[GreenKeys] Typewriter keys

[Don Robert House]

I have often wondered the same questions Larry,

People are strange and different animals.  Some typewriters have  
changeable type, but you don't always get or may loose the key top  
that matches the print head, ball, etc.

I have lived through several of these theft scenarios.

At the museum we had a couple of kids that wanted anything as a  
souvenir so they walked off with a platen crank.  No use for it but  
they just had to have something.
I had to replace the top of the TD on a Model 35 ASR and on a Model 28  
ASR.  They were there in the morning and gone in the afternoon.  It  
seems the favorite key to pop off the M14, 15, or 19 is FIGS
I have no idea why, but I replaced that key top twice.  As far as the  
platen cranks were concerned I kept them off the machines unless I was  
demonstrating them.
We roped off some of the areas so that the keyboards were harder to  
get at.  We also lost some of the M33 friction feed platen knobs.  So  
had to lock them up as well.
The one that surprised me the most was someone actually pulling a  
whole keylever out of a M35 keyboard.  Luckily I still had a couple in  
the parts cabinet.

I also noticed that the M35 ASR at the Museum of Science and Industry  
in Chicago is also missing the top of the TD.

Our Packard Club used to put on mall shows to raise money.  One of our  
members displayed his beautiful 1926 Touring Sedan.  Some idiot  
removed one of the very rare period valve stems letting the air out of  
one of his tires.
It took a couple of months and a bit of our treasury to buy him a  
replacement.  At another one of our shows someone lifted a new old  
stock hub cap.  At another show they stole one of the car's license  
plates.

SIGH  I do not have the answers... only the questions remain.

Don
www.websthots.com/user/realstuff



On 2 Dec 2008, at 7:22 PM, Larry Tighe wrote:

Begging your pardon per the only dumb question is the one not  
asked............

What is with eBay listings for typewriters?  The keys ...what are  
people doing with them?  One guy has a nice Smith Corona and sez he'll  
cut the keys off "long" so you can do what you want with them !   
WHAT?  Cut the keys off? WHY?

I picked up my Model 26 at an auction house...it was pristine and like  
new but 2 or 3 keytops were missing.  They were in the eBay pix and  
gone when I got there.  He said well, you know how people steal  
them.....WHY?  What possible use can they have?

lar
Larry
www.antiquetelephone.com
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