Portland, Ore. – Anthony Vallopi Southeast Portland typewriter shop Type Space has been around for about two years. The whole day is spent selling and servicing antique typewriters. Valopy also answers a lot of emails. None more important than what came last week.
“Hey, I’m Tom Hanks’ manager and he wants to come by your shop tomorrow, he said what time would you like and that was it,” Vallopi recalled.
Vallopy said his head started spinning. He offered to open early or close the shop. Tom Hanks offered to do whatever it took to make him feel comfortable. However, Hanks, who is very fond of typewriters, did not require any special care. He simply wanted to check out Valopi’s specialty shop.
Credit: Anthony Valoppi
Tom Hanks is a typewriter enthusiast.
“At first I let him get his eyes, see what he wants to get into, and then before I know it, he’s not a top collector,” Vallopy said. “He collects working machines and takes a beating because he’s so hard on the keys.”
Vallopi said Hanks, who spent about an hour in the shop, couldn’t be kinder if he tried. In addition to taking some photos with Wallopy, Hanks bought one of the antique typewriters. Hanks also promised to send his own wallop.
“It wasn’t to meet the star of the movie, Tom Hanks,” Vallopy said. “We were meeting a new friend. He was a typewriter enthusiast.”
Vallopi says the odds are beyond odds.
“No ego, no entitlement, nothing like that and this is what we all hope it’s like in real life and he really managed to establish it.”
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