1960 Royal Eldorado #E-4540095
Status: My Collection
Hunter: Mighty Jabba (MightyJabba)
Created: 06-12-2023 at 08:55AM
Last Edit: 06-12-2023 at 08:55AM
Description:
This was a $20 eBay buy-it-now that I got on a whim (I have trouble saying "no" to typewriters at this price point!). I knew it was basically just a version of the Royalite, but I was intrigued by the gold and black color scheme. Someone had written the name "PEOPLES" in marker on the top of the machine, on the gold part just above the keyboard, but I was able to erase it with some isopropyl alcohol. You can still barely see it if you hold it up to the light at just the right angle, but it's not visible normally.
The machine seemed to be working okay when I got it, and the seller had provided a typing test, but I soon found that the margins were being complete ignored and the line lock wasn't working. I disassembled it (and I must say I'm not a fan of how this machine is constructed -- putting the case back on is a pain!) and found that the mechanism for the "margin release" button was just gummed up and stuck. A little alcohol took care of that. I also added some new rubber feet since the existing ones were rock hard. Otherwise, it's working fine. It's not a bad machine, but the imprint could be better.
The main thing I like about it is the color scheme. When I got it, it didn't look that great since it was dirty and had obviously been dropped at least once. There were deep scuffs on the black parts of the case, but some Turtle Wax (and a little Sharpie in a couple of places) basically made those disappear.
The leatherette case is actually in pretty decent shape for once. These kind of soft cases usually don't seem to survive that well in my experience.
Typeface Specimen:
Photos:
Hunter: Mighty Jabba (MightyJabba)
Mighty Jabba's Typewriter Galleries [ My Collection ] [ My Sightings ]
Status: Typewriter Hunter
Points: 739
I'm relatively new to typewriter collecting, but am rapidly making up for lost time...
RESEARCH NOTE: When researching the Royal Eldorado on a computer with lots of screen real estate, you may find that launching the Royal Serial Number page and the Royal Eldorado By Model/Year/Serial page in new browser windows can give you interesting perspectives on changes throughout the model series.