196X Andina Grafos #D5074
Status: My Collection
Hunter: Javier Vazquez del Olmo (Javi)
Created: 08-25-2022 at 07:19AM
Last Edit: 08-25-2022 at 07:19AM
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Description:
The Andina Grafos... What a good machine.
I can only say good things about it. Beautiful, pleasant to use and it has that underdog charm. Not the most common typewriter in Spain, definitely rare abroad, and always under the shadow of the mighty Olivetti. For each Andina produced there were dozens of Olivettis, the general public always had Olivetti in mind as the best typeriter (or even the only one), so there were very few fans of the awesome typewriters made by Talleres Alonso in Valencia. But what does an Andina offer that Olivetti doesn´t? The direct competitor would be the so-so Olivetti Studio 45, and the Andina Grafos looks definitely better, performs better as well and ages better too. A couple of nifty details that steal the show: the beautiful colors available (I have a baby blue one and this banana yellow) when Olivetti was going in the opposite direction when after offering the Pluma 22 in diffferent liveries then went for the unappealing green of the Studio 45 as the only option and the clear ribbon spools. I have never seen this little touch of color (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) in any other typewriter.
This unit needs a bit of maintenance to operate at 100%, starting with a non-vampiric ribbon, that is, one that doesn't disintegrate upon contact with sunlight.
Typeface Specimen:
Photos:
Hunter: Javier Vazquez del Olmo (Javi)
Javier Vazquez del Olmo's Typewriter Galleries [ My Collection ] [ My Sightings ]
Status: Typewriter Hunter
Points: 6476
The first typewriter I saw was my grandpa´s Olivetti Linea 98 at the office. It was just a curio for me. Then I was given a Nakajima, which I didn´t use and my grandfather took it from me because it was easier to handle than the bulky Linea 98. Now I own that typewriter, and I started a little collection in Valladolid, Spain. The Nakajima, which is "my" typewriter only returned home in 2017, almost 20 years later, when he wanted a better typewriter.
A collection that started small grew into something bigger, a nuisace for my family and a great source of satisfaction for me.
RESEARCH NOTE: When researching the Andina Grafos on a computer with lots of screen real estate, you may find that launching the Andina Serial Number page and the Andina Grafos By Model/Year/Serial page in new browser windows can give you interesting perspectives on changes throughout the model series.
