Where to buy a Selectric?

[Scott Stevens]

On Thu, 29 Dec 2005 19:11:55 -0800
"Chuck Guzis" <cclist at sydex.com> wrote:

> On 12/29/2005 at 8:17 PM John Allain wrote:
> 
> >You know the entire outer shell drops away with two lever pulls, right?
> 
> Yup, I've been that far.
> 
> >I've removed the main drive engine from a Selectric (where the
> >belt passes) and would say it's worth the effort (not much effort)
> >compared to the incomprehensible geometry of it's lever upon
> >lever system for translating key to typehead.  Aside: someday
> >I would like to hear said system described by someone.  I've
> >found it fascinating.
> 
> It's that part about pulling the driveshaft that scares me.  I think of all
> of those little springs that are just waiting to go off if I make one false
> move and I break out in a cold sweat.  Maybe if I had a step-by-step list
> of instructions, I wouldn't be so shy.  Belts aren't expensive at all.
> 

And these days, Selectrics aren't expensive either.  It's a sad
state of affairs, because I remember how much I admired and
wanted one of those expensive things back when I was young.  At
an auction I went to within the last year I bought one, I believe
for $3 or so.  The other people at the auction acted like I was
nuts for wanting it (the same way they always get when I buy
computers-that-can't-possibly-run-Windows-XP.)  The only
competition in the bidding for choice items on that table (a
table full of typewriters) was for a few of the newest electronic
typewriter/word processor machines.  

There's really nothing else to compare to the immediacy of using
a typewriter.  These days everything written is transferred into
an electronic ether, to possibly be printed someday, more likely
to just disappear.  It's a very 'real' experience to type a page
of thoughts direct to a piece of paper.  And it is something that
many people no longer experience.