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Author Topic: Is this a special IBM Selectric III?  (Read 8116 times)

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Offline remedyhalopc

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Is this a special IBM Selectric III?
« on: Wed, 10 July 2013, 21:34:00 »
I can't find anything about this typewriter I picked up. No shine on the caps, and it has a gold IBM logo that says "Fiftieth Anniversary Model". Here are some pictures:

Just curious if its worth anything. I'm pretty much just going to keep it around as a decoration/maybe type some letters with it because I can.
« Last Edit: Wed, 10 July 2013, 21:38:14 by remedyhalopc »
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Offline smknjoe

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Re: Is this a special IBM Selectric III?
« Reply #1 on: Wed, 10 July 2013, 21:39:07 »
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Offline rootwyrm

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Re: Is this a special IBM Selectric III?
« Reply #2 on: Thu, 11 July 2013, 04:40:59 »
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Offline CPTBadAss

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Re: Is this a special IBM Selectric III?
« Reply #3 on: Thu, 11 July 2013, 06:25:12 »
Remedyhalopc asked this in the questions thread so if you don't mind rootwyrm, I'm going to link your post over there as well for the people who follow that thread. Sorry I couldn't find your answer faster remedy
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Offline remedyhalopc

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Re: Is this a special IBM Selectric III?
« Reply #4 on: Thu, 11 July 2013, 12:36:13 »
Quote from: rootwyrm on Thu, 11 July 2013, 04:40:59
It is.

I saw this and it said that the anniversary models were green, not black. :/

Edit: getting this thing under some natural light made me realize that it is in fact a very odd shade of green.

What is it worth?
« Last Edit: Thu, 11 July 2013, 12:40:36 by remedyhalopc »
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Offline rootwyrm

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Re: Is this a special IBM Selectric III?
« Reply #5 on: Thu, 11 July 2013, 14:25:28 »
Sure thing, CPT. I'm finally feeling less under the weather, so up for a bit more ramble.

Yes, these are rare typewriters. There's a story behind them, but I don't know it. What I do know is: that sticker is when IBM installed the typewriter on site. Yes, there was a service engagement to install and set up the typewriters, and that sticker indicates the day it was done. The green is actually a very specific shade defined in MILSPEC or something. Reason being, the primary, and almost exclusive customer, of the 50th? Is the US government.

Otherwise, it's a completely standard IBM Selectric. But the case makes it rare as hell.

As to value, I honestly have no idea. I'm not a typewriter guy, but I do keep abreast of IBM trivia and tidbits. (I have the front door assembly from an RPQ'd 7017-S7A out in my garage.)
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"I remain convinced I am the only person alive who has successfully worn out an IBM Model M mechanically."
Daily Drivers: Adesso 625 (NPKC PBT / Kailh Blue), Rosewill RK9000V2 (KC PBT / MX Brown), 1994 Model M13, Sun Type4, and the rare IBM 1394540.

Offline remedyhalopc

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Re: Is this a special IBM Selectric III?
« Reply #6 on: Thu, 11 July 2013, 14:32:38 »
Very interesting! Do we know the amount produced?
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Offline CPTBadAss

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Re: Is this a special IBM Selectric III?
« Reply #7 on: Thu, 11 July 2013, 14:34:13 »
The color is Olive Drab from Federal Standard 595.

More info can be found on the Wikipedia page here and the shades defined in the standard can be seen here.
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Offline remedyhalopc

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Re: Is this a special IBM Selectric III?
« Reply #8 on: Fri, 12 July 2013, 11:49:58 »
How do I make sure it works correctly? It turns on and the ball responds quickly to any key I press, but I don't know how to test it.
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Offline nubbinator

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Re: Is this a special IBM Selectric III?
« Reply #9 on: Fri, 12 July 2013, 12:44:58 »
Plug it in, get typewrite ribbon and lift off/correction tape, toss a sheet of paper in, and try it out.
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Offline smknjoe

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Re: Is this a special IBM Selectric III?
« Reply #10 on: Fri, 12 July 2013, 13:59:53 »
You'll need an eraser ribbon too. Assuming it has an erase/delete function.

It's just an old typewriter that most people don't want. It's probably not worth much more than the ribbons you put in it. Sort of like PCs from the same era. They really aren't worth anything unless they have some special significance (like it's serial number 1 or Bill Gates used it in college, etc.)
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Offline nubbinator

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Re: Is this a special IBM Selectric III?
« Reply #11 on: Fri, 12 July 2013, 14:15:11 »
Quote from: smknjoe on Fri, 12 July 2013, 13:59:53
You'll need an eraser ribbon too. Assuming it has an erase/delete function.

That's what lift off/correction tape is.
« Last Edit: Fri, 12 July 2013, 14:17:42 by nubbinator »
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Offline smknjoe

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Re: Is this a special IBM Selectric III?
« Reply #12 on: Fri, 12 July 2013, 14:25:41 »
Whatever they call it. It's still a cartridge you install similar to the ribbon cartridge. It' been more than 25 years since I (or just about anybody, lol) have used a typewriter. If you don't get the correction tape (that sounds familiar now that you mention it Nub) then you better be damn accurate or have some white out handy.

Have fun with it.

Edit: I had to think about how long it had really been since I used one. I had a dot matrix printer that I used for school reports and papers at that point in time.
« Last Edit: Fri, 12 July 2013, 15:01:44 by smknjoe »
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Offline remedyhalopc

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Re: Is this a special IBM Selectric III?
« Reply #13 on: Fri, 12 July 2013, 15:08:00 »
I've been thinking about this, and apparently IBM had a Selectric that printed stuff. How hard would it be to convert one to a text only printer? It's be cool as hell. Maybe a teensy?
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Offline dorkvader

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Re: Is this a special IBM Selectric III?
« Reply #14 on: Fri, 12 July 2013, 15:24:54 »
Quote from: remedyhalopc on Fri, 12 July 2013, 15:08:00
I've been thinking about this, and apparently IBM had a Selectric that printed stuff. How hard would it be to convert one to a text only printer? It's be cool as hell. Maybe a teensy?

IBM's pre-beam spring keyboards were very expensive converted selectrics that, I believe could also act as printers. There are at least two projects I have seen where people put solenoids over the keys and used a selectric as a printer.
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Offline remedyhalopc

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Re: Is this a special IBM Selectric III?
« Reply #15 on: Fri, 12 July 2013, 23:58:51 »
Got any links?
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