Vintage TOM THUMB TYPEWRITER, Orig Box, Booklet, Works! - (eBay item 290173329723 end time Oct-28-07 18:59:01 PDT)
Are you into vintage typewriters?
This Tom Thumb typewriter is so like a real typewriter in weight and function that it's almost wrong to call it a toy. It comes complete with the original box and instruction booklet.
The box says it's Model 449E. Someone stamped the box several places, "February 34, 1957" and "Paid." While there aren't 34 days in February, I can believe the year is right.
The logo on the front says, "Tom Thumb Typewriter, Made in U.S.A., Patent No. 2,705,553, Western Stamping Co., Jackson, Mich." The lever on the right front is labeled, "Ribbon Reverse."
The ribbon box has a used ribbon in it and says, "Ribbon-Rite Ribbon for Ribbon-Rite Marking Machine for Dry Cleaning and Laundry Use. Re-order No. 1022. Textile Marking Machine Co., Inc., 2204 Erie Blvd., East. Syracuse 1, N.Y."
The original booklet says, "Tom Thumb Educational Toys" and shows the Tom Thumb Cash Register and the Tom Thumb Typewriter. Inside the booklet are the operating instructions with a diagram of the parts and another to show where to place your fingers on the keyboard.
It types upper and lower case letters, and the keyboard is a little different than a regular typewriter. The bottom row has fractions you can type by pushing the Figure Shift key which raises the platen very high to type them.
The top row keys are QWERTYUIOP and "#$%_&'()-.
The middle row keys are ASDFGHJKL and 123456789.
The bottom row keys are ZXCVBNM,. and 1/4 1/2 3/4 @ cent sign ?;:/.
Did you know there's a site on-line for fans of portable typewriters? Visit http://www.geocities.com/wbd641/toys.html to see many old models.
The typewriter measures 11" wide by 5" high by 10" thick. It weighs 7 lb. 1.4 oz. Original cost: $12.95 See more photos on eBay.
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