In 2018, I had just closed a retail business, a women's western boutique in downtown Colorado Springs. It was too much for me at the time as I was also homeschooling my son and only had a few years left before he would be off to college. Writing was tugging at my heart but I wanted to step away from the digital world at the same time. My husband, Rob, was managing a Goodwill store so I asked if he ever saw vintage typewriters as I was unsure if they were even around. He said he'd keep an eye open for any that might come in.

While waiting, I began to search online and, indeed, vintage typewriters were very much around. However, the ones that caught my eye were thousands of dollars as they had been completely restored. Knowing I didn't want to invest that type of funds, I waited.

Having zero idea of what to expect, I finally purchased my first typewriter, a 1962 Royal Signet (you can read about it here), for $40. Additionally, Rob began to collect a few as well. Being a business owner, I wondered if we could resell them, more as a fun hobby.

With more than a few mistakes, a long drive to a professional typewriter repair shop, and lots of video watching, Rob set up a card table in the living room with an old, broken lamp and I set up an Etsy shop. Within four months, our "hobby" resulted in over 100 vintage typewriters being sold and shipped all over the country!