The perfect place to park those orange tractors
If you happen to have read last Monday's blog post, you'll know that Mr. Cranberry attended a neighborhood auction last weekend. I dropped him off there and came home, knowing how long auctions can go. But before I left, I got a few cellphone pics of the things that caught my eye. First of all, those cute little Allis Chalmers tractors against the sumac. If I had bid on the tractors, I would have insisted that they include the sumac in the deal.
I don't know how many of the auction items had been stored in this shed, but it must have a loft in it, so I suppose it was a good storage barn. I loved the pretty Virginia creeper beside the door. I wonder if the building was a granary at one time. Anyway, I took a photo of the fence and then went home, leaving Mr. Cranberry to check out the tractors.
Part way through the auction, I got a phone call from Mr. C., telling me to come look at a wood box he thought I might like. I did, and I really liked it, but I wasn't willing to pay what my neighbor was willing to pay for it, so she took it home. However, that little table (above) caught my eye. I thought it might be nice to use on the front porch, and then when the weather gets cold, to have it at the end of a sofa in the living room. It's in good shape, no gouges, but does need to be refinished. I was wishing Suzan from SimplyVintageous were here, giving me advice. I got the cute little table for $17.00 Then I went home. (Mr. C. stayed. The machinery is always the last to be auctioned off. They get rid of all the small stuff first.)
$2.50, with case, mint condition
BUT, when Mr. Cranberry returned from the auction, he was carrying a hard case and opened it up. There was a different Royal typewriter, not the antique, but cute and in mint condition. He got it for $2.50. That's a price I can live with. I've put copy paper in it and tried out the ribbon. It's a bit faint, but I bet I'll be able to purchase ribbon for it somewhere. And when I typed, I realized how lazy my fingers have become, using a laptop every day. Wow. Those typewriters kept your fingers in good shape!
By the way, the auction started at 10:30 and was winding down about 4 PM. Auctions are serious business in our neck of the woods.
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I realize that my grandkids won't remember a time that they didn't use computer keyboards.
Question: Did you ever type on a manual typewriter? What are some of the major differences that you can think of, between using a manual typewriter and using the computer keyboard? I have a few things in mind, but I want to wait and see if anyone else mentions them.
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Early morning frustration. Blogger won't let me access any of my GFC blogger friends (My dashboard suddenly says I have none- wow, isn't that sad!) and Feedly won't show me anything more recent than 8 hours old. What's going on in blogland today??!
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Natural, Handcrafted Vegan Soaps
'Cranberry Tea'
'Cinnamon Stick'
Although I usually forget to do it, there is a chance that this post will be linked to one or more of these great linky parties: Inspiration Monday and THE BARN COLLECTIVE and Amaze Me Monday and Mosaic Monday and Artsy Corner Thursday and Treasure Box Tuesday and Vintage Bliss Tuesday and KatheWithAnE and Rubbish Tuesday and Tuesdays at our Home and Tuesday with a Twist and Knick of Time Tuesday (vintage) and Tweak it Tuesday and Vintage Inspiration Wednesday and Ivy and Elephants Wednesday and Adorned From Above and All Things With Purpose and Home & Garden Thursday and Good Fences on Thursdays and Time Travel Thursday and Freedom Fridays and Vintage Inspiration Friday-
First....LOVE the morning light post below this auction news. The sunlight is absolutely stunning.
ReplyDeleteNow the auction....I know what you mean about how long they last. Once, my MIL and I went to an estate auction and we had to call my father in law and husband to bring the trucks...we bought a complete living room set of furniture for less that $100!!! Sofa, love seat three end tables two lamps and a coffee table....for under one hundred. And we went there for some antique that my MIL wanted but never got. LOL
Our daughter still has the furniture.
i took typing classes in 10 and 11th grade, that makes it 1960 and 1961 and we learned on great big manual typewriters. i have always been glad i took those classes as i started working on computers in 1980.. touch type made it easier to learn.
ReplyDeletethe keys are harder to push down, typos require much work to change, hated ribbons break and wear out and put black smudges on fingers...the ding ding ding drove me crazy, and throwing the carriage at the end of each line... i for one LOVE the computer keyboard and am really glad i don't have to type... it is good to preserve them though for the young people to see them....
Lovely post and the pictures are stunning. I remember taking typing in High School and was so proud to get up to 50 wpm. I had trouble with the number keys though my fingers wouldn't reach that far. I am sure on my computer keyboard now I could blow that number away be far. Thanks for sharing your day. I truly enjoyed reading it.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Shari
I was working the auction I was hired to do last Saturday too - this one has more the stuff I like - farm junk. Nice pictures.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful shot of the shed with the virginia creeper. Love the fence, too. I learned to type on a manual typewriter and used one for years. Sure don't miss correcting errors though. I can't believe you found one for $2.50. Now that's a bargain!
ReplyDeleteI liked the commentary of the fall foliage while showing some of the auction items, you're definitely a passionate gardener Judy.
ReplyDeleteI worked in a bank in the early 70s with a manual typewriter (only the manager's secretary had an electric) and you really had to work your fingers to get the forms printed. When I moved to a computer keyboard I missed the ding at the end of a line. LOL No more correction tape and inky fingers changing the ribbon. I hope you can find a ribbon for your new portable.
Love the pictures. The old red fencing was wonderful. Blessings, xoxo,Susie
ReplyDeleteHi, Judy...the typewriters of old have changed dramatically. I remember first typing on the old manuals, and they did require finger strength. Then the electrics came out and we thought we had gone to heaven. The one that made a difference for me was the electric "ball" typewriter that was really fast. I won a speed typing contest for 120 words a minute with no errors! The computer keyboards are quick response, but I'm still learning the F keys.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE the pictures of the farm! So beautiful. Your new table is lovely and I can only imagine what Suzan would do with it. sigh. Get out the Annie Sloan. lol Your new typewriter looks almost exactly like one I had minus the case. My uncle had an office supply store way back when and sold Royal typewriters. That's what I learned on - how to properly type in typing class at Bible school - and am glad I did. I sure don't miss correction tape or fluid and fading ribbon and loading paper and hitting the return lever though! Technology has made typing so much easier. And, yes, hitting the keys with force is something I still do and try not to. :) I still click hard and am surprised my computer keyboard takes the abuse! Great post Judy. Have a blessed weekend. Pam
ReplyDeleteso much beautiful orange!!
ReplyDeletei took typing in high school and that typewriter looks familiar ;)
have a happy weekend!!
We've been to a local auction house the last couple of weeks. The first one was long and we were getting tired, thirsty and hungry. Second one we learned a lesson and took a drink and a snack!
ReplyDeleteI basically taught myself to type in the first office job I had after leaving school. It didn't matter that I was slow, accuracy was what mattered. I like the look of your typewriter but I would have no use for one these days as I never seem to write letters anymore, so used to sending emails.
I LOVE the tractors in front of the sumac! Next post you need to tell us what your husband got. Did the chair come with the little table? They look so much like a set and are very sweet. YES, when I was in high school there were no computers! I loved typing and did my term paper on a typewriter. My mom had a electric typewriter that she adored and I have inherited that from her. I have two words: WHITE OUT! You have to correct mistakes on typewriters, you can just delete or back up on a computer. I do enjoy the clacking sound, though.
ReplyDeletethe $2.50 typewriter is a great buy! i have an antique royal here - one of those huge iron things. used it as a kid a lot. typed on ibm selectrics in high school and first few jobs. that was hi-tech!
ReplyDeleteMy dad had an old Allis Chalmers tractor for years before he realized his dream of having a John Deere. :) And I LOVE that little desk..can't wait to see what you do with it. As for typing. I learned on an electric typewriter in High School but we had an old manual at home that I practiced on. Biggest frustration...sticking keys and changing the ribbon!! I type much faster on the keyboard and I love it!!
ReplyDeleteLove the tractor pic with the gorgeous Sumac. e have an, I suppose antique, Ferguson tractor that still pulls her own weight around here. Bob was just out in the way back yesterday mowing and clearing out some briars by the woods.
ReplyDeleteI did take typing in High School and then we transitioned from the manual to Electric typewriters--oo la la! I always say if my typing teacher could see how I type or keyboard as it is called now, she would smack my knuckles. LOL
MaryBeth
WOW! You got a bargain there. I am will love to sure you grand children will love to play with it as a novelty. Love the tractors against the red foliage. Hope you are having a great weekend.
ReplyDeleteI think I have a little table very similar to the one you bought, Judy. It is the perfect size to use in several places.
ReplyDeleteI have not been to an auction like that in years. They are always fun.
The main thing I remember about using my typewriter is that it dinged when you got to the end of the carriage and you had to grab the handle and pull it back across. That accomplished two jobs- it got the carriage back in position for typing and it also turned your paper up one "row".
Also- you had to hit the space bar repeatedly to move and leave more space -instead of just holding the bar down longer. Also- you had to set your tabs and ERASE if you made a mistake- (not an easy feat). There's more, too, but that is just off the top of my head. xo Diana
I think any typewriter might be considered antique as so few are used these days.
ReplyDeleteI love your hubby's auction finds!
ReplyDeleteAs for typing on a manual typewriter, the thing that stands out in my mind (other than how hard they are to type on) is having to use 'correct type' for mistakes! Boy, now I'm sounding really old :)
I love these photos, especially the little table. What a neat find!
ReplyDeleteI can remember a lot of frustrating times typing on a manual typewriter, but I still love them. Auctions are one of my favorite pastimes. Love your table. xo Laura
ReplyDeleteAnother fun and interesting post. Love the photos and the typewriter is so cool. I have one I use for my crafting and cards.Kevin should have brought home one of those tractors. :-)
ReplyDeleteWhat a great buy the typewriter was! I am trying to find one here in this part of the world and it is becoming like trying to find a needle in a haystack! Hmmm, yes I used a manual typewriter when learning to type at secretarial college. I used to find my 'p and q' fingers were never strong enough to give a dark colour and to correct any mistakes, the carbon paper and type eraser were a nightmare! What I do miss is the smell of the ribbons and the carbon paper, the sound of the keys and the ding for the carriage return. I think the computer keyboards have made us lazy, but a lot quicker! Have a great week xx
ReplyDeleteThis was such a wonderful post! The reds/oranges of the scenery,tractors, barn and fence were delicious! A long day at an auction would be so tiring, so it was pretty cool you could leave and come back and still score that great little table and that awesome typewriter! We got rid of our old typewriters in yard sales many years ago, and now I wish we still had the really old one! :-)
ReplyDeleteSounds like a fun auction. Great deal on the typewriter. My mother had one similar from the 50s which my dad still has. So yes, I typed on that, another manual one, electric on in high school, and electronic one in the 90s. Never was super good at it but good enough. I think computers are easier to make typos-- keys are closer together, but a heckuva lot easier to correct.
ReplyDeleteAh ! A typewriter! I know you had to hit the carriage return !
ReplyDeleteWhat a great find on the typewriter. I've usued manuals before (some really old - not that I'm that old) and the "Ding" is what I miss the most. How about having to push the bar for the typewriter to return to position.
ReplyDeleteLove all the pretty reds. Even a red fence! Nice find. I didn't think I'd ever be able to type on a computer keyboard, now it's the other way around. I don't miss correction tape!
ReplyDeleteI like the table on the porch, I picked one up off the curb last year. Tom The Backroads Traveller
ReplyDeleteI remember very well how to use a typewriter. I took one class in it, during summer school, even though my guidance counselor tried to talk me out of it. Back in those olden days, kids didn't take the class unless they planned to be a secretary. But I knew that I would have to type my own reports in college, and I thought it would be an excellent skill to have. Little did I know how right I was about it decades later, with the advent of personal computers! I was really good at slamming the return carriage, LOL. Ah, but correcting mistakes was a pain in the butt!
ReplyDeleteWell, I used to type 95 words a minute with 3 errors or less, back in the IMB Electric days. On a manual, cut that speed in half. Those keys are tough! I've never tested on a computer keyboard, but know I am spoiled. Don't forget to get some white-out!! :)
ReplyDeleteI doubt that I could type hard enough to get the keys to the paper these days. I have a couple of old typewriters, but neither of them were as little as $2.50! I did pass on a few a couple of years ago that would have been near that price. I don't know why I didn't get them. Love those tractors especially against the beautiful fall color. Thanks for linking your barn!!!!!
ReplyDeleteLove the barn/shed- gorgeous red! Yes, I took typing for two or three years and never learned how to do it correctly until I got a computer in 1997. Isn't that crazy!
ReplyDeleteLove sales like that! Those old tractors are always so neat!! Wow love your bargains you got! :) Have a lovely day!! xo Holly
ReplyDeleteI don't go to auctions because I am to scared to bid! I do remember manual typewriters. We had to take typing class in high school. The worst part was having to hit the return lever after every line!!
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ReplyDeleteI'd be jumping for joy at the sight of that typewriter. What an amazing deal! Check out Ebay for ribbons, they're still available for most typewriters. Love the old ones, that what I learned on. Thanks for sharing at Vintage Inspiration Party.
That typewriter was an absolute bargain.
ReplyDeleteMany years ago I used to use my parents typewriter to do teaching packages for work with diagrams of the equipment. They all had to be photocopied and the hard copies were and still are stored away somewhere safe.
I remember the typewriters with ribbon, the electric typewriter and now the computer era. I have never learned to type, though. I use the hunt & peck method..LOL
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