Typewriters are making a comeback in the Bay Area

By Itay Hod

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    BERKELEY, California (KPIX) — Nestled in the heart of Berkeley is a quaint little shop where the past refuses to fade.

Inside, the clickety-clack of forgotten treasures is inspiring a new generation to tap into nostalgia.

“They have been coming out of the woodwork,” said Ken Alexander

A mechanic at Berkely Typewriter, Alexander said the shop was looking bleak just a few years ago. Now, business is booming.

“Most of my customers, to a T, tell me the same thing: when they get down on a typewriter and start working on it, a tactile feel is what they’re looking for,” he said.

Once destined for the trash heap, typewriters are making a comeback, fetching hundreds of dollars on the open market.

Typewriter poet Silvi Alcivar said these old machines are gaining popularity for all the features they’re missing, like the distractions of an internet connection and the constant prompts of a word processor.

“What i think the typewriter allows you to do, if you want to, is to be connected to a more stream of consciousness, a more flow of presence,” she said.

Richard Polt literally wrote the book on typewriters. He said many younger people are rediscovering the old relics, thanks in part to Taylor Swift, who included a vintage typewriter in her music video “Fortnight”.

“What they find is the kind of magic that comes from doing things physically, doing things that require more personal touch and connection and that isn’t easily reproducible,” he said.

As for Alexander, he said this renaissance is a much-needed shift. One that might just keep him from typing up his resume anytime soon.

“I don’t think they’re going anywhere,” he said. “I think they’re back to stay.”

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