197X Olivetti Studio de luxe #1288987
Status: My Collection
Hunter: Javier Vazquez del Olmo (Javi)
Created: 06-30-2019 at 03:31AM
Last Edit: 06-30-2019 at 03:37AM
Description:
There's a time for everything, and it looked like the time to get one of these typewriters would never come.
The Olivetti Studio de Luxe is a very common typewriter in Spain. You can find it almost everywhere but the trick is to get the right price. Sometimes they're very expensive, they can be cheap but in terrible condition, or maybe (this is the most common problem), they miss the case. Managing to get one with a decent price, in good condition and at a good time has taken me longer than expected, but here it is.
The problem with this model is the lack of information about it. I can't find anything here in the TWDB, nor anywhere else. A quick Google search points to a very common typewriter here in Spain, but not that common abroad. The only ones I've managed to see in another country have been sold from Spain at disgustingly high prices (as in twenty-fold the reasonable price. It really hurts.). This typewriter is basically a Studio 44 with a different bodywork. Maybe Olivetti tried to extend the life of their good semi-portable typewriters before plunging into plastic bodied models like the Studio 45 and Studio 46, so they gave the Studio 44 a more 70's look. The only good piece of information I've managed to get is a date written on the ribbon cover, which says 25-10-72. That could be the purchase date, and it's better than nothing. Spanish Olivetti s/n's are a total enigma, plagued by contradictions and hopelessly unable to match with anything, so anything comes in handy.
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 Olivetti Studio de luxe on a computer with lots of screen real estate, you may find that launching the Olivetti Serial Number page and the Olivetti Studio de luxe By Model/Year/Serial page in new browser windows can give you interesting perspectives on changes throughout the model series.