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Vintage Adler Tippa ultraportable typewriter: light warm-grey body with darker grey base, cream rounded keytops and Tippa badge (representative photo)
Representative photo — AI-generated from real seller photos. Individual listings vary. How we make these

Adler (Triumph-Adler) · 1956–1970s

Adler Tippa

Typical used$180–$290

Ultra-portable1960sWest Germany / Netherlands

The Tippa started at Gossen in Erlangen in 1950; in autumn 1956 Gossen sold the licence to Adler, which made it the Adler Tippa. The Adler version won design awards in Milan (1960) and Germany (1962). Later came the Tippa S, built in the Netherlands from the late 1960s and famous in bright canary yellow, and in the 1970s Japanese-made Tippas, while Triumph Tippa badges appear after Adler and Triumph were combined under the same ownership. It is a light machine (the Tippa S is about 4 kg) and a cheaper alternative to a Hermes Baby. In late 2026 about 31 Tippas were on eBay, most at $180–290 delivered, with tested ones about $155–200. Yellow, brown and script typefaces add a premium.

Specifications

Brand
Adler (Triumph-Adler)
Type
Ultra-portable
Era
1960s
Years produced
1956–1970s
Country of manufacture
West Germany / Netherlands
Carriage width
Compact carriage (takes letter/A4 paper)
Pitch options
Pica, Elite
Ribbon spool
Group 1 universal
Typical asking price (eBay, Oct 1, 2026)
$180 – $290

Buying guide

Which one to buy

From Oct 1, 2026 listings

31 Tippas are listed, three for parts, with most asking $180–290 delivered. Machines described as tested or working start near $140 here, so pay band-top money only for a color: brown, yellow or a script typeface adds $100 or more. Triumph Tippa listings are the same machine under the post-1968 Triumph-Adler badge, and many Tippa S machines were built in the Netherlands. Red flags: $83–91 shipping on some cheap ones, and a 'spare or repair' Tippa that costs more delivered than the as-is one. Budget buyers should take the $140 working machine or the tested white Dutch one; the near-mint Tippa S suits someone who wants to type straight away.

Listed now
31
For parts
3
Typical ask
$180–$290
Full range
$33–$650

Delivered prices include shipping as eBay quoted it to a US address on Oct 1, 2026. Many sellers charge by distance, so your total may differ — eBay shows your exact total before you buy.

Snapshot

Live on eBay right now

8 of 31 listed

Snapshot captured — listings may have ended

Delivered prices include shipping as eBay quoted it to a US address on Oct 1, 2026. Many sellers charge by distance, so your total may differ — eBay shows your exact total before you buy.

  • ADLER Tippa Portable Typewriter German Made Vintage Retro Working UsedUsed
    • ★ Cheapest

    ADLER Tippa Portable Typewriter German Made Vintage Retro Working Used

    $139.99delivered

    $139.99 · free shipping

    Buy It Now$139.99

    Offers accepted

    This seller takes offers, and sellers often accept less than the asking price.

    Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.

    Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.

    Good buy

    Working per a 99.8% seller, $140 with free shipping. No case mentioned; confirm the keyboard layout.

    Seller: somsworks_snkrsp

    99.8% positive from 1K ratings

    View on eBay →
  • Adler Tippa Portable Mechanical Typewriter Dutch White in Case TestedUsed
    • ★ Best value

    Adler Tippa Portable Mechanical Typewriter Dutch White in Case Tested

    $156.49est. delivered

    $65.29 + $91.20 shipping

    Buy It Now$65.29

    Offers accepted

    This seller takes offers, and sellers often accept less than the asking price.

    Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.

    Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.

    Good buy

    Tested, with case, about $156 delivered, though $91 of that is shipping; offers apply to the $65 item price.

    Seller: stpjhospice

    99.6% positive from 33.3K ratings

    View on eBay →
  • Adler Tippa S Typewriter Made in Holland Portable w/Case Tested Near MUsed
    • ★ Best for beginners

    Adler Tippa S Typewriter Made in Holland Portable w/Case Tested Near M

    $199.99delivered

    $199.99 · free shipping

    Buy It Now$199.99

    Offers accepted

    This seller takes offers, and sellers often accept less than the asking price.

    Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.

    Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.

    Good buy

    Tested and described as near mint, with case, $200 shipped from a 99.8% seller.

    Seller: somsworks_snkrsp

    99.8% positive from 1K ratings

    View on eBay →
  • RARE BROWN West Germany Adler Tippa S Typewriter w/Case TESTED Free ShUsed
    • ★ Collector's pick

    RARE BROWN West Germany Adler Tippa S Typewriter w/Case TESTED Free Sh

    $299.99delivered

    $299.99 · free shipping

    Buy It Now$299.99

    Offers accepted

    This seller takes offers, and sellers often accept less than the asking price.

    Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.

    Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.

    Good buy

    Brown Tippa S with case, tested per the seller, $300 shipped; the color is the premium over the $200 tested Tippa S.

    Seller: 1missflorida

    100% positive from 870 ratings

    View on eBay →
  • tippa adler typewriter t-a organisation untested as isFor parts
    • ★ Project piece

    tippa adler typewriter t-a organisation untested as is

    $89.99delivered

    $89.99 · free shipping

    Buy It Now$89.99

    Project piece

    Untested, as-is, $90 shipped; the T-A badge means a Triumph-Adler era machine.

    Seller: tysaflippinfool

    99.8% positive from 5.2K ratings

    View on eBay →
  • Adler Tippa Portable Typewriter with Case Grey with Case Spare or RepaUsed

    Adler Tippa Portable Typewriter with Case Grey with Case Spare or Repa

    $115.71est. delivered

    $33.03 + $82.68 shipping

    Buy It Now$33.03

    Offers accepted

    This seller takes offers, and sellers often accept less than the asking price.

    Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.

    Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.

    Our take

    Sold as spare or repair, about $116 delivered with $83 of that shipping — more than the $90 as-is Tippa, so only worth it as a donor.

    Seller: greengiz

    99.8% positive from 37.7K ratings

    View on eBay →
  • Vintage Triumph Tippa Portable Typewriter Gray QWERTY Keyboard Made inUsed

    Vintage Triumph Tippa Portable Typewriter Gray QWERTY Keyboard Made in

    $209.22est. delivered

    $177.22 + $32.00 shipping

    Buy It Now$177.22

    Our take

    Triumph-badged gray Tippa, QWERTY, about $209 delivered; the same machine sold under the post-1968 Triumph-Adler name.

    Seller: botuku-jpn

    99% positive from 398 ratings

    View on eBay →
  • Triumph Tippa Portable Typewriter vintage QWERTY keyboard gray Made inUsed

    Triumph Tippa Portable Typewriter vintage QWERTY keyboard gray Made in

    $228.30est. delivered

    $168.30 + $60.00 shipping

    Buy It Now$168.30

    Our take

    Triumph-badged gray Tippa from Japan, about $228 delivered. Its title rewords the $209 Triumph Tippa's from another seller, so compare photos.

    Seller: artjapanexport

    100% positive from 3.1K ratings

    View on eBay →

Prices and availability change daily. The full, current search on eBay shows every matching listing, including new ones since Oct 1, 2026.

See all current listings on eBay →

What eBay condition grades actually mean

Manual typewriters here are 50–80 years old; the same condition badge means different things at that age than on a 2-year-old electronic. Use this as a translation key when you read listings.

  • New

    New / new-old-stock

    Vanishingly rare on a manual typewriter — most surviving units are 50+ years old. A "new" listing here usually means a late-production unit (e.g. a 1990s Olivetti Lettera 32 still sealed in factory packaging) or a seller misusing the badge. Verify the listing photos show the original packaging and factory ribbon spool; treat the price premium with skepticism unless those check out.

  • Refurbished

    Refurbished / serviced

    The body has been through a CLA (clean / lubricate / adjust) by a typewriter specialist — segment re-lubed, platen tested or re-covered, draw band re-tensioned, type slugs cleaned, key linkages freed. Expect a $100–250 premium over an unserviced "used" equivalent; the listing should name the shop (Gramercy, Cambridge, WordsAreWinged, etc.) or include a service receipt. Highest-confidence buy for a writer who wants to type the day it arrives.

  • Used

    Used — tested / working

    The realistic ceiling for most listings. Body types, carriage returns, escapement advances, shift works, ribbon advances. Cosmetic wear is normal. Look for "tested with fresh ribbon" (best), "tested — types all letters" (fine), plus a stated return window — anything short of that drifts toward "for parts." Platen rubber often still hardened on a "used — tested" body; budget $150–250 for a re-cover if you plan to type long-form on it.

  • For parts

    For parts / not working

    Sold as-is with no functional guarantee. Common project-typewriter failure modes: hardened platen, gummed segment (sticky keys), broken draw band, missing case, broken bell, dirty type slugs. Buy only to harvest components for another body, donate to a tech for spares, or accept the gamble of a $100–300 specialist CLA on top. The cheapest path to a typing body is almost always a "used — tested" listing, not "for parts" plus a service bill.

Accessories on Amazon

The ribbon, brush, platen fluid, and oil a body off eBay almost never ships with. The ribbon link is matched to Group 1 universal — the wrong spool is the easiest way to lose a typewriter purchase on the consumable.

Common issues to check before buying

Check the plastic top cover for yellowing and cracks in the photos. Check the carriage tension and return, the ribbon reverse and the platen. Keyboard layout varies (German, Dutch, Scandinavian layouts are common). Triumph Tippa and Adler Tippa listings are the same design, so compare them together.

Notes on sources

History per oz.Typewriter's Gossen Tippa article. Production years are approximate spans compiled from collector references (the Typewriter Database, oz.Typewriter, Ted Munk's and Richard Polt's typewriter pages). Individual machines are dated by serial number: look the serial up on the Typewriter Database's serial-number page for this brand rather than trusting a seller's stated year.

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