About this site

Vintage Typewriter Deals is an independent reference for the secondhand manual typewriter market, and part of allbutnew. We track 36 models across 12 brands (Hermes, Royal, Olympia, Olivetti, Smith-Corona, Remington, Underwood, Adler, Torpedo, Facit, Imperial, Brother), with hand-curated specs, what to check before buying, and a dated snapshot of each model’s eBay listings with buying picks: which one to buy, and why.

The site exists because the existing typewriter buying-guide surfaces are mostly 2010s blog posts and a serial-number database with no buying intent. None of them surface live eBay inventory in a modern, mobile-first format alongside the model-specific condition notes a first-time buyer actually needs. Our buying guides and full catalog are the place to start; the per-model pages are where the actual buying decision happens.

Who this is for

Writers, typecasters, and r/typewriters lurkers who have already decided they want a specific machine — Hermes 3000, Olympia SM9, Royal Quiet De Luxe, Olivetti Lettera 32, Smith-Corona Silent, and the rest of the postwar canon — and are now hunting for a working unit in the $80–500 price band. We don’t try to convince you a typewriter is worth owning; we assume you’ve already made that call.

How links work

Every “View on eBay” link goes straight to the listing on eBay, and the consumables strip links to plain Amazon searches. We earn nothing from either. See our disclosure page for how links, picks and photos work.

What we don’t do

We don’t sell typewriters or hold inventory, and we don’t restore them. (The “Have one to sell?” form is run by allbutnew, which may make you an offer.) We don’t take sponsorships from typewriter manufacturers, dealers, or restoration shops. We don’t show historical price-trend charts — see our methodology page for why.