Tom Hanks donates rare typewriter to South Philadelphia shop - and you can use it!

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- It seems like actor Tom Hanks is doing a little spring cleaning.

Earlier this month, stories started popping up around the country about shops, even collectors, receiving a typewriter in the mail from the Oscar-winning actor.

A shop here in South Philadelphia is the latest to get a surprise box in the mail.

Philly Typewriter on East Passyunk Avenue says a few weeks ago, a box arrived with a Santa Monica return address.

Co-owner Bryan Kravitz opened it to find a rare typewriter inside, along with a special letter in an emerald green envelope.

"I slowly opened the box and it was a letter from Tom Hanks," Kravitz says. "He said this was present for us and whatever you plan to do with it, it's all yours."

Co-owner Bill Rhoda said Kravitz called him right away.

"He said, 'Oh my gosh, it's from Tom Hanks!' My jaw just dropped," Rhoda said.

"We have over 1,300 typewriters in our inventory, and we do not have one single Rheinmetall. It's quite an honor to get a machine from Tom Hanks, but also to get a machine that's so special and unique."

In his letter, Hanks writes: "You just may be giving this miracle of a machine a fuller, newer life of use."

It's a 1953 East German Rheinmetall Gs typewriter, and Philly Typewriter is not about to let it collect dust.

"It does have Tom Hanks' autograph on the hood, and you're more than welcome to use this machine in our showroom," Rhoda says. "If you want to write a letter, if you want to type your grocery list, come in and use the machine. It's not designed to sit on the shelf, it's designed to be used."

Tom Hanks has about 250 typewriters.

He even wrote a book about it called 'Uncommon Type.'

His letter also says this donation is helping him make more space and de-clutter

Earlier in the month he sent one to a shop in Arlington, Massachusetts, and another to a private collector upstate NY.

Now, here in Philadelphia, you too can type where Tom Hanks once typed.