Olympia Plana Typewriter 1948

This is a rare and extraordinary typewriter: a 1948 Olympia Plana with a body entirely of "Bakelite". It has been fully and carefully restored to excellent cosmetic and working condition. It has a Bakelite body with a fine original finish of a rich brown colour. 
Some call this the only "Art Deco" typewriter, and others feel that it has aesthetic similarities to the furniture designs of Gustav Stickley who wanted his designs to evoke, simplicity in design, honesty in construction and truth in materials. 
To "share the joy" of the opening of our new store in Holland, we'll upgrade your shipping choice to UPS Air Express for free, with delivery in 2-3 days! And please forgive the poor photography as we prepare our new photo studio.
Overall, Olympia only produced around 200,000 of these typewriters between 1939 and 1949. Of that, a small number were made with the English (QWERTY) keyboard. This typewriter has Olympia's Pica No. 12 typeface (10 pitch). And the keyboard has accent keys for those writing in European languages. 
This typewriter is the rarest model from the Olympia factory, and with the QWERTY keyboard it is even more rare. This particular one was found in the central part of Netherlands. Its early provenance is, unfortunately, lost to history. 
Acme typewriters have been the choice of discerning collectors and writers more than 1,000 times since we began selling online in 2016. We safely ship your typewriter from our store in the Netherlands and delivery time to the US averages only 3 days—this is a quicker delivery time even than most domestic shipments within the US!  Acme typewriters are guaranteed to arrive safely at your door, are covered by a 1-year warranty, and come with lifetime customer-care. 
With an ACME Typewriter, you know you are getting a fully-working--as original--typewriter. The only thing that you have to do is sit down, put paper on the roller and start typing. Your typewriter comes with the "Acme" lead certification seal which permanently identifies it as a genuine Acme-restored typewriter and provides for a one-year warranty at no charge. In terms of an investment, the Acme Seal proves that this machine was restored in 2023 by the Acme Type Machine Company. This can add value in the event that you wish to sell this typewriter in the future.
Cosmetic notes: The colour is uniform and there are few discernible scratches or other blemishes. The chrome parts are in excellent condition. The only flaw is at the very apex of the carriage return lever, there is a tiny loss of the chrome plating. The Paper Holder (paper bail) still has the wonderful touch of both red and black numbers inscribed thereon. The ribbon colour selector retains the beautiful blue, white and red dots. The typing keys are, essentially, in perfect condition. Some of the photos may appear to show discolouration in the body, but this is only a result of the lighting and reflections during photography. The colour is rich and uniform overall.
Mechanical notes: The technical mechanisms are all working smoothly and appropriately.  The platen is clean and smooth, and remains soft enough for excellent typing results (as seen in the photo of the typing sample). The paper feeder rollers are still soft and usable; the rubber feet are in good condition, relatively soft and grip the desktop quite securely.
The case is in very good condition: solid but with some signs of age and use. The black metal on either side of the handle is in excellent condition (and is a nice design touch). The two-ply leather handle is intact, solid and very usable. The bottom panel has a longitudinal crack; this is unfortunate but does not detract from the utility of the case for protection and transport.
This lovely example of an Olympia Plana typewriter will be packed and shipped with the greatest care to preserve its condition and beauty. We have a lot of experience in shipping typewriters and have an excellent track record for proper packing and safe delivery. It will be fully insured for shipment. I guarantee safe delivery to you, wherever you are in the world. We have shipped safely to the outback of Australia, the Sultanate of Brunei, Japan, China, Dayton Ohio, the Isle of Wight, Ecuador and hundreds of places in between. We provide careful and attentive after-purchase advice and assistance from the date of purchase to the end of eternity to ensure your full satisfaction. 
If you have any questions or wish to see more photos, please don't hesitate to contact us.