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About Antique Typewriters

Typewriters became popular as a labor saving device in the late 1800's, and today, familiar names like Royal, Olympia, Underwood, Smith Corona, and Remington conjure images of 20th Century detective novels and smoky newsrooms.

Antique and vintage typewriters can also be very collectible, especially pre-WW2 models. But values vary widely, so do your homework before buying...

Many experimental typewriters were built and used during the first 75 years of the nineteenth century. But none were produced in quantity until Christopher Sholes, an American printer living in Milwaukee, came up with a successful design incorporating the “Qwerty” keyboard in 1874. He contracted with Remington to produce 1,000 of them that year, under the name Sholes & Glidden.

But that was not the end of experimentation in typewriter design, as hundreds of companies and individuals subsequently got into the business.

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Interviews & Articles

An Interview With Antique and Vintage Typewriter Collector Richard Polt

I started to get interested in typewriters around age 12. My dad and I stopped at a garage sale and he bought… [more]

Guest Column: Collecting Early Typewriters of the Late 1800s

Collecting antique typewriters circa 1900 has been a wonderful experience for me over the years. My collectio… [more]



Best of the Web (“Hall of Fame”)

The Classic Typewriter Page

The Classic Typewriter Page

Richard Polt's celebration of the typewriter. Clean as a white sheet of bond paper, with stunning images, the site … [read review or visit site]

The Martin Howard Collection

The Martin Howard Collection

Martin Howard's crisp, visually stunning collection of early vintage typewriters and related accessories like ribbo… [read review or visit site]

Typewriters by Will Davis

Typewriters by Will Davis

Will Davis' impressive collection of microsites on antique typewriters includes in-depth information on portables, … [read review or visit site]

Virtual Typewriter Museum

Virtual Typewriter Museum

This comprehensive site, a group effort, features a huge and beautiful collection browsable by brand and era, plus … [read review or visit site]

Typewriter.be

Typewriter.be

For a whimsical and highly visual take on antique typewriters, check out this site. Wim Van Rompuy and Guy Pérard … [read review or visit site]

Early Office Museum

Early Office Museum

This site showcases pre-1920 office antiques, including paperweights, writing ink, paper fasteners, seal pressers, … [read review or visit site]


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Discussion Forums: Typewriters


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Top eBay Auctions  Help | Get weekly Typewriters email

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Vintage Antique Typewriter Salter Standard Mod.10, 1908$449.00 Ends Wednesday 11 bids 43 watchers
Antique Restored Oliver No. 5 Typewriter $410.00 Ends Tuesday 8 bids 8 watchers
Antique Franklin #9 Typewriter$208.85 Ends Monday 3 bids 36 watchers
125 Year Old Caligraph #2 Understrike Typewriter #6275 Buy it Now$204.52 Ends Tuesday 11 bids 25 watchers
Blickensderfer 7, Antique Typewriter Pat. 1892$202.50 Ends Sunday 11 bids 30 watchers
Noiseless Portable Typewriter Very Early 1919 Remington$202.50 Ends Monday 16 bids 41 watchers
Daugherty Visible Typewriter Antique Collectable Buy it Now$200.00 Ends Monday 1 bid 25 watchers
1890's Hammond Typewriter & Oak Case ~antique~ Rare~$179.89 Ends in 6 hours 1 bid 12 watchers
Royal Quiet De Luxe Vintage Red Typewriter W/case-exlnt$162.50 Ends Sunday 17 bids 32 watchers
Remington Standard 2 1880's Typewriter W/ Case$152.50 Ends Wednesday 3 bids 22 watchers
Blickensderfer Blick Featherweight Aluminum Typewriter$130.50 Ends Sunday 15 bids 42 watchers
1938 German Mercedes Superba Typewriter$103.51 Ends Sunday 9 bids 37 watchers
Royal Quiet De Luxe Typewriter Pink$103.50 Ends in 1 hour 6 bids 24 watchers
Perkins Braillier Braille Typewriter David Abraham Case$102.89 Ends Wednesday 2 bids 3 watchers
125 Year Old Calligraph #2 Double Keyboard Typewriter Buy it Now$99.00 Ends Monday 1 bid 13 watchers
Antique Aluminum Groton N Y Standard Folding Typewriter$84.71 Ends Monday 3 bids 42 watchers
Vintage Hermes 3000 Typewriter, Case, Accesories$81.00 Ends Thursday 2 bids 2 watchers
Hammond Multiplex Folding Typewriter$81.00 Ends Sunday 3 bids 10 watchers
Antique Underwood Standard Typewriter No 5$76.00 Ends Sunday 14 bids 16 watchers
Vintage Royal Typewriter In Case~desireable Red Color!!$76.00 Ends in 17 hours 6 bids 29 watchers
Rare Royal P Portable Typewriter Vintage Peach & Purple$76.00 Ends in 19 mins 17 bids 18 watchers
Royal Quiet De Luxe Vintage Blue Typewriter & Case-vg++$75.00 Ends Sunday 14 bids 36 watchers
Vintage 1960's Travel Red Typewriter Barcelona Spain$65.00 Ends Sunday 1 bid 6 watchers
Royal Quiet De Luxe Typewriter C.1952 With Case$60.00 Ends Sunday 1 bid 3 watchers
Antique Typewriter Stenograph Bartholomew 1879 1882 Old$56.00 Ends Sunday 3 bids 43 watchers
48 Remington Typewriter Keys, Flat Backs, Ivory$53.78 Ends Monday 3 bids 7 watchers
47 Antique Vintage White Flat Lc Smith Typewriter Keys$52.00 Ends Sunday 7 bids 13 watchers
1950s Green Olivetti Lettera 22 Portable Typewriter$51.40 Ends in 11 hours 2 bids 15 watchers
Antique,typewriter,vinatge,royal, No.5,5,old Typewriter$51.00 Ends in 21 hours 4 bids 10 watchers
Vintage Underwood Standard Portable Typewriter$49.99 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 7 watchers
Remington 1930s Portable Typewriter "remie Scout"$49.99 Ends Sunday 1 bid 12 watchers
Vintage Royal Standard Manual Typewriter $49.94 Ends Monday 1 bid 4 watchers
Remington Rand Streamliner Typewriter - Very Nice$49.00 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 7 watchers
Vintage Glass Royal Typewriter Keys Huge Lot Must See!$48.98 Ends in 5 hours 9 bids 9 watchers
1970's Kitch Retro Orange Chevron Portable Typewriter$45.90 Ends Tuesday 8 bids 19 watchers
Royal Quiet De Luxe Vintage Green Typewriter&case-vg++$43.00 Ends Sunday 3 bids 17 watchers
Antique/collectbl Underwood No. 5 Typewriter-glass Keys$43.00 Ends in 18 hours 29 bids 10 watchers
1920's Era Portable Remington Manual Typewriter W/case$41.00 Ends in 4 hours 2 bids 8 watchers
Chieftain Typewriter Ribbon Tin,ponca City,oklahoma.nr$39.99 Ends Thursday 1 bid 1 watcher
Underwood 315 Olivetti Vintage Typewriter Manual $39.00 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 4 watchers
Vintage Royal Commercial Electric Typewriter Green!$35.00 Ends in 4 hours 2 bids 2 watchers
Underwood Noiseless Typewriter An Estate Piece Mint$35.00 Ends in 3 hours 4 bids 7 watchers
Underwood Typewriter Unusual And Very Early$35.00 Ends in 1 hour 19 bids 6 watchers
Vintage Olympia Portable Typewriter Mahogany$33.00 Ends in 3 hours 4 bids 8 watchers
49 Antique Vintage Glass Flat Royal Typewriter Keys$32.41 Ends Monday 3 bids 8 watchers
Vintage Remington 5 Portable Typewriter~original Case $32.17 Ends Sunday 2 bids 22 watchers
Typewriter Ribbon Tin:copy-right Indian Tin, San Fran $32.00 Ends in 2 hours 2 bids 2 watchers
Antique Lc Smith Typewriter No 8 Working Cond!$32.00 Ends in 3 hours 19 bids 13 watchers
Rare 48 Pc's Vintage Royal Typewriter Keys W/flat Back$31.58 Ends Sunday 3 bids 6 watchers
46 Antique Vintage Black Flat Glass Typewriter Keys$31.00 Ends in 23 hours 17 bids 9 watchers
Vintage Remington Rand Portable Typewriter W/ Case $31.00 Ends in 22 hours 6 bids 5 watchers
Rare Vintage Smith-corona Four Typewriter Yellow Keys$30.00 Ends in 20 hours 9 bids 15 watchers
Vintage 1930s,40s Underwood Leader Typewriter - Nm!$29.99 Ends Monday 1 bid 4 watchers

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Recent News: Typewriters

Source: Google News

Blame the system, not the Yankees
ESPN, November 7th

With the assistance of a crack band of Boston rockers, Gammons trades in his typewriter for a Stratocaster and delivers a rousing set of vintage classics,...Read more

Retro Chic: 13 Gorgeous Vintage Typewriters
GeekSugar.com (blog), November 5th

In homage to one of my favorite retro gadgets, check out this gallery of beautiful vintage typewriter photos. Are you a fan of vintage and retro gadgets?...Read more

Mythical water deities served as inspiration for Dragonware
SILive.com, November 5th

QI have a Blickensderfer typewriter model No. 7 that is in mint condition. It has a wood case and is in working condition. Does it have any value?...Read more

Roslindale Open Studios is this weekend
Wicked Local West Roxbury, November 4th

Both Martin and Michael Ulman collect a variety of found items, such as old typewriter keys and vacuum cleaner parts, which could be used in a future...Read more

St. Louis County courthouse turns 100 today
Duluth News Tribune (registration), November 2nd

“We've got not only an actual typewriter, but an entire 1910 office display, with furnishings and office equipment that somehow survived the last 99 years...Read more

'A little bit of everything'
The Spokesman Review, October 31st

10 Smith Premier Typewriter was acquired by Gortsema from a former neighbor who died. The Lost Dutchman is at 202 S. Fifth St., Fairfield...Read more

Remaining NYPD Typewriters Are Drain on Police Time, Money
Gothamist, October 27th

If you think Windows Vista bugs are hurting your productivity, just be thankful you're not still struggling with typewriter ribbon and jammed keys...Read more

Bisher's career ends, as does an era
Atlanta Journal Constitution, October 12th

Today you read words that were hatched on a vintage typewriter, the same one that served the middle of the last century...Read more

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