26 Vintage Typewriters Buyers Track Down Fast
Typewriters spent decades treated as landfill fodder the moment word processors arrived. Now the same machines that were hauled to curbs in the 1990s are turning up in vintage shops with three-figure price tags, and buyers are hunting specific models rather than just “an old typewriter.”
Underwood No. 5
Introduced in the early 1900s, the Underwood No. 5 became the best-selling typewriter of its era and set the template for the front-strike design most manual typewriters still use. Working examples with intact decals and a clean carriage return draw steady interest from collectors furnishing period offices.
Royal Quiet De Luxe
Ernest Hemingway famously used a Royal Quiet De Luxe, which has made the portable model a target for buyers chasing literary provenance even without a celebrity connection. The two-tone color schemes from the 1940s and 1950s, especially the rarer pastel shades, sell faster than the standard black units.
Smith Corona Silent
Smith Corona’s Silent line used a floating shift mechanism designed to cut down on typing noise, a genuine engineering selling point in its day. Chrome trim in good condition and a matching original case add meaningfully to resale value.
Olivetti Valentine
Designed by Ettore Sottsass and released in 1969, the Olivetti Valentine was built as a portable typewriter that doubled as a design statement, with its molded red plastic shell now held in museum design collections. Original examples in working order regularly outsell nearly every other portable on this list.
Remington Portable No. 2
Remington’s Portable No. 2 from the 1920s helped popularize the folding portable typewriter for travelers and students. Its collapsible carriage and slim carrying case make it one of the more compact machines buyers look for.
Corona 3 Folding Typewriter
The Corona 3 could fold its carriage flat over the keyboard, a genuinely clever solution for portability decades before laptops existed. Examples with the folding mechanism still functioning smoothly command a premium over stiff or seized units.
Hermes 3000
Swiss-made and prized for a notably smooth keystroke, the Hermes 3000 developed a cult following among professional writers in the mid-20th century. Green-bodied models from the late 1950s and 1960s are especially sought after.
IBM Selectric
The IBM Selectric replaced the traditional typebar with a rotating “golf” type element, a mechanical shift so significant it changed office typing for decades. Working Selectrics with an intact element and ribbon cartridge access still sell briskly to collectors and working writers alike.
Olympia SM3
German-built and known for a precise, heavy action, the Olympia SM3 is frequently cited by typewriter repair specialists as one of the most mechanically reliable portables ever produced. That reputation for durability keeps demand steady among buyers who actually intend to type on their purchase.
L.C. Smith & Corona 8
This mid-century standard-size machine carries the combined legacy of two major typewriter manufacturers that merged in the 1920s. Clean examples with original glass-topped keys are the ones collectors chase hardest.
Underwood Standard Portable
A scaled-down version of Underwood’s famous standard machines, this portable retained much of the parent company’s build quality in a travel-friendly frame. Its widespread production means supply is decent, but pristine examples still move quickly.
Royal KMM
The Royal KMM was a heavy-duty standard office machine built through the 1930s and 1940s, known for its glass side panels that expose the internal mechanism. Buyers restoring period office displays specifically seek this model for that visual feature.
Remington Rand Model 5
Produced after Remington merged with Rand, this model carried forward Remington’s reputation for sturdy office machines into the mid-20th century. Its wide carriage variants are particularly popular with buyers who need to type on legal-size paper.
Smith Corona Skyriter
Marketed as an ultra-portable option, the Skyriter was small enough to appeal to traveling journalists and students in the 1950s. Its compact folding design makes it a favorite among collectors with limited display space.
Olivetti Lettera 22
Named one of the best industrial designs of the 20th century by the Illinois Institute of Technology, the Lettera 22 combined portability with a clean, minimalist case. Cormac McCarthy reportedly used the same model for decades, adding to its collector appeal.
Blickensderfer No. 5
One of the earliest successful portable typewriters, the Blickensderfer No. 5 used a type wheel rather than typebars, a mechanical approach ahead of its time in the 1890s. Surviving examples in operating condition are genuinely scarce and command strong prices among specialist collectors.
Woodstock Typewriter
Manufactured in Illinois starting in the 1910s, Woodstock typewriters gained unexpected fame through their connection to the Alger Hiss espionage case of the late 1940s. That historical footnote keeps demand alive well beyond typical typewriter enthusiasts.
Corona Sterling
A streamlined 1930s portable with an Art Deco-influenced body, the Corona Sterling appeals to buyers who collect typewriters as much for design as function. Two-tone paint finishes in strong original condition sell for noticeably more than worn single-color units.
Royal Arrow
A budget-friendly portable from the 1930s, the Royal Arrow offered many of the features of pricier Royal models in a lighter frame. It remains a solid entry point for new collectors due to relatively accessible pricing.
Underwood Champion
Introduced as a more affordable portable option, the Underwood Champion still carried the brand’s reputation for reliable mechanics. Its lighter production numbers compared to the Universal model make clean examples somewhat harder to find.
Hermes Baby
A compact companion to the larger Hermes 3000, the Hermes Baby became one of the most widely exported portable typewriters of the mid-20th century. Its lightweight aluminum frame made it popular with students, and clean examples remain affordable relative to other Hermes models.
Smith Corona Sterling
Not to be confused with Corona’s own Sterling model, this Smith Corona version featured a sturdier frame aimed at more serious daily use. Its wider ribbon spools and heavier chassis appeal to buyers who want a machine built for actual regular typing.
Remington Noiseless
Remington’s Noiseless line used a delayed-action typebar mechanism specifically engineered to reduce keystroke sound in shared office spaces. The mechanical complexity that made it quiet also makes it more finicky to service today, so working examples carry a premium.
Royal HH
A heavy-duty standard machine from the 1950s, the Royal HH was built for high-volume office use and has a reputation for exceptional durability. Its robust build means more surviving examples remain fully functional compared to lighter portables of the same era.
Olympia SG1
Considered by many collectors to be one of the finest standard typewriters ever manufactured, the Olympia SG1 features an unusually smooth and consistent typing action. Its reputation among working writers keeps demand high even outside pure collector circles.
Imperial Good Companion
A British-made portable produced from the 1930s through the 1950s, the Imperial Good Companion is especially popular among collectors in the United Kingdom. Its distinctive curved case design sets it apart visually from the more angular American portables of the same period.
When the Machine Outlives the Message
None of these typewriters were built to be collected. They were built to draft letters, type manuscripts, and fill out forms in triplicate, and their current status as objects of pursuit says more about what got lost when that daily function disappeared. A working carriage return has become a small, tactile luxury in a world of silent keyboards.
What buyers are really chasing, model by model, is the physical evidence that writing used to require effort you could hear. That is a strange thing to pay for, and an entirely understandable one.
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