1956 Optima Elite 3 #924604
Status: My Collection
Hunter: Greg Mattesen (CoronaKid)
Created: 12-09-2025 at 06:51PM
Last Edit: 12-09-2025 at 06:52PM
Find on Ebay #AD
Find on Etsy #AD
Description:
Found on eBay, this Optima was local to me so I didn't have to factor in the cost of shipping in purchasing it. The auction photos made it look terrible: the platen was moldy, the paint was dirty and the case looked awful. In person, it looked a bit better. Initially I thought the escapement was bad because it had a flying carriage, but it was just gummed up from sitting for years with the carriage lock engaged. I cleaned it up and it works quite well.
Typeface Specimen:
Photos:
Hunter: Greg Mattesen (CoronaKid)
Greg Mattesen's Typewriter Galleries [ My Collection ] [ My Sightings ]
Status: Typewriter Hunter
Points: 1415
I "accidentally" started collecting typwriters in the fall of 2020. After my daughter got one cheap at a junk shop, and hearing that she intended to use it to write some old fashioned snail-mail letters to friends, I decided to get "a" typewriter myself to do the same. The first one was a real lucky break: a pristine 1950 Smith-Corona Sterling in perfect condition. From there I got interested in other brands and in refurbishing dirty and forgotten machines. I've had 65+ typewriters at this point, passing many along to excited new owners to keep my collection hovering around 20 machines.
RESEARCH NOTE: When researching the Optima Elite 3 on a computer with lots of screen real estate, you may find that launching the Optima Serial Number page and the Optima Elite 3 By Model/Year/Serial page in new browser windows can give you interesting perspectives on changes throughout the model series.
