Typewriters

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]


Got a site to suggest? Let us know.




Discussion Forums: Typewriters


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Top eBay Auctions  Help | Get weekly Typewriters email

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Patent 1881 Hall Type Writer Co., Ny- Index Typewriter$641.00 Ends Sunday 24 bids 51 watchers
Antique Caligraph #2 Typewriter Am. Writing Machine$212.59 Ends Sunday 6 bids 37 watchers
Lot-rolltop Desk, Typewriter + More American Girl-kit $152.50 Ends in 2 hours 10 bids 43 watchers
Antique Odell # 4 Typewriter With Original Wood Box$125.95 Ends Friday 10 bids 34 watchers
Antique Smith Premier No. 1 Typewriter $125.95 Ends Sunday 13 bids 43 watchers
Vintage 14k Solid Gold Moveable Desk Flip Typewriter$109.99 Ends Sunday 1 bid 2 watchers
Vintage Pink Royal Quiet De Luxe Typewriter W/orig Case$107.50 Ends in 3 hours 7 bids 41 watchers
Steampunk Victorian Styled Typewriter Keyboard$102.50 Ends Tuesday 3 bids 18 watchers
Antique Bennett Typewriter Ca. 1910 - Early Portable$102.50 Ends Sunday 5 bids 27 watchers
Pink Royal Quiet Deluxe Portable Typewriter W Case$100.00 Ends Friday 10 bids 14 watchers
Antique The Practical Typewriter No 3 - Simplex$99.99 Ends in 1 hour 2 bids 6 watchers
Royal Quiet De Luxe Typewriter Pink$95.00 Ends Monday 2 bids 13 watchers
Antique Corona Folding Typewriter W/ Case Manual Tools$94.89 Ends Sunday 16 bids 27 watchers
Antique Hammond Oak Case Typewriter 1880's Nr!!$86.00 Ends Sunday 13 bids 57 watchers
Olympia De Luxe Manual Typewriter - Cursive Script$81.00 Ends Friday 2 bids 7 watchers
Vintage Portable Royal Quiet Deluxe Typewriter Pink Vgc$76.00 Ends Monday 5 bids 36 watchers
Vintage Underwood Typewriter $72.21 Ends Thursday 1 bid 4 watchers
Typewriter Ribbon Tin-rare Fox Visible Typewriter Tin$69.99 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 5 watchers
Antique Blickensderfer No 7 Typewriter$51.00 Ends in 54 mins 7 bids 24 watchers
American Girl Kit's Typewriter Plus Accessories $51.00 Ends Monday 16 bids 32 watchers
~rare~ Vintage Royal Portable Typewriter 0-682747 Nice!$51.00 Ends Saturday 6 bids 14 watchers
Wwii German Wehrmacht / Xx Olympia Field Typewriter $51.00 Ends Monday 12 bids 24 watchers
Vintage Cole Steel German Manual Key Typewriter$49.95 Ends Sunday 1 bid 6 watchers
Brother Ml-300 Typewriter Portable Viewscreen Nib Nr$49.90 Ends Sunday 2 bids 2 watchers
Lot Of 48 Corona Typewriter Keys/jewlery/crafts$48.09 Ends in 2 hours 2 bids 5 watchers
Enesco Small World Of Music Box * Typewriter * Mice *ex$48.00 Ends Sunday 10 bids 20 watchers
Vintage Ruby Red Royal Typewriter With Glass Keys$48.00 Ends Monday 4 bids 15 watchers
Vintage 1908 Royal Standard Manual Business Typewriter$46.50 Ends Sunday 4 bids 16 watchers
Antique Molle Typewriter With Case & Brochure $43.00 Ends Sunday 10 bids 33 watchers
Portable Royal Arrow Manual Typewriter In Case$42.63 Ends in 22 hours 4 bids 13 watchers
47 Vintage Royal Typewriter Keys - Flat Backs - Black$41.00 Ends Sunday 7 bids 7 watchers
Typewriter Ribbon Tin-remington Paragon-wyckoff,seaman $39.99 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 5 watchers
Vintage Smith Corona Portable Typewriter Skywriter ++++$37.11 Ends in 3 hours 9 bids 3 watchers
48 Antique Vintage Thin Flat Lc Smith Typewriter Keys$35.00 Ends Sunday 20 bids 14 watchers
Vintage Smith-corona Clipper Typewriter With Case$34.99 Ends in 15 mins 2 bids 1 watcher
Vintage Smith-corona Sterling Typewriter$34.99 Ends in 15 mins 1 bid
Lot Of 46 Glass Royal Typewriter Keys/jewlery/crafts$34.99 Ends in 2 hours 1 bid 1 watcher
Antique Pittsburgh Visible Typewriter No Reserve$31.00 Ends Sunday 6 bids 25 watchers
Hermes 3000 Swiss Made Vintage Typewriter Mint Green$31.00 Ends Sunday 5 bids 37 watchers
Vintage Royal Portable Typewriter$30.00 Ends in 7 hours 8 bids 9 watchers
Typewriter Ribbon Tin-unusual Jerry Boy Tin, Chicago$29.99 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 3 watchers
Brother Wp-1450ds Electronic Typewriter Word Processor$29.99 Ends Saturday 1 bid 3 watchers
Vintage Royal Green Quiet De Luxe Portable Typewriter$29.99 Ends in 5 hours 1 bid 3 watchers
Vintage/retro 1970's Pinnock Portable Typewriter$29.20 Ends in 4 hours 3 bids 15 watchers
Silver Reed 2200cr Portable Electric Typewriter$28.33 Ends in 10 hours 8 bids 7 watchers
Vintage Smith Corona Corsair 700 Typewriter With Case$28.33 Ends Thursday 4 bids 8 watchers
70s Modern Karmann Ghia Smith Corona Super G Typewriter$26.49 Ends in 4 hours 3 bids 6 watchers
Antique 1894 Blickensderfer No. 5 Typewriter With Box$26.00 Ends Friday 2 bids 23 watchers
1931 Duotone Red Royal Portable Typewriter$26.00 Ends Friday 8 bids 12 watchers
Vintage Remington Portable Typewriter Na37919 ~unusual~$26.00 Ends Saturday 3 bids 7 watchers

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Recent News: Typewriters

Source: Google News

Marlins aren't your typical small-market team
ESPN, November 19th

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

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Lomo cameras are displayed in a way that suggests you could pick one up and shoot, while a vintage Olivetti typewriter awaits customers...Read more

Mad Housewife, Billion-Mark Note Renew Bauhaus at MoMA: Review
Bloomberg, November 15th

Typewriter numbers and slashes delicately pattern beautiful wallpapers. Impish Surrealism draws the eye to photomontages. Gropius moved toward industrial...Read more

A trip to North Korea offers curious sites
Los Angeles Times, November 15th

A manual typewriter collects dust in the corner. In glass display cases, there are boots worn by Capt. Lloyd Bucher and the crew's handwritten letter to...Read more

Voices of History: On wings of freedom
Rockford Register Star, November 15th

His father was a supervisor at a typewriter factory and a veteran of World War I; his mom, a typical housewife of the day who never learned to drive...Read more

Tribute to a typewriter
Philippine Star, November 15th

(vintage pens for me, vintage radios and aeronautical books for him), we decided to stop over first at the San Francisco Antique and Design Mall,...Read more

Vergennes antique store owner publishes own books
Murphysboro American, November 12th

Aside from the photographs, Phillips also designed the “folk art themed” cover and arranged the layout- using a typewriter and ruler...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

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