1972 Adler J5 #4973959

Status: Sightings
Hunter: Brian Decker (bkdecker66)
Created: 09-07-2026 at 01:29PM
Last Edit: 09-07-2026 at 02:03PM

Description Hunter 11 Photos 0 Likes  Find on Ebay #AD  Find on Etsy #AD

Description:

2026-SEP-07, Gallery Creation.

This typewriter is from the Mike Meakin collection. Mike was the owner of Abacus Office Machines in Spokane, WA, which he started in 1961. Mike retired in 1992, leaving the operation of the business to his children. In addition to running a successful office machine business, Mike was an avid typewriter and adding machine collector, whose collection grew to over 450 machines over time. Mike passed away in 2025, and his children are now gradually selling off his collection. His daughter, Trudy, has graciously allowed me to create TWDB galleries for Mike's machines, to add to our knowledge base.

This is the other of two very similar 1972 Adler J5s from Mike's collection. This one also was listed on eBay, and it sold on 5/30/2026.

Typeface Specimen:

Links:

• Previous Meakin gallery, Adler J5 #4804176 (1972)
• Next Meakin gallery, Olivetti Lettera 32 #1603330 (1968, made in Barcelona)

Photos:

Front, closer view, with paper inserted.

Another front view with paper inserted.

Front, higher angle view, no paper inserted.

J5 label detail.

Type basket.

Serial number.

Underside.

Front of case.

Rear of case, focused on the hinges.

eBay main listing page, showing sold status.

eBay sold listing page.

Hunter: Brian Decker (bkdecker66)

Brian Decker's Typewriter Galleries [ My Collection ] [ My Sightings ]

Status: Typewriter Hunter
Points: 5924

My interest in typewriters started in 1997, when I was in graduate school at the University of Georgia. I purchased and read Darryl Rehr's book, joined ETC, and started reaching out to known collectors. I had several email interchanges with Richard Polt dating from that period. I also bought some of my first machines from Bob Aubert, and visited him at his home twice. After marriage and relocation to New England, I continued visiting antique shops and eBay, until other priorities put my typewriter hobby on hiatus around 2008.

In late 2024, I started up again, working on my machines and having some of them serviced professionally by New England Typewriter (NET) LLC (Merrimack, NH), until they closed their doors in December of 2025. Since mid-2025, I have been adding to my collection again, first with a Hermes 3000 purchase from NET, then with various auctions and purchases on eBay, when I find something that catches my eye.