7/30. Typecasting my awesome things.

Like yesterday, for example. I thought I’d blog about thrifting, because I seem to be doing that quite often lately, whether online or offline. The pretty vintage dress *points to picture* was delivered to me yesterday from UkayManila (Thanks, Lauren!), and I have another one coming from InTheFishbowl tomorrow. OAN, I thought it would also be nice to blog about this book I just started reading, The Virgin Suicides, and a bunch of other books lined up for me after I finish reading this one.

(You know what, I might just blog about these next time!)

Now, you see, I’ve been typing about these things with my Olympia, too. (I know, what a nerd, right?) I initially wanted to type something coherent, only I ended up typing random thoughts throughout the day. Oh well.

Anywayyy. It’s Henry’s turn to speak now. Check out my second typecast, twitter style, just because typecasting is awesome like that. :)

Noteworthy:

• This typecast happened on the same day I blogged with my Nokia E71, but my posting schedule has been messed up already so try not to bother yourself with those details anymore okay. My WordPress is following the PST time, that’s why you’re seeing the right dates. ;)
• Hence, the “Scandinavian-looking” dress with blue-and-red floral pattern from The Reading Room was the one in the photo of the previous post.
• And the dress in the photo above is the one I got from Ukay Manila. :)
• Henry is the name of my typewriter, in case you didn’t catch that in the previous posts, and lest you start thinking that I’m typing a love letter to some guy named Henry.
• I’m sleepy now. Bye.

Typecasting is awesome. Zzzz.

30 Days of Awesome, 7/30.

Let it be known that today, July 24, 2009, I found my first typewriter. At Office Warehouse. In the same shelf where the printers, calculators, and USB gadgets are. Right beside the office desks where I’d usually hang out checking out stuff I need for my home office. How come I didn’t notice the typewriters there before?

2/30. Meet Henry, My Olympia Traveller Deluxe

It wasn’t love at first sight though, mind you. You see, a few hours earlier, I was able to get my hands on an actual, oh-wow-I-can-feel-it-in-my-fingers vintage Hermes 3000 at the Grand Thrift Shop at Cubao Expo. The guy was selling it to us at PhP 2900, waaay cheaper than the $250 (+$150 shipping) unit I’ve been considering to purchase from an Etsy store. But the Hermes 3000 at Cubao-X was old and rickety and unmaintained. It could type a bit, but it kept getting stuck. The owner said he was selling it mostly as a decorative element.

But I wanted a typewriter I can use!

So we left, had dinner, and passed by Office Warehouse because I still couldn’t get over the fact that I almost got myself a Hermes 3000. And there it was. The Olympia Traveller Deluxe. It wasn’t eyecandy as the other typewriters I saw online, but I had to try it. The moment I started typing, and heard the clickity-clackity sound that came with each press of a key, I knew I found my first typewriter.

I have to forgive myself for breaking the habit and posting 2 hours late (MNL time), on my 2nd-friggin-day into this 30-day challenge. I prepared a different post for this day, but that was before I knew I was going home with an Olympia tonight.

July 24′s awesome thing has got to be this: finding a typewriter in the most everyday of places and finally getting myself one. A close second would be, finding out that a typewriter ribbon costs 16 pesos at Office Warehouse. That, ladies and gentlemen, was how much technology costed in the yesteryears. Awesomecakes.

And so, my first typecast. (Whut? You don’t know what typecasting is? Hello, Strikethru.)

Reference to the novel by Audrey Niffenegger, “The Time Traveler’s Wife”,
where Clare is the Wife, and Henry, the Traveler.

Jody says she’s a dinosaur for getting attracted to typewriters. So what am I now, giving names to typewriters and writing typing them love letters? A trilobite? Awesome.

30 Days of Awesome, 2/30.

This new hobby/interest/addiction of mine is starting to make me crazy, I even dream about it sometimes. But I shall not stop until I find a typewriter that has my name on it. I need just one, and then I’ll shut up.

Some of the typewriter shops online that I frequent recently:

Poetictypewriters.com

Poetictypewriters.com is actually kind of new, I just found out about it today through Uppercase. I’ve been eye-ing one of their typewriters already (the 1950s Hermes 3000), have found my way to their etsy store, and have messaged the owner to know if they ship to the Philippines. That’s my main problem, actually. Most online shops that sell typewriters ship only to the United States and Canada, I have yet to see a local site selling typewriters.

* * *

Vintagetypewritershoppe.com

Vintagetypewritershoppe.com is the first (uh) vintage typewriter shop I ever laid eyes on. I know, the site does look vintage in itself (Web 1.0, anyone?), but it’s surely a treasure chest. The items are quite expensive though, compared to some of the typewriters being sold in Etsy or Ebay, but the owner of this site looks to me like a veteran antique collector who knows a lot about repairing and maintaining vintage typewriters. I bet all of these babies are properly maintained and are in good condition.

* * *

Collectorsweekly.com

Collectorsweekly.com sells all sorts of collectors items — from gadgets to jewelries to coins and stamps and books. They do have an entire page dedicated to typewriters, and it’s so far the widest collection of typewriters I’ve seen online. Some of the typewriters, however, are being sold really cheap because they’re not in good condition. Then again, you can always opt to have them repaired yourself, and you still would’ve spent less.

I have sent emails today, asking these shop owners if they ship to the Philippines. I’m thinking they might agree, but the shipping costs would probably cripple me. Ouch. I wait and see.

The one thing I haven’t done yet, though, is to find local typewriter stores myself — they just probably don’t have websites yet. I hear that Office Warehouse sells typewriters. Or, maybe a trip to Quiapo is all I need.

A typewriter.

Yep. A vintage typewriter in all its oldschool glory.

I’m not sure what I’d use it for, really, and where exactly I’m going to put it, considering my place has been filled up with furniture and stuff I don’t need. But hey, maybe when I have it, I’ll start sending people oldschool greeting cards with typewritten messages. That would be soo cool.

Anyone please tell me where I can buy a typewriter?

*Photo credit: Audreyhepburncomplex.