Perhaps this is a justification post.
Trying to justify a new purchase.
I have this fetish for several things:
1. Things that hang from the ceiling [i.e. tissue paper balls, bird cages, oversized keys, etc. etc. ]
2. Old things. Vintagey old things.
3. Other things I shall not mention at the moment.
But this New Toy I’m talking about falls under the Number 2 category. Old, vintage.
I walked into an junk store this morning, looking for some old dishes, some treasure to pick up.
I walked around the corner and almost gasped out loud. Because this is what I saw:
An ancient typewriter.
Now, to some people, this is ridiculous looking.
To me, this is beauty in ancient form.
They also had this ancient movie reel there, which I looked up online after I got home… Ebay sells it for $300.
[photo courtesy of the world wide web]
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I couldn’t find a price, so I lugged this 40-pounder typewriter [no joke] up to the counter, much to the chagrin of the clerk, who thought such heavy [valuable] things should be left where they were unless a purchase was in the very near future. “It’s an antique!” she told me repeatedly, in a very meaningful tone of voice, as if she expected me to think I could buy a similar model at Walmart anyday. [Thank you, my good woman] She told me it had been there a long time, originally marked at $100, now reduced to under half price.
To buy or not to buy? That was the question.
Because, see, I had this old one sitting at home that someone had given me. Less than a month ago.
Rusty as could be. It had been sitting outside for years, thus the leaves all stuck in the keys.
My husband drastically raised his eyesbrows when I brought that thing home.
“Going to try to save its life?” He asked me. Or something to that effect.
I wanted to try. Especially since it was free. But I had [and still have] no idea how.
So when I sighted this one in perfect, I mean, perfect condition, just a little dusty, I was enamored.
No cleaning up, just buy a new tape and I could actually TYPE on it.
Visions of me sitting at this old jewel plunking away came to mind.
Also visions of there being no back-space key, and I wasn’t sure what I’d do with that. Learn to type more accurately, ahhh yes!
To buy or not to buy?
She bought.
[Never mind that it takes up all the space on the desk.
Never mind that it’s so huge.
Never mind that I now have two…]
Okay, okay, so I AM trying to justify this purchase!!!
I was wondering how I was going to break it to Husband that I spent $$ on an ancient typewriter…
I didn’t have to worry. Zoe did it for me. No tact involved.
Within a minute of him walking in the door –
Zoe: Hey! Do you want to see what Mommy got?
Ben: [looks at me puzzled] Hmm? Did Mommy buy something?
Zoe: [excitedly, at least she pumped it up] Yeah! Wanna see it?
Ben: Okay, sure, where is it?
Zoe: On the desk! It’s to write with!
Ben: very extremely puzzled now, especially with the very sheepish expression on my face
Zoe: [again] Wanna go see it?
In we all traipse. Me following behind like a little puppy, to see Husband’s reaction on The New Toy.
Ben: [surprised expression, jokes] Wow! That old typewriter sure cleaned up good!
Zoe: No, no, it’s a DIFFERENT one!
[whispers in his ear for added effect]
We bought it at a STORE!
Ben: Oooooh! [looks at me] Was it expensive?
Zoe: [answering for me, but really not having a clue] YES!! Yes it was!
Ben: Oooooooh!
Me: [jumping in to try to redeem the situation and chattering non-stop] I did pay $40 for it, but I looked it up online after I got home and because it’s in such good condition typewriters like this sell for $100-$500 [even though selling really is NOT what I have in mind for my Toy], and the old guy working there said it actually works – all I have to do is buy new tape for it – and I can actually TYPE on it [demonstrates the working non-sticking keys] and it’s in such GOOD condition [please see all the good points about this, please], just a little dusty, that’s all, and that old junk shop got it because an antique collector died and his son donated a lot of stuff to that shop, and OH, they had an OOOOLLLD movie reel there – IT ACTUALLY WORKS [!!] – that they were selling for $30, only I didn’t buy that because I wanted to ask you first [yes, $40 is somewhat justifiable to spend impulsively, but $70 for the two of them, no, so please know I was indeed thinking of you, dear husband], but I looked those up online and they sell for THREE hundred, exactly like the one I saw there!!……
He was watching me ramble, very amused I could tell.
BUT, my husband also loves old and antique and vintage…
And at this very moment, HE is back at the junk shop.
Just what New Toy do you think HE is buying?? :)
~clarita
