1969 Olympia SM9 Named "Olivia" - Read About Me - Great Value & Soft Cream Color

Description

Short Story:
If are you seeking just a solid performing typewriter, Olivia is your gal.
Olivia’s Story:
I was telling KB to use of the names he’s used before as he’s used about 200 different names since blokes like me morphed into his typewriters.  But, he refuses.  So, I’m a typewriter that’s looking to get Physical, Physical…  So, let me hear your body talk.  I am so sorry if my song from 1981 is going to get in your head like it’s going through KB’s head RIGHT NOW.
KB had a HUGE crush on me growing up and when he saw the beauty and 80’s filtered softness as he looked at me and said, Olivia…  He was thinking about Olivia Wilde and the song written for her by John Mayer called Something Like Olivia, but his days of watching Xanadu and Grease over and over on HBO along with the wired remote to change the channels back then.  He was actually watching Grease feeling weird about looking still crushing on a high school girl, but he felt a lot better when I told him I was 29 years-old at that time.
Well, I have to admit that KB was a bit upset when I arrived because the seller seemed to have hidden my scratches just above my right chin – See pics.  KB gets a little mad when he sees sellers do this because he’s thinking about typewriters buyers on eBay are getting, and they don’t know now to make adjustments that took KB years to figure out.
When KB bought this typewriter, the seller did mention a couple of stuck keys, but KB has them unstuck but is going to give a hefty discount anyway in case they start sticking again.  He did get a pretty good deal on this typewriter so he didn’t worry so much about the scars about my chin…
Personally, I know that I’m prettier than those boxy 1970’s SM9’s, but this dang minimalist modern style that KB never sees going away as the Bauhaus pieces like the Barcelona Chair (1929) and Eileen Gray’s Table E 1027 (1927) and many others have never gone out of style.
So, let’s get Physical so I can get your brain in shape and help with the distractions of the computer that drives us CRAZY!!!  Well, here’s KB…
KB Here…
Wow, forgot all about the crush I had on Olivia growing up!!!  She’s really a beautiful machine and has a soft cream color as some of these 1968 or 1969 Machines can be kinda white.  Like the boxy, as Olivia says, SM9’s will never go out of style, there is no way this classic machine will either.  This typewriter pretty much has the same guts as the 1970’s SM’s, and you have to be so careful with the 1964 to 1967 SM9’s because their foundations can come apart during shipping.  I haven’t had this problem with the 1968-69 SM9’s for what it’s worth.
The ___ keys were the ones sticking and they definitely are not sticking now.  Sometimes when I’ve sold machines where I fixed sticky keys in the past, a buyer would have some problems after receiving the typewriter but most of the time, they’ve never had a problem.  Usually the sticky keys have some residue where someone used WD-40, but I usually get all of that off.  And, sometimes the hammer/typehead that hit the ribbon/paper get bent to the left or right and with a quick adjustment, it will never stick again.  I’ve found that by giving 0 off for something that I didn’t have to mention is fair.  And, one time I sent a typewriter that kept sticking, and I simply refunded the buyer for the full amount along with the shipping costs they paid.
So to be so wordy, but this isn’t a purchase, and you’ll be using Olivia for decades.
And, the person that gets it from you will use it for decades.
Better than the cell phone, right?
I WILL PAY shipping back and forth if the typewriter is not as described or broken, but I want to see if there's an easy adjustment that will get your typewriter working correctly before I pay for shipping back and forth since it's expensive and will cause me to raise my prices.
To Save Time for you reading through my typewriters I think by rating (based on the 100’s of typewriters I’ve used in the past) what I look for in a typewriter geared for a writer is the best way to get a lot of information quickly.  Also, PLEASE read my typing sample where I am actually using the typewriter and discussing what's good and what's not so good...
Rating/Review
Rating Scale – 1 Terrible, 5 Good, 10 GREAT / Approximately on 4/15/20 I stopped giving typewriter scores higher than 10 to avoid confusion.  Please understand that I'm comparing my typewriter to ALL manual typewriters on eBay in which most are straight from estate sales and the buyer is afraid to clean, etc. because of possibly doing damage to the typewriter
Platen and Rollers    10
In GREAT Shape - Like Olivia in the Movie, Physical - Well Almost :-)
Ease to get mark      10
Get a mark was NO PROBLEM - This will definitely help you write more that what you planned on writing...
How Snappy is it      10
Olivia is Greased Lighting Fast - (That's so BAD it could be funny)
Exterior Condition     9.5    She has a couple scratches on the right side of her front cover - I'm putting a 9.5 because I'd put a 12 because this paint is really special.  Maybe I'm seeing more cream because I've been listing a lot of 1970's SM9's, which are whiter than Olivia.
Mechanics              9
I worried about something I shouldn't be worried about, but I want you to be more than satisfied if you buy Olivia.  Remember the 68' and 69's have better materials that the 70 to 78 SM9's... Everything is in tip-top shape -
Tabs are working for me as I did test this typewriter and used the tabs for my paragraphs,
BUT I CANNOT GUARANTEE THE TAB SYSTEMS, OR I WOULD HAVE TO RAISE MY PRICES.  If it’s a deal breaker, please contact me.
Quality of Machine    11
The quality of the Olympias are unparalleled, especially after being check through and cleaned out.  Actually, there's more quality in these 68-69 machines compared to the boxier white 1970-78 SM9's.  The chrome is UNBELIEVABLE
Cleanliness           10
You can see how clean she is
Ribbon – All are New  11
Just got a new shipment from Ribbon Unlimited, and these ribbons are especially wet.  Also, they have a bigger rivet to help the mechanism change directions.
Backspace Key         10
Works great without problem
Return Smoothness     10
Solid, VERY quiet, and smooth (no escapement problems whatsoever)
Feet                  10
Feet are great, like most Olympia SM9's
Case – Looks          10
This case is beautiful but not as protective as Olympia's hard cases.  You have to be careful about the zipper as well it's starting to separate.  If you plan to take this typewriter in its case more than once a month, let me know, and I'll try to switch out a case but might have to charge more because I'll be taking off for this case
Case – Hinges/Lock Key?  8
Zipper is starting to come apart
History of this model  11
Kurt Vonnegut, Neal Simon, Sam Shepard, Tennessee Williams (SM8), Harlan Ellison, Jon Cleary, J.G. Ballard, Marguerite Yourcenar, and Paul Auster wrote a book about his Olympia…
Pica or Elite        Olympia Pica - 10 Pitch/Characters per inch
* Snappy
, to me, is how fast the hammer hits the paper and goes back down, which is VERY important for someone that types 40-50 WPM or more.  Also, more important for those who use all their fingers.
* Quality of Machine
– This is based mainly based on how expensive was the machine at the time (A Mercedes (Olympia) costed more than a Chevy (Royal) or Ford (Smith-Corona)) – Note that the Silent Super is more like a Loaded Lincoln, in my opinion if it was cared for
* Cleanliness
is how I’m comparing this machine to other decent typewriters on eBay. (12 would mean as clean as a restored one)
* History
– What authors used a typewriter like this one?
*** ALSO, I am comparing this particular to all the Smith Corona’s, Hermes, Royal’s, Facit’s, Olivetti’s, and some supposed high-quality German typewriters I’ve used and done 200+ typing samples with…
Pricing
My thoughts on pricing - 0 for a mint/new 1969 SM9 and Case
Minus 0 – For the sticky keys, which are not sticking at all right now
Minus -  Case is separating like these 68-69 cases often do
Minus -  The scratches on the right side of her cover and on top, as mentioned and shown in pics
Plus - {{detail_product_description}} -  The paint color is special when I look at her, and it's original
Comments about the pricing
For what I do, I should be charging between an estate sale typewriter and a restored model and probably more towards the restored model end since I've cleaned/serviced and sold over 275 typewriters.  Usually, a decent Olympia SM9 goes for 0 plus shipping and a restored one goes for 0 plus shipping.  So, my price at 5 is quite fair since this typewriter performs close to the restored level (that's a big promise, I know).
Below is the same for all my listings
This is a summary of what I do for each typewriter I sell:
- Select the best typewriters for writing from my research and my personal experience of trying MANY different typewriters that were used by famous writers
- Make sure all the functions are working properly and if it’s something difficult, I take it to a repair professional.
- Clean and dust typewriter along with using a cleaner that gets the WD40 oils out that are BAD for typewriters and leaves an extremely light protectant against rust, etc. in the future (Nu-Trol Control Cleaner for Electronics (Phoenix Typewriters swears by it)
- Clean out typebars, as you can see in the picture, and this is why my typing samples look so good.  I do clean out the typebars BEFORE I do the typing sample.  So, you’ll see some black on the typebars when your machine arrives
- Make sure that the capital and lowercase letters are aligned and hitting the platen where they should be
- Clean out the typewriter case and will often make small repairs and/or reinforcements if needed
- Check and flush out the encasement if needed so that your typewriter returns smoothly/quietly or I note and reduce the price
- Make sure the rubber feet are acceptable and will use a rubber rejuvenator for the feet and also a platen rejuvenator if needed
- Your return shipping is covered by me if the typewriter is not working like I explain in the writing sample (I will not pay for repairs, see note below)
- Polish chrome parts and compound wax typewriters with smooth finishes.
- Take off the clear card holder that's on the right and left side of where the typehead hits the paper and clean along with making adjustments if needed
- Carefully pack your typewriter in a custom-sized box and will secure the carriage to avoid shipping damage.
- Will usually mail/ship out the same day if you buy before 11:00 am and can sometimes after but will definitely mail the following day at no extra cost.  I put 1 day to make sure I can follow through.
- Please note that shipping the typewriter properly is the most important factor of buying a typewriter in my opinion. You must lock the carriage, stuff the basket with bubble wrap, engage the shift lock key, and shrink wrap the carriage so it will not move AT ALL. Otherwise, you will have escapement problems causing the typewriter to make a grinding sound when you make your rewarding carriage return to your next line to your next page without distractions!!!
Also, your typewriter will come in a new custom-sized box to ensure its typing for you like it’s been typing for me.
If this is your first typewriter purchase, it’s going to take a little while to get used to snapping your fingers instead of the tapping we have done for years on a computer keyboard.  You certainly do not have to buy my typewriter, but I would strongly suggest that you buy one that is working really, really well.  The first typewriter I bought was a piece of crap because I was in grad school without any money.  I was done with typewriting until I saw Tom Hanks talking about the Hermes 2000, Olympia SM3, and the Smith Corona 5 series.  I bit the bullet and got a decent Hermes 2000 (like Tom did) and have been hooked ever since.  That Hermes worked great, and I got a Smith Corona 5 series Sterling that worked okay but required more finger strength to get a mark.  However, if you plan on using your typewriter, I highly recommend the Olympia SM9 over the SM3 because it has a basket shift making is a lot better on your pinkies.  Plus, the platen is going to be 10+ years newer.
Happy Typing,
KBtyperunner... Growing Typewriting One Typewriter at a Time...
NOTE:
If your typewriter is damaged from shipping or is not performing like it was when it left my home, I will pay to have the typewriter shipped back so you are not out a penny. I cannot contribute to an adjustment or improvement from a professional repair shop. You are getting charged hundreds less than typewriters in their shops, and these professionals are likely to find something that doesn’t meet their high standards, hence their rightfully higher priced machines. If this is the case and if you decide to pay in order to get the adjustments, etc., you will still save hundreds and have an even better typewriter for decades to come.
NOTE TWO: IF YOUR TYPEWRITER ARRIVES IN THE CONDITION AS DESCRIBED AND YOU SIMPLY DO NOT LIKE IT, I WILL ACCEPT THE RETURN, BUT YOU WILL HAVE TO PAY SHIPPING BOTH WAYS