1968 Olivetti Lettera 31 #????
Status: My Collection
Hunter: Brad Sarno (bradsarno)
Created: 06-01-2014 at 11:41AM
Last Edit: 08-30-2020 at 05:22PM
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Description:
Please help me locate the serial number on this Lettera 31, same as Dora.
This great little typer was sitting at an antique mall for months, so finally I bit. At $24.50 I figured it was a nice little score. This one is in great shape, had a good ribbon, no issues, needed basic cleanup. The Lettera 31 is the same machine as the Dora, the Montgomery Ward Escort 33, Underwood 315 and probably a few others. Under the hood it is a Lettera 32 machine but with the tabulator removed, the touch control removed, and also no paper support either.
This one was actually made in Italy. I've seen so many of this machine variant coming from Spain and Mexico, but this is a real Italian machine. It types great, feels great, looks great on the page, and generally exudes that nice Olivetti quality. The plastic body is actually VERY thick and solid, a robust machine with a nice solid feel and sound. This has a smaller elite typeface that is not quite as small as 12-pitch, but it is smaller than 11-pitch.
The vinyl case is splitting here and there, but generally is in good enough shape to be a reliable protector and carrying device.
Once I find out where to find the serial number, then hopefully I can put a year on it. Any help here would be most welcome.
bradsarno@ymail.com
Typeface Specimen:
Photos:
Hunter: Brad Sarno (bradsarno)
Brad Sarno's Typewriter Galleries [ My Collection ] [ My Sightings ]
Status: Typewriter Hunter
Points: 2728
I've spent my life as a mechanical and electronics tinkerer, bikes, cars, lawnmowers, appliances, cameras, audio gear, guitars, amplifiers, and pedal steel guitars. I was trained as a typist for 2 years back in the late 70's on IBM Selectric II's. At home I recall my mother having an Olympia SM3. More recently we got our daughter a typewriter for Christmas, and that somehow sparked my own personal interest in these fine and interesting machines. Now it's a habit that just won't quit. Daily searches on Craigslist, frequent trips to antique stores & malls, garage sales, etc. It's a fun and healthy addiction.
RESEARCH NOTE: When researching the Olivetti Lettera 31 on a computer with lots of screen real estate, you may find that launching the Olivetti Serial Number page and the Olivetti Lettera 31 By Model/Year/Serial page in new browser windows can give you interesting perspectives on changes throughout the model series.
