Oh, he's actually been in business for a lot longer than that--over 40 years, I believe. It's just, he used to make most of his money going to offices and servicing typewriters on site, while more recently he's been selling restored portable machines to enthusiasts.
I bet you could get your grandfather's old typewriter working again; usually it's just a matter of lubricating things, replacing the ribbon, and maybe finding something to use as a draw-band.
What kind of writing did your grandfather do?
That is so infinitely cool. Imagine how much passion he must have for typewriters, to have done this in one way or another for decades.
Oh yes, I do plan to try, at some point. At this point, I wouldn't even have space to keep it in my house, so I guess that's one reason I haven't seriously thought about it.
He was a journalist, primarily, during the Communist regime. He supported it, at first, but then stopped, and began writing more dissident-y material, which eventually landed him in jail. He also wrote fiction, in his spare time and for personal amusement, though sadly, I haven't been able to get my hands on any of that :(
What a journey! I hope you get to read his stories someday.