First off, Ken was awesome! Super relaxed, knowledgeable and just a nice guy to talk to. I brought in my machines to see if they needed to be serviced and he gave 2 of them a clean bill of health (except the 70+ year old rubber that needed to be changed out). I'm really glad that there is a shop like this available that still keeps these machines alive. I drove over 2 hours to visit this store and I'm glad I did. If you have a typewriter or need a new to you typewriter, then this is your place! They got everything. Thank you again Ken for a memorable experience or as my typewriter might say: *clack* *clack* *clack-clack* *ding!* read more

Joe is awesome! He's very professional, will be honest and forthcoming about how long labor will take and how much it will cost. He has several typewriters you can try and plenty more to admire. It's like walking back in time in his shop. He's very knowledgable on issues typewriters have. He also has spools for sale at a reasonable price considering ones online require shipping costs. Highly recommend the store. read more

Rented a typewriter for a month for a creative project. Such a fun experience. These guys have so much knowledge and great stories to share too read more

Took my Olivetti Lettera 22 in for cleaning and alignment. I had made the mistake of trying to adjust myself (big mistake). Great service, very low key and knowledgeable. Joe was able to bring it all back to alignment. Amazing shop - feel incredibly lucky to have an old school, very analog typewriter repair shop in the east bay. Highly recommend if you have a typewriter. read more

Personalized service. They care about you and your typewriter. I've worked them on several occasions and you're really getting amazing value with each interaction! read more

Joe was great. We were looking for a vintage manual and after talking to Joe, we narrowed it down to about six typewriters. Joe gave us a pile of paper and gave us helpful tips but no pressure or "selling." We settled on a Royal that fit our needs (and my wife's tiny hands). We paid by credit card, bought an extra ribbon as well. Joe let us know it came with a one year warranty and offered to carry it to our car. We'd gotten interested in getting a typewriter a couple of years ago upon seeing Tom Hanks' documentary which focused on California Business Machines on San Pablo Ave but they're no longer around. A word of advice: Do NOT buy a typewriter online. They all feel radically different. You'll have about a .000001% of finding a machine you'll be happy with. Even if you've typed on the "same" typewriter and feel you can buy online, they're all different. Come see Berkeley Typewriter, sit down and write a page or two before making up your mind. This place has been around since 1937 and Joe, the current owner, deserves your business. read more

Berkeley Typewriter - Cool spot. Not sanitized hipster but Joe has the goods. - Office Equipment Near Me - Berkeley, California

Stores like these are the reason why I feel so blessed to live in Berkeley. I was on the hunt for a very unique and special typewriter and I ended up finding it almost immediately at this store and it's only minutes from my home! The staff here are sooooo friendly and helpful - on the phone and especially in person. They go above and beyond to help you. I was even able to record an entire 5 minute video tutorial of how to use the Smith Corona I bought because god knows I will need it. This store is a must see even if you don't need a typewriter. It's like a museum and there are so many neato pieces here. Seems like prices range between $275-600 and the one I purchased came with a 1 year warranty which is a bonus!! read more

Berkeley Typewriter - Office Equipment Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I was really excited to find this place and felt eager to support them. I have an old typewriter from who knows where that had been bashed on enough by various kids over the years it needed a tune up. I went in and was told it needed cleaning, ribbon, maybe repair but nothing obvious. Price was somewhat steep at $185 and pay in advance, but still happy to support the business. The guy who helped me was pretty critical, but oh well. They never called to say it was ready and when I called they were pretty rude about it. I went in and the guy scolded me for not having my receipt number at the time I called. I don't think they have any kind of system to keep track of orders, and since customers pay in advance, who cares.... Overall still happy this place exists, but can't say it was a pleasant experience. Think next time I'll just buy another typewriter off Facebook market place for $30 read more

Helpful and knowledgeable at first found out about this from a small movie about how Typewriter's are disappearing, and went to the store, and was very pleasantly surprised. Helping save a dying art the free future will be written by Typewriter read more

dude at the front desk was rude and short :( I came in wondering what it would take to repair my typewriter, he said $100 but when i asked a question about what he thought was wrong with it he said "i dont have the time for this. do you wanna repair it or not?" vibes were off.. read more

First I called several times to confirm that they indeed repaired printers since the name of the company is TYPEWRITER. I always got an old fashioned style answer machine. One time the machine was full so I could not leave a message. Another time I was able to leave a message but never got a call back. When I finally did get someone on the phone I should have taken a clue from his gruff attitude that this is NOT the type of owner I want to do business with. Nevertheless I lugged my Canon Inkjet printer down there only to have the rudest, most disrespectful experience I have had in recent memory. I told him "never mine" I'll take my business elsewhere and left in a huff. As I was leaving he yelled at me "you won't be able to find anyplace else that could fix it". I thought to myself, I would rather throw the printer away and buy a new one that to deal with this mean spirited, sad old man. Fortunately I went on Thumbtack and found Ricardo Ramirez. Not only did he make it convenient by coming to my place of business to work on the printer, he fixed it in less than 30 minutes! Total cost was $95. And he provided me with helpful tips to prevent the problem from happening again. I would never ever ever recommend coming to Berkeley Typewriter under any circumstances. read more

Went over to buy a ribbon for my Olympia De Luxe, earlier this year while on vacation in San Francisco. It was installed, with instruction how to put it in correctly. It had been incorrectly installed originally (by me perhaps) causing the problems I was encountering. No upselling, just plain good old school service. Giving me the time, good customer service and history on my typewriter. I will be going up there soon to get a ribbon for my portable Smith-Corona. read more

For a very long time, the 1950s Smith Corona typewriter that I inherited from my stepdad has been collecting dust (literally) and finally, I brought it over to Joe's shop. The estimate seemed reasonable -- and he had it cleaned it up and called me back to collect it just a couple days later. It works great now -- he even replaced the ribbon with one like the original, half red, half black. I asked about ribbons and he told me he had other colors -- PURPLE! I have a purple ribbon now for my typewriter! His shop is full of awesome refurbished typewriters, too. read more

Just dropped off an Underwood No. 5 for repair with Joe. He was friendly, knowledgeable, honest and explained the price of all of my repairs. He also has some really beautiful machines for sale if you are looking to purchase a vintage typewriter. Definitely stop in if you are in the market for a new typewriter or have one laying around in need of servicing. read more

Berkeley Typewriter - Office Equipment Near Me - Berkeley, California

I have a whacky Aunt. I love her but she is quite set in her ways. She loves this typewriter and has been using the same ribbon for about twenty years. The ribbon finally broke and she begged me to fix it. I went online and found they have a marvelous thing - a universal ribbon with the black on top, red on the bottom config. I went to two Staples and an OfficeMax, but they were "out of stock". I finally stumbled over Berkeley Typewriter and Office Macine on 1823 University Ave while searching for a new solution. I dropped in and it's like an monument/graveyard to old typewriters. Every imaginable old office machine as well. Bizarre. I showed the very helpful clerk my vintage spools from Auntie's machine and he says "Yeah, I got that." Then he takes my old metal spools and cheerfully winds the new ribbon on them. Entire transaction - ten minutes. Cost - $7.48. Happy Auntie - priceless. read more

I'm thrilled to see actual typewriters come back into vogue these days, so I want to make sure everyone takes proper care of their beauties. This is the place. I've brought in several machines old enough to be my grandfather and they've all come back to me in excellent condition, ready to go. The oldest beast I have was missing a few teeth and was fitted so neatly with replacements you'd hardly notice. I want to see the cafes filled with folks hammering away on noisy old typewriters, ink on their thumbs and a billowing cloud of onion skin pages filling the air! read more

They did a fantastic job cleaning and restoring an old L.C. Smith & Corona from the 1940s I bought at the flea market. It's a beautiful machine and I mainly used it for decoration, because it was so rusty I never thought it would work again. Berkeley Typewriter made it good as new - at a very reasonable price! read more

Bought an IBM Selectric II back in 1988, which has been in storage for the past 10 years or so. Was cleaning out my warehouse and tried to start it but it was dead. Decided to try to get it fixed (for sentimental reasons) and after doing a little research on Yelp decided to take it to Berkeley Typewriter. Brought it in on Sat and it was repaired on Tuesday by Cesar. Checked it out in the shop. It started up right away, motor sounded like it should and all of the keys functioned properly. They told me that they rebuilt the motor, fixed the clutch and gave the typewriter complete cleaning. Cost was $200 (including a 90 day warranty). It's only worth about that much but it was worth it to get it running again. Parking on University was easy but it's metered, so keep an eye on the time. Joe (the owner) also carried it out to the car for me, which was a bonus. So, now it's back in my home office and instead of handwriting a note (my handwriting is atrocious), I can just type one out w/o having to turn on my computer and print one out. Much quicker and very retro. read more

Reason for visit: Looking for a typewriter Visit date: February 25, 2015 First time? Yes. I'm in the market for a functional typewriter so I decided to give Berkeley Typewriter a try. I was welcomed into the store and told the worker what I was looking for. He was eager to show me what they had in stock and was able answer all of my questions. As expected, the typewriters here are on the pricer side ($200+) and a bit out of my budget, but they all work and are in good condition. Berkeley Typewriter is not just a typewriter store. They also have printers and offer repair services. read more

Phone conversation: 9/16/14 Me: "What price range to repair an HP Printer Photosmart?" Berk. Typewriter Guy: "You pay $25., We take a look..." Me: "What price range would we be talking?" Guy: "I dunno...." Me: "What price Range...$1000.00?" Guy: "Not $1000.0!!.....I dunno..." Me: Exasperated sigh... Dial tone (I hung up). Wow Guys You just might want to take Customer Savvy Effective communication 101. If your prospective customer is deciding whether to bother to repair a printer (and carry it in) when you can buy a new printer for reasonable ya might want to give a reasonable answer. The VERY next place I called was professional and gave me a clear price range. AND stated their up front repair fee went toward the repair. (Mr. I dunno didn't even state this... read more

We bought a vintage 1970s portable typewriter at Alameda Point Antiques Faire. It was in working order but needed a ribbon. Berkeley Typewriter hooked me up! I had a serial number for the machine + an iPhone photo of the guts and I went home with a new ribbon for under $15. Typewriter works, one stop personal shopping, no BS! P.S. If you love vintage typewriters, they have a lovely selection of reconditioned non-electrics in the front of the store - Lots of Royals but other brands, too. read more

These folks are nice and enthusiastic, pleasurable, and capable. Lots of really nice refurbed typewriters. They charge a deposit of $25 to leave a machine for an estimate, but not for typewriters. The explanation is people always come back for their typewriters, but rarely for very broken printers. My typewriters look and work beautifully. read more

I had a similar experience to Jim B. Me: "I have a fax in my fax machine but it won't print out." Idiot: "Maybe you run out of film." Me: "No, there is plenty of film left." Idiot: "How you know?" Me: "How do I know? Because I opened it up and looked?" Sit and spin, amigo. Would not tell me how much it would be to fix, only $25 to look at it. Next read more

Great job fixing my decade-old Laserjet PRINTER. Joe got on it immediately, and fixed it same day. And very reasonable cost. Highly recommend. read more

I dropped off my printer in the weekend, and it was ready on Monday. When I picked it up, Joe took the time to show me a few tricks to ensure print quality and prevent jamming. Parking was easy. Joe brought out a cart to help transport the printer. Joe was frienfly and honest. He gives good customer and fast service. It's nice to have a shop like his in the neighborhood. read more

I have an antique typewriter that need little fixing my friend found this place that sells antique typewriter. so i called because mine was out of carbon and needed something to boost it up and spoke with a lady on the phone she had a sweet voice and told me to come up and bring it in when i get a chance so i did! the gentlemen that works there is also nice and absolutely knows everything about these antique and more. He immediately looked at it. He fully restored it and it looked almost brand new, i thought it was someone else's. its amazing how these elegant machines last so long and in good working condition. Now i have it, in front of my living room and added beautiful piece. when i have people come over, they are amazed and ask if it's working i said go and try it. i'm really thankful for this place and the person that fix it read more

My Epson Inkjet Eco Tank printer had a paper jam and although I was able to get the paper out it, somehow it fouled up the printing so the text was only partial. I called around and found that some repair services don't work on inkjet printers but Berkeley Typewriter does. Joe, the owner fixed it in one day at a very reasonable price. It works perfectly now. I found him to be straight forward and competent. Highly recommended! read more

5 stars to Joe & Cesar at Berkeley Typerwriter! Went yesterday after seeing them listed as an Authorized Brother Service Center for Repair. My Brother MFC (copier) was having issues. Joe fixed it in hours, stayed in contact during the process, taught me some things about how to use the machine, and in the end the repair cost was absolutely reasonable. And did I mention they are personable. Highly Recommend. read more

It's amazing how this place is more than just a business, but a work of passion. I brought in my 1950's Smith-Corona Skyriter for major repair work, and the owner evaluated the issues with my machine and quickly repaired it over the weekend at a great price! When I returned for additional questions about the ribbon, he discovered a previously unknown issue and spent an additional hour on repairs- all for free. Top top it off, he threw in a FREE extra ribbon, and thanked me for the unique challenge that my typewriter presented. It shows how his work is that of genuine passion, so you can be assured of quality and unparalleled service. Highly recommended! read more

I went here for the first time after getting my typewriter. The red part of the ribbon was dragging and smudging on each line. Joe asked me if I needed the red, and after telling him that I didn't, he replaced the whole ribbon (he'd serviced my machine prior to me receiving it as a gift) for free. Turns out he'd re-inked the ribbon too heavily and it was oversaturated. However, I don't know that using the red really would've come in handy. I was in and out in ten minutes, and he didn't charge me. The good: great service, quick. The bad: hours are business hours, closed on Sunday, limited hours on Saturday. Kind of tough to get in if you have a 9-5 job. read more

Very sweet and knowledgeable staff! Were able to easily fix and complete maintenance on my dads typewriter that had not been used for 40+ years for a very good price! read more

Great job and reasonably priced! Restored a 1929 era Underwood Series 5 typewriter from rust bucket to working condition. Thank you!! read more

Berkeley Typewriter - Office Equipment Near Me - Berkeley, California

These guys are typewriter technical wizards. They refurbished a 1947 Royal DeLuxe for me and then made a platen adjustment for free when I was having a bit of letter shadow issue. Excellent service. read more

Joe and Jeanie are terrific! I was looking for an obsolete power adapter. Jeanie looked through every box of power adapters that they had. We didn't find the right one (it's a very obsolete model) but Jeanie was very kind and patient. She went way out of her way to help me. This store is a treasure trove for typewriters though! It's a pleasant surprise to find that a store like this still exists. read more

Great place to look for awesome typewriters! The owner Joe fixed up one of my royal typewriters. It was quick and easy, plus I got to walk around it's a great location. I suggest it to anyone great place read more

A couple of weeks ago, our printer (Canon PIXMA MP610) stopped to print at all. It was clear from my conversation with Canon tech support that the printer had to be repaired, and 'Berkeley Typewriter' was pretty much the only authorized Canon service provider around. I have read pretty scary reviews here in Yelp before driving to 'Berkeley Typewriter' with the printer... Results are way better than I have expected: (1) The printer is working now; (2) Cost was $25 for inspection (it was subtracted from the repair invoice later), $20 for the replacement part; $75 for labor; (3) The repair took 4 days (the replacement part had to be ordered). read more

I walked by this place all the time in the evening, and wondered how such a little, old-fashioned shop could stay in business. Then, my Brother printer broke, and I passed by in the daytime and noticed they did printer repair. It turns out that, despite the vintage typewriters in the window, this place is a licensed dealer for Brother, Canon and a few other makers. They fixed my printer in 24 hours and charged me less than I expected to pay. Moreover, they're friendly. I was glad to give my money to them. read more

Have an old typewriter that needs repair, or maybe want to buy an old typewriter for that retro feel? This is the place - they know typewriters and printers. read more

I brought my 90 year old Remington Noiseless typewriter in because I was having some problems loading the ribbon correctly. Jesse, the guy behind the counter showed me how it was done and also showed me how some of the other adjustments on the typewriter worked. When I wanted to pay, he told me "No Charge". Not bad, I say. read more

It was fate that I discovered this place! I had been wanting a pink vintage typewriter for quite some time and during my weekend visit to the bay area last summer, I made plans to have dinner at Berkeley with some friends. During the two block walk to the restaurant from our parking spot, I saw it -- a mint conditioned pink Remington typewriter circa 1949 on the display window. Even though I was already late for dinner, I had to go in -- I felt destiny calling! When I saw it up close, I knew I had to get it. It was in prestine condition. All the keys worked and it was exactly what I've been coveting for months. Plus, with a price tag of about $350, I couldn't say no. A typewriter this old and in this condition sold for around $500 online. It also came with its original vintage carrying case, which made it an easy carry-on during my flight back to Philly, yay! Totally love at first sight, and it's definitely one of my prized decor pieces in my apartment. read more

Berkeley Typewriter - Office Equipment Near Me - Berkeley, California