1938 Mercedes K45 Selecta #116774
Status: Sightings
Hunter: Brian Decker (bkdecker66)
Created: 10-23-2026 at 09:43PM
Last Edit: 10-23-2026 at 10:17PM
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Description:
2026-OCT-24, Gallery Creation.
This typewriter is from the Mike Meakin collection. Mike was the owner of Abacus Office Machines in Spokane, WA, which he started in 1961. Mike retired in 1992, leaving the operation of the business to his children. In addition to running a successful office machine business, Mike was an avid typewriter and adding machine collector, whose collection grew to over 450 machines over time. Mike passed away in 2025, and his children are now gradually selling off his collection. His daughter, Trudy, has graciously allowed me to create TWDB galleries for Mike's machines, to add to our knowledge base.
This very handsome-looking Mercedes Selecta was made for the Swiss market, as the keyboard and the reference to a subsidiary of Mercedes in Basel, Switzerland on the aft decal attest. Because of the way "Selecta" is spelled on this machine, I have chosen the "K45 Selecta" Model under the Mercedes brand, rather than the "Selekta" Model, even though there is no mention of a "K45" designation on the images provided to me. Perhaps Georg Sommeregger could chime in on the Basel subsidiary and the K45 designation?
This is the 71st gallery for a machine from the Meakin Collection that I have created in TWDB. It was listed on eBay on 22 October 2026, and as of this gallery creation, it is still available.
Typeface Specimen:
Links:
Photos:
Hunter: Brian Decker (bkdecker66)
Brian Decker's Typewriter Galleries [ My Collection ] [ My Sightings ]
Status: Typewriter Hunter
Points: 7339
My interest in typewriters started in 1997, when I was in graduate school at the University of Georgia. I purchased and read Darryl Rehr's book, joined ETC, and started reaching out to known collectors. I had several email interchanges with Richard Polt dating from that period. I also bought some of my first machines from Bob Aubert, and visited him at his home twice. After marriage and relocation to New England, I continued visiting antique shops and eBay, until other priorities put my typewriter hobby on hiatus around 2008.
In late 2024, I started up again, working on my machines and having some of them serviced professionally by New England Typewriter (NET) LLC (Merrimack, NH), until they closed their doors in December of 2025. Since mid-2025, I have been adding to my collection again, first with a Hermes 3000 purchase from NET, then with various auctions and purchases on eBay, when I find something that catches my eye.
RESEARCH NOTE: When researching the Mercedes K45 Selecta on a computer with lots of screen real estate, you may find that launching the Mercedes Serial Number page and the Mercedes K45 Selecta By Model/Year/Serial page in new browser windows can give you interesting perspectives on changes throughout the model series.
