Most old manual typewriters are worth approximately $30-150. The heavy black office machines from the 1910s to the 1940s, such as the Underwood No. 5 and Royal and Remington standards, usually sell for $50-150 because millions were made and they are expensive to ship. Electric typewriters from the 1970s and 1980s often bring $10-50. The models that sell for more are mostly well-made portables with a following among writers and collectors: the Olympia SM3 and SM9, the Hermes 3000 and Hermes Baby, the Olivetti Lettera 22 and Valentine, the Smith-Corona Silent and Sterling, the Royal Quiet De Luxe, and early folding and portable machines from Corona, Underwood and Remington. A clean, working, serviced example of one of these typically sells for $150-500. Very early nineteenth century machines are a separate, much rarer category.
Identifying a typewriter takes a few minutes. The brand and model are usually printed on the front or paper table, and the serial number on the frame dates the machine to a year.
Quick answer
- Most manual typewriters sell for $30-150, and most electrics for $10-50.
- Read the model name on the machine and the serial number under the carriage to date it.
- Working, clean portables from Olympia, Hermes, Olivetti, Smith-Corona and Royal bring $150-500.
How to check yours, step by step
- Read the brand and model. Look on the front panel above the keys, on the paper table behind the platen, and on the back of the machine. Many portables have the model name in small letters near the brand, such as "SM3", "3000", "Lettera 22", "Quiet De Luxe" or "Silent-Super". If only the brand shows, note the shape and color for comparison.
- Find the serial number. Push the carriage all the way to one side, then the other, and look on the top of the frame underneath where the carriage sat. On some machines the number is on the back of the frame, under the space bar, or on the underside. It is usually a run of digits, sometimes with letters.
- Date it from the serial. The Typewriter Database (typewriterdatabase.com) lists serial number charts for most brands and gives a year for each range. Some makers used letter prefixes that point to a model.
- Check if it is manual or electric. A power cord means electric. IBM Selectrics, with their golf ball type element, have their own following. Most other electrics, especially plastic 1980s electronic models, sell for little.
- Test the keys. Feed a sheet of paper and type every key. Note any keys that stick, type faintly, or do not return. Check the space bar, shift keys and backspace.
- Test the carriage. Push the carriage return lever. The carriage should move back smoothly and advance one space with each key. A carriage that does not move on its own often has a broken drawband, a common, inexpensive repair.
- Feel the platen. The black rubber roller should be slightly soft. A hard, shiny or cracked platen makes typing loud and faint and is a common cost to fix.
- Check the case and extras. Portables came in cases, often with a key. Note whether the case is present, the latches work and the original manual, ribbon spools or cleaning brush are there.
Typewriter values by type
These ranges cover machines in decent cosmetic condition. Untested or non-working machines sit at the low end; clean, serviced ones at the top.
| Type | Common examples | Typical value |
|---|---|---|
| Office standard, 1900s to 1940s | Underwood No. 5, Royal 10, Remington standard, L.C. Smith | $50-200 |
| Office standard, 1950s to 1960s | Royal HH, Underwood, Olympia SG1 | $50-250 |
| Common portable, 1950s to 1970s | Brother, Smith-Corona Galaxie, Royal Futura, Remington | $30-120 |
| Electric, 1960s to 1980s | Smith-Corona Coronet, Brother, Olympia electrics | $10-60 |
| IBM Selectric I, II or III | Golf ball electrics, office models | $100-400 working; $30-100 not working |
| Plastic electronic typewriters, 1980s to 1990s | Brother, Smith-Corona, Canon | $10-40 |
| Children's and toy typewriters | Tin and plastic models | $10-75 |
| Early index and upstrike machines, before 1900 | Hammond, Blickensderfer, early Caligraph | $300-3,000+ |
| First commercial typewriters, 1870s | Sholes and Glidden, early Remington | Tens of thousands |
The office standards are often the most common surprise. They are heavy, solid and handsome, and they sell steadily to decorators and hobbyists, but at modest prices because so many survive and they are hard to move.
The sought-after models
These are the models that collectors and writers look for. Values assume a complete, working machine; serviced machines with new platens and clean typing bring the top of the range.
| Model | Years made | Why people want it | Typical value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olympia SM3 | 1950s | Precise West German build, smooth action | $150-400 |
| Olympia SM9 | 1960s to 1970s | Same reputation, later styling | $150-400 |
| Hermes 3000 | From 1958 | Swiss build, seafoam green early models | $150-500 |
| Hermes Baby and Rocket | From 1935 | Very small, flat Swiss portable | $100-350 |
| Olivetti Lettera 22 | From 1950 | Italian design classic | $100-300 |
| Olivetti Valentine | From 1969 | Red plastic design icon, case is part of it | $150-500 |
| Olivetti Studio 44 | 1950s | Larger semi-portable | $100-250 |
| Royal Quiet De Luxe | 1939 to 1959 | Writers' favorite, colors in the 1950s | $100-350 |
| Royal Arrow and portables, 1920s and 1930s | 1920s to 1930s | Early colors and glass keys | $100-300 |
| Smith-Corona Silent, Sterling, Silent-Super, Clipper | 1930s to 1960s | Reliable, popular portables | $75-300 |
| Corona 3 folding portable | 1912 to the 1940s | Folding carriage, compact | $75-250 |
| Underwood portable | From 1919 | Early four-bank portable | $75-200 |
| Remington Portable | From 1920 | One of the first popular four-bank portables | $60-200 |
Color matters on several of these. Pastel and two-tone Royal Quiet De Luxes, seafoam Hermes 3000s and early colored portables from the 1920s and 1930s sell above the black or grey versions. Script and unusual typefaces can add value too, since most typewriters were made with standard pica or elite type.
Reading the serial number
The serial number dates the machine. On most portables it is stamped on the frame under the carriage; on some office machines it is on the back left or right of the frame. Write the full number, including any letters, and look up the brand and model on the Typewriter Database or a brand-specific chart.
Two warnings. First, many manufacturers reused model names over decades with different designs, so the serial confirms which version you have. Second, patent dates stamped on parts are not manufacturing dates. A machine with an 1890s patent date can be from the 1920s.
Working versus for parts
A working, clean machine sells for roughly two to four times what a non-working one brings, for the same model. Typical problems and repair costs from a typewriter repair shop:
- General cleaning, oiling and adjustment: $100-250.
- Platen and feed roller recovering: $60-150, plus shipping to a specialist.
- Broken drawband (carriage will not advance): $20-60, or a cheap home fix.
- Stuck keys from old oil and dust: usually solved by cleaning, included in a service.
- Missing or broken parts on rare models: varies widely, and parts may need to come from a donor machine.
For a common machine worth $50-100, a full service rarely pays back when selling. For a sought-after model, a properly serviced machine sells faster and closer to the top of its range.
Condition: platen, keys and case
Platen. The rubber roller hardens with age on nearly every old machine. A hard platen does not stop a typewriter from working, but it makes typing loud and faint and wears the type slugs. Buyers who plan to use the machine check it first.
Keys. Glass-topped and ring keys on older machines are attractive and fragile. Missing, chipped or replaced keys lower value. Many older machines were stripped of their round keys for jewelry, which leaves the rest of the machine worth only parts value.
Paint and decals. Original paint with light wear is preferred over repainting. Worn or missing gold decals on black office machines lower value slightly; heavy rust, especially on chrome parts, lowers it more.
Case. For portables, the original case adds value, and for some models, such as the Olivetti Valentine, it is part of the design. A case with broken latches, mold or water damage should be noted.
The shipping reality
Typewriters are heavy and easily damaged in transit. A portable in its case weighs about 10-20 pounds; a desktop office standard is often 30-40 pounds. Typical shipping costs inside the United States run $30-60 for a well-packed portable and $60-120 for a standard. Poor packing is the main reason typewriters arrive with bent typebars or broken parts.
Because of this, common office standards often sell best locally. Rarer portables sell well online if they are packed carefully, with the carriage locked, the typebars held still and plenty of padding.
Common mistakes
- Pricing from asking prices on marketplaces and decorative shops, which are often two to five times what machines sell for.
- Assuming an old office standard is rare because it is heavy and old. Millions of Underwood No. 5 and Royal standards were made.
- Using WD-40 or heavy oil on the mechanism, which gums up over time and causes sticking keys.
- Removing the keys to sell as jewelry, which destroys the value of the machine.
- Shipping without locking the carriage or securing the typebars.
- Overlooking the serial number, which separates early and later versions of the same model.
- Assuming an electric typewriter is valuable because it is old.
What to photograph
- The whole machine from the front, slightly above, so the keyboard and brand show.
- The model name and any badges close up.
- The serial number, in focus.
- The typebar basket, from above with the cover open if possible.
- A sheet of typed text showing every key, so the typeface and alignment show.
- The platen and feed rollers close up.
- The case, open and closed, and any extras.
When to get it looked at in person
A typewriter repair shop is the best first stop for a machine you plan to keep or sell as working. Shops can test it, list what it needs and quote a service, usually $100-250 for cleaning and adjustment. For an early index or upstrike machine, a Sholes and Glidden, or any typewriter older than about 1900, an auction house with a scientific instruments or technology department is the right contact, and photos are usually enough for a first opinion at no charge. A formal written appraisal costs about $100-250 and is only worth it for these early machines or a whole collection.
For most typewriters, sold listings for the same model and condition give a clear answer. Estates with a typewriter often include other mechanical pieces from the same decades; our guides to Singer sewing machines, old film cameras and antique clocks cover the usual companions.