4:07 pm

Seiko Time

Seiko Sportsmatic 1970’s – hidden stem at 4 o’clock

I recently acquired two 1970 era Seiko wristwatches in thrifting expeditions. The first was a lovely and elegant Sportsmatic. I wiped it off and have been wearing it for months now. It loses one minute daily, which I can live with. I may crack open the case and adjust it soon however.

Seiko 7006-5019 blue face

The second watch I found last week – a square blue faced gem in a man-sized stainless steel case. I polished the crystal with Brasso, which did an amazing job of removing most every little scratch. It needed a strap though, since the original steel band had been made so small it didn’t fit my man-sized wrist. I then proudly strapped the watch on, only to discover that the second hand sometimes jammed against the minute hand. I would have to open the watch now, but I didn’t know how, since it was not like any watch I’d ever seen. It has two spring clips, which are between the lugs and only visible when the strap is removed. To remove the watch from the case, one pushes in these springs and pries out the case. The case-back is a steel clam-shell affair on which the crystal sits, gasketed to the rim. Once the case is opened the entire top part comes away leaving the watch with the crystal loose on top. I cleaned up the usual gunk and lifted off the crystal to access the hands. With a tiny bit of adjusting I got the second hand to clear the minute hand and assembled the watch. To get it to snap back together I inserted one clip first, turned the watch face down and pressed on the case until the second spring snapped into place. Once you know how, it’s dead simple and very ingenious.

Both watches have a similar auto wind function where the stem only sets the time but does not wind the mainspring. Winding is done by wearing the watch. The stems are made to fit well into the watch cases and thus do not protrude and catch on things the way most watch stems do. I don’t think these were expensive watches, so I admire how well they have lasted, both of them around 40 years old and running quite well.

back side of blue faced

back side Sportsmatic

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Filed under Thrift shop finds, Watches

Tagged as Seiko watch

June 13, 2016 · 11:00 am

Iridiumland, or the mighty quill

parker 61, online, manuscript (callig), parker 51, waterman, pelikan, shaeffer “touchdown”

now that is fine dining!

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Filed under Pens, Thrift shop finds

Tagged as fountain pen collecting, manuscript pen, online pens, parker 51 pen, parker 61 pen, pelikan pen, shaeffer touchdown pen, waterman pen

Gallery

Alone, I Hunted

BJORN FACIT

5 Comments

May 19, 2016 · 9:16 am

May 3, 2016 · 9:55 pm

Remembering the Imperial Yeomanry

25 cents, from a bin of old postcards. Trafalgar Square, with an interesting note about Boer War veterans in very beautiful handwriting. But how is it that an English postcard would have instructions for stamps in cents?

The Oliver Courier

Last weekend I happened upon an interesting looking typewriter case in a local “curiosity shop”. I didn’t recognize the case nor the machine when I opened it up, and the badge was missing. I found the nameplate on the back however, which said it was an Oliver, made in England. Now I know what it is. The Oliver Courier, aka Patria, and a number of other names. I returned with a box full of old cameras and we made a straight trade. It dates from 1956, and works very well still. I particularly like the typeface, which is pica of a most beautiful style. It is rather loud, and heavy of touch – it’s a man’s typewriter! Built to last. Heavy duty.

Oliver Courier c. 1956

The missing badge bothered me, so I found a photograph of it on line and made a quick imitation badge which slipped neatly into place through slots in the depression for it. Close enough, we’re not going for heritage status here.

THE TYPING SHELF

Wait – there’s more! Inspired by my serendipitous discovery of the art easel as typing desk I decided to make a portable shelf to use at the dining table, rather than be stuck in the basement where there are no windows. So I came up with this idea, and built it in a day from a 12″ x 48″ piece of 3/4 birch veneer plywood. It works very well, and I’ve tested it with heavy typewriters – it’s solid. By lowering the machine I find it much easier to type, and of course it’s a lot more pleasant to sit in the dining room where I have a huge window beside me, and where I can also look right down the hall to the backyard, where a pair of House Sparrows have taken up residence in one of the birdhouses I installed in the trees one year ago. Tenants at last!