The flock is down by one...

I sold one of the Hermes 3000s today. It worked out pretty well for all involved, I think. I had two near-identical ones, as I've mentioned, primarily because when I happened on the second, it was local and a decent price and I couldn't resist.

I had planned -- when I posted the Craigslist ad -- to sell both 3000s, but I'm rethinking that. The beat-to-death one that I used for NaNoWriMo is begging to stay, and I think I'm going to let it. It's the nicest typer I have, even if it is teenski print.

The girl who bought the other didn't look more than eighteen or nineteen. She wants to do more writing, and hoped that a typewriter might be a good inspiration, and a good way to write without the distraction of the internet and games and all. Sound familiar? For me, typewriting allows exactly that (plus the inability to easily edit or obsess about wording too much), and I raved a bit about what a wonderful tool they are for writing your initial draft.

So, we looked at the two 3000s side by side. I am a lousy salesperson. I told her the prettier of the 3000s had one small problem: in one ribbon position, the vibrator was sluggish when going back to its resting position after each character. It works fine in other positions.

So she was standing by, I'm trying to explain the problem, and it wouldn't do it. So do I just smile and say, "OH, I guess I fixed it!" No...I say, "No, really, it has a problem! Honest! I'm sure I can get it to do it!" I think it's mostly a disuse sort of issue, and maybe having been used a bit, the problem is mostly gone. In any case, it wouldn't act up, even in the trouble position. Go figure. It made me feel a bit better about the sale.

She dithered very briefly between the two typewriters, until I confessed to having second thoughts about the ugly one. She was happy to "settle" for the pretty one. I sent her out the door with ribbon information -- and a small stack of Duffy Moon's typewriter paper, which she thought was really cool. A convert? I hope so! I so love these things...spread the typewriter love!