typewriter services
For all makes and models
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COVID-19 UPDATE 1/2023 - Just wear it.
COVID-19 UPDATE 7/31/2022 - Masks Please. Virus bad still.
COVID-19 UPDATE 2/28/2022 - Short and sweet: CDC is calling off mask mandates, I am not. Business as usual. The vaccine is NOT effective against Omicron, as stated by the CDC.
COVID-19 UPDATE 6/27/2021 - CDC once again recommends masks regardless of vaccination status. In light of the Delta Variant of COVID, I am still requiring customers and clients to wear them regardless of vaccination status, and I will be as well. Masks must be covering both your mouth and your nose.
COVID-19 UPDATE 5/13/2021 - Despite CDC updates stating that vaccinated people can stop wearing masks and stop social distancing, I am still requiring it. Fully vaccinated people are still carriers for the virus. No service will be given to those not following previous COVID guidelines regardless of vaccination. There are currently millions of breakthrough cases in individuals who have been fully vaccinated, no vaccine is fully effective.
COVID-19 Notice (2020). MASKS ARE REQUIRED, as well as Illinois state social distancing requirements. Your mask must be covering BOTH your nose and your mouth at the same time for exchanging machines, dropping off, picking up, or on site repairs. I understand others have their own ideas and opinions, and this is the way I prefer to conduct my business. I reserve the right to refuse at any time. Please place your machines on the ground or directly into the trunk.
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The shop is located at 1525 Ogden Avenue, Unit L, Downers Grove Il, 60515
Appointments are available only for the current month, with five available spots per month. New appointments will not be made available until the following month.
Please book online, or call and schedule an available appointment over the phone.
If one is not available, you can:
wait for a cancellation,
pay express fees to skip appointments altogether,
or wait until the following month.
Walk-in welcome for anything that does not require complex repair or service. On the spot repairs, ribbon installation, inquiries, and purchases DO NOT need appointments.
In order to keep things fair due to high volume, we will not allow appointment scheduling beyond the current month. If you have urgent work and cannot wait, or cannot get an appointment, you will have to pay the express time and a half fees. Do note that it can be economical it if your machine does not need a lot of work.
PLEASE CANCEL, OR GIVE NOTICE, 24 HOURS PRIOR IF YOU CAN’T MAKE YOUR APPOINTMENT TO AVOID BEING CHARGED CANCELLATION FEES!
Late fees are $50 which will be due on your next visit.
APPOINTMENT EXCEPTIONS WILL BE MADE FOR INDIVIDUALS WORKING WITH PHYSICAL DISABILITIES WHO NEED THEIR TYPEWRITERS FOR ACCESIBILITY REASONS
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Hate speech, belligerent behavior, and discrimination in any form is not tolerated from customers and staff alike. Typewriter Chicago serves a broad and diverse range of customers from many different backgrounds, and remains committed to fair treatment, as well as providing a safe space.
Premises are under 24 hour video and audio surveillance, with direct lines to the local police.
SERVICE & REPAIR
Repair work is first come first serve. You must have an appointment for general work, please review the policies at the top of the page. Appointments are only available for the current month, and will refresh on a monthly basis, there is NO advanced scheduling.
The maximum amount of machines per person for work at one time is 4. Average repair cost is $350-400 for general cleaning, service, and minor repairs. Average turnaround time is 3-4 weeks.
For walk-ins, rushed orders, or express work: Immediate drop-off or service for a machine that does NOT have an appointment will be billed at 1.5x rates. This may end up being more economical if you do not require a large workup, and only need basic repairs. Small repairs may be handled in person on the spot. Feel free to call or stop in to have us take a look. These will not be billed extra.
Perfection is not guaranteed these are old machines, a lot can go wrong and permanently so over the course of many decades. We work to the highest industry standard to ensure the best service and care for your machine with respect to your budget. In addition, our work is backed with a guarantee!
RENTALS
If you are interested in RENTING machines: all rentals now require a $150 refundable deposit before picking up the machine. We have a variety of electric and manual machines available to rent. Conditions may vary, but every machine will be confirmed to be fully functional. Basic rental rates are 35/hr, 80/24hr, 100/week, or 150/month.
If you are renting a machine for an event, and need something specific or more unique, the refundable deposit is $250, and rates are $50/hr, $150/24/hr, or $200/week. Walk-ins are welcome to view what is available, but specific requests may require lead time to prepare.
Late fees on all rentals are an additional $25/24hr.
DONATIONS
In regards to trade-ins: We will accept any machine for a value of $20 towards both sales and repairs.
In regards to Donations: Any and all machines in any condition are accepted. You can drop off at any time and leave it by the door, or you can schedule a time to drop it off to ensure someone actually receives it!
Below are pictures of typewriters. You’ll need to scroll down to see them.
CONTACT US: Best contact is by email ChicagoTyperCO@gmail.com please do not text the phone number. Due to high volume of requests, it is VERY easy for contacts and inquiries to get lost. Call or Email. We will respond to social media contact, but cannot guarantee consistent service.
Book an Appointment
These are appointments ONLY to drop your machine off for service. PLEASE REVIEW THE APPOINTMENT POLICIES AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE!
You do not need to make an appointment if you are interested in browsing, purchasing, donating, selling, or just have questions!
If you need repairs rushed, you can walk in and skip the appointment and any wait times, with work billed at 1.5x.
PLEASE NOTE: To keep scheduling fair, we are not allowing advanced scheduling beyond the current month, and are refreshed at the beginning of the new month. The calendar only has slots for one week each month, if you need a day on another week, no problem, just book it and let us know! We can also schedule available appointments over the phone.
Why do I fix typewriters? The one question I’m asked more than any other. I never have a good answer. I need to fix them, they need to be fixed. The reason for the existence of typewriter repair is complex. They’re important to us as people. They represent a time when we could create freely, when we could put our ideas down in physical form without the interference of computers. We forget the time when every scrap we made could so readily be preserved, and instead embraced an era of ones and zeros that will be gone along with us;- lost to an arbitrary dimension that existed under a self-imposed veil of importance. Our very nature is to create, to make things out of the world around us and to share those things with each other. Nowadays, we sit at our computer and fake it, pretending that it means something to ourselves, and to future generations. As long as we exist in the physical world, we need to interact with physical objects, and have physical experiences. The typewriter will forever be the tangible and tactile incarnation of human thought, and the computer will only ever be an amalgamation of temporary mystique and pretense. Everything has a place in our world, even the typewriter, and they can’t do their jobs while broken.