I am now offering limited quantities of Royal 10 metal spool ribbons as well as the hard to find 1 1/2" spool for Corona Four, Zephyr, Super G and many other typewriters that use the small spool. Look for those additions to the VTS Typewriter Ribbon page this week.
Due to high demand, I am now offering appraisals of vintage and antique typewriters. Why rely on shill bidded auctions, dishonest collectors or severely out of date web sites? I spend about 15 hours per week doing appraisals for individuals and organizations and I know current market values and interest. This week, a new web page will be added where you can buy an appraisal. Details of the appraisal cost, what is included and whether or not you should get an appraisal will be posted there. You just have to read ;-)
Last year was the busiest that I have ever had! It was a great year but definitely took it's toll. This year, I will not be offering any typewriters outside of the website. In the past, a customer would contact me about a certain make/model. I would dig through 2000+ machines to find what they wanted. After they committed to the typewriter, I would refurbish it, email detailed pictures and a paypal invoice. The typewriter never even made it to the website. I completed 122 of those transactions last year! Unfortunately, it is much more time consuming to find and sell un-refurbished inventory. This year I will sell only what is listed on the site. Those typewriters are refurbished and ready to ship. Thank you for understanding!
More information to follow in regard to emails!
6th Annual Christmas Sale, emails, inventory, the flu and a partridge in a pear tree ;-)
I want to thank all of my wonderful customers who, once again, made the Christmas Sale a huge success! I nearly sold all the available typewriters, sold out of ribbons twice and filled over 750 orders since November 15th. It also seems the paper, covers and pads were very well received and I'll be posting numerous feedback in regard to the last two months sales. Thank you so much! Your business is very much appreciated :-)
I currently have over 290 emails in the in-box. I also have many, many typewriters waiting to be refurbished. Today(1.15.2010) I am closing the shopping cart on the site. I simply cannot get caught up and still take orders. If you are a customer and have a question or issue with your order, please call me at 1.888.653.8973. If you are in need of a typewriter for a gift or other special occasion and can't wait until I reopen in February, you may also contact me at the toll free number. Anyone wanting an appraisal, wanting to sell or wanting information on their typewriter, please email me. I will respond as soon as I can. Thank You!
For the past 12 days I have been battling the flu and strep throat. Although I am feeling better, I am far from healed. Hopefully this "break" will give me a chance to catch up on much needed rest as well as the back log of correspondence. I have worked an average of 15 hours per day, 7 days per week since November 15th. I'm pretty tired ;-) Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Lastly, I want to let everyone know that I have not forgotten about anyone. There are many additional pictures, refurbs, special requests and the like that are still needed. I just have not had time to respond as quickly as I had hoped. Once an item sells, everything else stops until that item is packed and shipped. Every customer is important and everyone makes this business possible. I am just one person and have only so many hours in a day to get as much work done as possible. Thanks again so much for your business and I hope everyone has had a wonderful Christmas and New Year :-)
6th Annual Christmas Sale is here!
I'm still updating the site and adding new items! I've been busy since I shut down but I should be caught up by the end of November. Thanks for all the purchases and input over the past two weeks. I couldn't have done it without you :-)
Shutting down to prepare for the 6th Annual Christmas Sale!
We are currently closed in preparation for the 6th Annual Christmas Sale! We will re-open on November 15, 2009. If you need something sooner, please call me at 1.888.653.8973. Feel free to look around and thanks for stopping by The Vintage Typewriter Shoppe :-)
Major News 10.10.2009
Well, it's been a very busy year and I'm glad to say, my online inventory has finally started to get back to normal! Look for many "new" listings over the next two months as I prepare for this year's 6th Annual Christmas Sale.
The new VTS Typewriter Covers are coming! I receive so many emails about covers and I finally found a manufacturer here in the US that was willing to make them to my specs. It took more than 6 months and 22 US manufacturers, but it's finally become a reality!
No cheap shower curtain vinyl here! The VTS Typewriter Covers are made of lint-free, scratch-free micro suede! Each cover has an elastic drawstring and cord lock around the bottom. Super secure fit will keep out the dust and the material won't harm your finish! I will initially be offering them in two Universal sizes; Portable and Office Model. After the first of the year, I will be offering them in a smaller version for Corona 3's, early Remington portables, Underwood 3 Bank and other small, compact machines. You can get a sneak peak on the VTS Typewriter Pad page. I'm posting pictures tonight!
Due to the upcoming holiday season, I will not be refurbishing typewriters in November or December. If you have one that you plan to give as a gift, you need to get it to me ASAP. I simply won't have time to do any as I'm preparing for my Christmas Sale.
At the beginning of November, VTS will start offering a one year warranty on its usable typewriters! No one else offers anything close to a one year warranty! You're buying the best typewriters and they should have a quality warranty to match. Details will be added to the site via a "VTS 1 Year Warranty" page. The best typewriters now have the best warranty in the business! Are you really that surprised? ;-)
I have also hammered out a deal with a small but strong recycled paper company! VTS will be offering their 100% post-consumer, 100% recycled writing paper soon! This stuff makes the print quality amazingly crisp, easy to feed and it helps the environment! This is not your standard recycled copy paper, but a high-end writing paper. VTS is one of the few places you will be able to buy it. Two colors, White and Ivory, with matching envelopes. More products likely to follow. VTS is going to be your one-stop shoppe for all your vintage typewriter needs ;-)
Lastly, I plan on adding a gift and accessory page to the site. You will find vintage typewriter ads, vintage copy holders, vintage typewriter posters and other typewriter-related ephemera. I have tons of cool and rare items, so it should be fun just to look through! I hope to have the page and items completed before the Christmas Sale. Thanks again to everyone for your praise, support, input and continued interest. You are the reason The Vintage Typewriter Shoppe has become the leading online retailer of vintage and antique typewriters :-)
Thank You!
Labor Day Sale 2009!
Welcome to the VTS Labor Day Sale! Everything is available at 10% off list and you choose either a free VTS Typewriter Pad or Two Universal Ribbons! Use promo code LDPAD or LDRIB to receive the discount and free gift of your choice! Pads and ribbons are for typewriter purchases only. If buying ribbons, tins, manuals or pads, please use promo code LD09! The sale will end 9.7.2009 at 12:00 AM EST. Thanks for stopping by and have a safe holiday :-)
Back Open!
I have just reopened the site and shopping cart! Even though I was closed for two weeks, I still managed to get quite a few orders out the door ;-) I will continue to add "new" typewriters every week until I have increased the online inventory to around 100 typewriters total. Thanks again for your business and patience!
VTS Inventory Update
I just wanted to let everyone know that I am working hard to get new inventory added to the site! August has always been my slow month but that is not the case this year. When an order is received, everything else gets put on hold until the item is shipped. This is the reason my online inventory has been so low. I've sold over 12 typewriters that never made it to the website.
I am going to close the shopping cart from 8/18/2009 until 9/1/2009. Hopefully, this will give me about two weeks to do nothing but refurbish typewriters and get them listed. I will respond to email and take phone calls during this time. If you need a ribbon or anything else, just give me a call -888.653.8973 - or email me - vtsanswers@aol.com. I hope to add about 50 "new" typewriters over the next two weeks. Royal, Corona, LC Smith Corona, Underwood, Remington and many others in all three categories. Thanks again for your interest and patience :-) Scott
Severe Weather and Power Outages
Just a quick update on the weather situation here in Charlotte. Lost power/internet yesterday afternoon (7/28/2009) until this morning. Expecting the same severe weather over the next few days. I'm going to close the shopping cart for a few days. I just don't want someone to buy something and then not have access to email or online shipping. Please be aware that I may not have power or internet. Email response's will likely be delayed!
Look for several "new" machines to be listed after the storms and thanks for stopping by The Vintage Typewriter Shoppe :-)
Taking A Short Break!
The Vintage Typewriter Shoppe will be closed from July 1st through July 6th in observance of Independence Day! Thank you to all of my customers who made the 4th Annual Spring Sale such a huge success! Have a safe 4th of July :-)
New Site Design!
I implemented a new web site design today - June 5th! When I added the new page for the Typewriter Pads, the navigation bar required scrolling to view the entire bar. So, I jumped on the design program and moved the navigation bar to the left side. This is the most common configuration for web sites and it may take some getting used to but at least you won't have to scroll over to see all the pages ;-)
Typewriter Pads Have Arrived!
I'm happy to announce that the new VTS Typewriter pads are here! I will be adding them to the site Monday - June 8th, 2009! They are brand new and custom manufactured for The Vintage Typewriter Shoppe. These typewriter pads help reduce noise, eliminate vibration and the moving around of typewriters during use. They are made of 100% wool felt that is a little over 1/2" thick and they have a Neoprene, anti-skid bottom. You won't find a better typewriter pad anywhere!
4th Annual Spring Sale
The 4th Annual Spring Sale has been extended until June 30th, 2009! Unfortunately, I was unable to list as many typewriters as I had originally hoped. With the downturn in the economy, I have been overwhelmed with refurbs from ebay buyers and others who acquired typewriters from AS IS sources. I have now caught up and am going to be listing more typewriters(office models included!) over the next two weeks. Thanks again to all my wonderful customers who have purchased items from me! It's been a great sale so far ;-)
Email Issues
After recovering from a severe case of pneumonia last month, I have finally started catching up on my email. I have found a significant amount in my SPAM folder. To correct this from happening in the future, I have added the word "TYPEWRITER" to my email system. Please use the word "TYPEWRITER" in the subject line to insure your email is received. I rarely check my spam folder and don't respond to "no subject" emails. I still have about 135 emails in the box and will try to answer them all before the start of the sale. Please remember that I am the only person working here and have to handle all aspects of this business by myself. Thank you all for your understanding and patience :-)
Payment Options
Beginning this month VTS will start accepting gold and silver as payments for products or services. I have had a lot of interest in this and have completed several transactions using this method of payment. I will only be accepting bullion and coins. No jewelry at this time. I will honor spot prices depending on the current market price. If a deal is reached, then the current price of gold/silver at that time will be the trade price. If it goes down or up before the transaction is complete, the original deal will remain the same.
POSTAGE INCREASES FOR 2009
UPS has increased their Ground shipping rate by 5.9%. I will still offer FREE UPS Ground S&H to lower 48 United States addresses.
USPS has increased their Express Mail Service by 5.7% and their Priority Mail Service by 3.9%. I will now charge actual shipping less the $25 USD International Shipping Discount! Please email me for shipping charges.
