Mid-Year Reflections: A Pause for August — by Natascha (NET LLC Investor & Matt’s Loving Wife)
As we head into the final stretch of our first year in business, we wanted to take a moment to reflect, regroup, and share a bit about what’s been going on behind the scenes at New England Typewriter, LLC (NET).
When we first opened our doors last fall, we expected a slow ramp-up — time to settle in, learn the ropes of running a business, and get our feet wet. What we didn’t expect (but were grateful for!) was the incredible influx of interest and repair requests right out of the gate. The typewriter community found us quickly, and we’ve been doing our best to keep up ever since.
One of the things we offer is a free repair assessment. That initial glance is just that — a surface-level look to explain the goings-on of the typewriter to its owner and to determine whether we can take the machine in for cleaning and repairs. We don’t fully disassemble or inspect the machine until we begin the cleaning process. Unfortunately, many of the machines that have come in recently are what we call “project machines” — typewriters that were previously tinkered with by others or contain remnants of amateur repair attempts.
Early in Matt’s tenure at Cambridge Typewriter, and even in our first few months of operation, these project machines made up about 1 in every 10 repairs. As time passed at Cambridge Typewriter, just as they’re passing here (only faster), that number is closer to 7 out of 10 repairs. This means typewriters are arriving with issues caused by (for example) WD-40, incorrect parts that function as homebrew fixes, harsh cleaning products that have weakened and/or stripped paint, etc. Repairing these machines often requires many extra hours of diagnostics and remediation on top of our normal cleaning process.
Our standard repair estimates (i.e., 3 hours for a portable and 4 hours for a standard) simply don’t hold up in these more complex cases. As a result, our backlog has grown significantly, and we’ve quite literally run out of storage space. We want to maintain a welcoming and functional showroom — not one overflowing with waiting typewriters — so we’re being mindful not to let machines spill out into the customer area.
For this reason, we will not be accepting any new repair requests during the month of August. We’ll still be available for sales, free assessments, and inquiries, and we hope to resume repair requests in September. We’ll post an update at that time.
If you’re bringing a typewriter to NET that you’ve personally tried to fix — or one that you suspect may have been worked on before — please let Matt know up front. It helps him assess the machine more accurately and plan his repair days accordingly. Transparency makes a big difference. And to those individuals who knowingly sell project machines (or parts machines!) on Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist, at consignment shops and flea markets, without disclosing their conditions to customers: shame on you. It’s unfair to customers who think they’re buying a ready-to-use typewriter, and it puts repair people like Matt in a difficult position — having to explain why additional charges may be necessary for extra labor, replacement parts, etc.
We truly love what we do — especially seeing the joy on someone’s face when they pick up their newly working typewriter. But it’s important to remember that this is a very small, family-run business with just one person doing all the repairs (my husband, Matt). Some customers have grown confused with the wait times or have suggested that we simply “hire help” or “bring in an apprentice.”
While we understand and appreciate the good intentions behind suggestions to bring on help or hire an apprentice, we want to share a bit of context. Matt spent nearly four years apprenticing at Cambridge Typewriter, gaining invaluable experience that helped shape the foundation of our business today. During that time, he asked regularly about joining the payroll, but small repair shops like that often operate on tight margins, and the business wasn’t in a position to employ him. His time there was supported through modest gestures like gas money, Friday lunches, discounts on machines, and finder’s fees for typewriters he brought in, but it wasn’t a sustainable living. He held on, with my financial support, because he believed in Cambridge Typewriter’s mission and was hopeful for a future opportunity to purchase the shop. When it came time for the business to be sold, however, the cost remained out of reach, especially considering the substantial investment that would have been needed to modernize and maintain the space.
That experience reinforced something important for us: no one should be asked to work without fair compensation or a clear path forward. If we ever expand our team, it will be to offer a paid role with proper structure and support, not an unpaid apprenticeship. We’re also committed to keeping our repair services and typewriter sales affordable for the local community. It’s like the old project management triangle: you can aim for low cost, high quality, and/or quick turnaround, but it’s rare to achieve all three at once. We've chosen to prioritize affordability and craftsmanship, which naturally means repairs take more time. Raising our prices just to bring on extra help isn’t something we’re comfortable doing; we’d rather keep our services within reach for those who need them. While we truly appreciate the well-meaning suggestions, we kindly ask that folks stop recommending we bring in help or take on an apprentice. It's simply not feasible for a small, family-run operation like ours.
While we’re not taking new repair requests in August, this doesn’t mean we’re taking a vacation. Quite the opposite! We’re using the month to catch up on our existing repair queue so we can better serve everyone who’s already entrusted us with their machines. It’s a chance to breathe, get organized, and give each typewriter the time and care it deserves.
As NET approaches its one-year mark, we’ll also be taking time to reflect on the bigger picture. At some point after our anniversary, we’ll decide whether to continue the business or bring this chapter of our lives to a close. That decision won’t be based on finances — it will be about whether the passion and energy are still there to keep doing this work the way it deserves to be done. This business was created out of love for the craft and the community, and it’s important to us that it stays rooted in that spirit.
To everyone who has supported us this year — thank you. Your kindness, patience, and encouragement have meant the world to us, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to bring these wonderful machines back to life for you.
- Natascha
