Frequently Asked Questions

A. In a Historic District of Riverside, California. Riverside is an inland community between Los Angeles and San Diego that is most easily reached from the 91 and 60 freeways. The closest major airport is Ontario International Airport. The Metrolink offers train service to Riverside from Los Angeles and Orange County and if you take the right exit we are about a mile from the station via Uber or Lyft.

A. Sure, we love opening our showroom to customers, but are only open by appointment. We typically offer appointments Monday - Friday evenings from 6:00pm - 9:00pm and most weekends from 9:00am - 8:00pm.

A. Not likely. We are one of a handful of full-service typewriter shops left and that leaves us in high demand. We will do our best to get to your machine as quickly as possible but wait times can be anywhere from three to six weeks. It all depends on how many typewriters are in the queue when you arrive but we do our best to expedite every machine.

A. Typewriters and so much more! We offer typewriter ribbon, covers, care kits and our Speedy Spooler in our showroom. We also have a variety of typewriter art and Original typewriter advertisements from 20th Century American Magazines complete with source information in our showroom.

A. Absolutely! Bob is the brain, heart and hands of Typewriter Muse. We also think he's the best Typewriter mechanic around. He never brags on himself, so we will: this man has never met a typewriter he could not get working. His mind wraps around the parts of the machine and just knows how everything moves. He is inventive, often fabricating parts that cannot otherwise be found and resolving issues on mishandled machines. You will definitely get to meet Bob. If you just can't wait, feel free to watch some of his YouTube videos, catch him as a guest in a Joe VanCleave YouTube video or listen along as he guest hosts an episode of the Austin Typewriter Ink podcast.

A. As much as it needs to....these machines are antique mechanical devices and Bob is a precision mechanic. His services are $70 per hour and most typewriters that come in for cleaning and service need at least two hours of work. Repairs take a bit longer and cost a bit more. Bob will give you a free estimate when you drop your machine off at your appointment. If anything else comes up along the way, he will call you with an update.

A. We take cash, Apple Pay, cash, tap to pay, cash, credit cards, cash, debit cards, cash, Venmo, cash, Zelle and cash. All transactions include sales tax where applicable and non-cash transactions are subject to a convenience fee.

A. Mechanical work is a tactile, hands-on specialty. We do not diagnose or repair virtually. Your machine must be physically in our showroom for an estimate or repair.

A. We take donations on a case by case basis. Most machines people are letting go require a few hours of cleaning, service and sometimes extensive repairs. As much as we would love to take every machine that comes our way, our storage capacity is finite. Let's talk about it and we'll see what we can do. We do our best to get donated machines into the hands of young people who have never before experienced a typewriter.

A. We absolutely will when your machine is in the shop for service or repair. If it isn't here in the shop, check out Ted Munk's https://typewriterdatabase.com for details on where and how to find your typewriter's serial number and cross reference his extensive data on machine makes and models throughout the history of these great machines.

A. We are fortunate to have a list of distinguished friends and clients who love typewriters as much as we do but we are bound to respect their privacy. So we cannot introduce you to Mr. Hanks or pass along your script. We also cannot give you Joe Van Cleave's phone number or tell you what his wife made for dinner. And we promise, we will also respect your privacy as well.