PORTLAND, Ore. — When Oscar-winning actor Tom Hanks strolled into a small Southeast Portland shop two years ago, owner Antony Valoppi assumed the story would end with the $175 Underwood Leader typewriter the actor purchased. But Hanks left behind a promise: he’d send Valoppi a signed typewriter from his personal collection.
This week, that promise arrived at Valoppi’s store in the form of a 1955 Rheinmetall machine — signed, authentic, and ready for the public to use.
A Package Years in the Making
Valoppi said he received a call from Hanks’ manager earlier this week confirming that the gift was finally on its way.
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“It arrived on Wednesday,” Valoppi said, smiling as he stood next to the gleaming typewriter. “I just got it in.”
The machine is distinctive: a 1955 Rheinmetall with a German keyboard, where the Z and Y keys are swapped. For typewriter aficionados, such quirks make the machine all the more fascinating.
And unlike many celebrity artifacts, Valoppi insists it won’t be encased or hidden away. “People can come down and type on it,” he said. “That’s great; it’s not hands off.”
A Chance Encounter with Hollywood
For Valoppi, the gift capped off a surreal brush with one of Hollywood’s most beloved stars. Back in May 2023, he received a call that seemed almost too good to be true: Hanks wanted to stop by his store.
Within days, the actor arrived. Valoppi said Hanks spent nearly an hour browsing and chatting — not about his decades of film roles, but about typewriters.
“We just talked about typewriters, not much about his movies,” Valoppi recalled. “Just the nicest guy.”
From Collector to Shop Owner
Valoppi’s store, Type Space, is itself a testament to resilience and passion. Once a restaurant owner, Valoppi turned to typewriters after a life-changing car accident forced him to reimagine his future.
A decade of collecting and restoration eventually led him to open Type Space in July 2021, after taking over a former gold and silver shop. The gamble paid off: within its first year, Willamette Week listed the store among Portland’s top 100 businesses.
“For me, it’s the connection to the word,” Valoppi explained. “It makes my writing more intentional because I don’t have cut and paste, delete. I really have to think about what I’m putting down.”
A Thriving Analog Hub
The shop typically stocks 24 to 27 typewriters for sale, with another 150 in the pipeline waiting for restoration. Valoppi estimates he sells about 10 to 12 machines a week, a brisk pace for what many might consider a niche business.
Hollywood attention hasn’t hurt. At one point, David Wilcox, a stage director for Quentin Tarantino, drove up with 38 typewriters to sell to Valoppi.
But sales are only part of the story. Type Space has evolved into a community gathering spot for writers, hobbyists, and the simply curious.
“This is also a community space,” Valoppi said. “You can come and grab a machine off the shelf. We don’t charge. I’ll walk you through the machine, and you can type your sweetheart a letter.”
The Hanks Connection
Hanks is famously passionate about typewriters, amassing a personal collection of hundreds and even penning essays and a book about his love for the machines. His visit to Type Space was just one of many pilgrimages he’s made to independent typewriter shops around the country.
Still, for Valoppi, the gesture of sending a signed Rheinmetall years later felt deeply personal.
“It was good intention, but I never expected it,” he said. “It makes me feel grateful and thankful. I like to think that he respects what I’m doing and the craft that we’re in.”
A Piece of History, Shared
Unlike many collectors who might hide away such a celebrity-owned item, Valoppi is adamant that Hanks’ typewriter will remain accessible.
The signed Rheinmetall now sits on a table at the front of Type Space, ready for anyone to take a turn at the keys. For Valoppi, that openness is part of the ethos of his shop.
“Typewriters are meant to be used,” he said. “That’s what makes them special. They connect you directly to the words you’re writing.”
More Than Machines
The arrival of Hanks’ gift is just the latest chapter in Type Space’s growing story. For Valoppi, typewriters are more than collectible machines — they’re tools for intention, community, and creativity.
He sees the analog appeal as a counterbalance to the digital world. Without the endless distractions of screens, typing becomes an act of focus. “It forces you to slow down and be present,” he said.
That philosophy seems to resonate with customers, from local writers to Hollywood figures.
A Promise Kept
For Valoppi, the most remarkable part of the experience wasn’t just receiving a signed typewriter from a Hollywood star, but realizing that the promise had been honored at all.
“Two years is a long time,” he said. “I didn’t think it would happen. But he kept his word.”
And now, tucked into a cozy Portland storefront, Tom Hanks’ typewriter sits waiting — not as a museum piece, but as a working instrument of words, ready for the public to press its keys.
“It’s surreal,” Valoppi admitted, glancing at the machine. “But at the end of the day, it’s just like any other typewriter. It’s meant to be used.”
