The Olympia Splendid 33 is Olympia's compact portable, smaller and simpler than the SM series and aimed at travellers and home users. The Typewriter Database records machines from 1958 to 1969. It has a metal body and weighs roughly 5 kg, and unlike the segment-shift SM machines it shifts the carriage for capitals, which typewriter reviewers describe as reasonably light for a carriage shift. Britain's Consumers' Association summed it up in 1962 as light, small, cheap and very well made. It competes with the Hermes Baby, Olivetti Lettera 22 and Adler Tippa. The Splendid is common in Europe but scarce on US eBay: in late 2026 only three were listed, at about $195–255 delivered. A European seller, or patience, is often the better route.
Specifications
Brand
Olympia
Type
Ultra-portable
Era
1960s
Years produced
1958–late 1960s
Country of manufacture
West Germany
Carriage width
Compact carriage (takes letter/A4 paper)
Pitch options
Pica, Elite
Ribbon spool
Group 1 universal
Typical asking price (eBay, Sep 25, 2026)
$190 – $230
Buying guide
Which one to buy
From Sep 25, 2026 listings
Only three Splendid 33s are listed, about $193–256 delivered, so there's little to compare. Two are near-identical listings from one 99.8% seller at about $193 and $197, both with a travel case and neither described as tested; ask for a typed sample and photos of the case latches before you offer. The third is listed as tested but has a Yugoslav QWERTZ layout, with Y and Z swapped, and comes from a zero-feedback seller. The Splendid is far more common in Europe, so if none suits, a saved search is a reasonable wait.
Delivered prices include shipping as eBay quoted it to a US address on Sep 25, 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
3 of 3 listed
Snapshot captured — listings may have ended
Delivered prices include shipping as eBay quoted it to a US address on Sep 25, 2026. Many sellers charge by distance, so your total may differ — eBay shows your exact total before you buy.
Used
★ Cheapest
Olympia 60s Olympia Splendid 33 Vintage Typewriter Travel Case 50s
$193.16est. delivered
$119.30 + $73.86 shipping
Buy It Now$119.30
Offers accepted+
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Good buy
Travel case included, about $193 delivered. Not described as tested, so ask for a typed sample.
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.
Ribbon — Group 1 universal (most postwar portables)
Ask for a typed sample, because the scarce US listings are often untested. Check the shift: on a carriage-shift machine a dirty or dry mechanism makes capitals feel heavy or print out of line. Check the carriage tension and escapement, a hard platen, and the keyboard layout (Yugoslav and German QWERTZ machines turn up). Original cases are often missing or worn.
Notes on sources
Later Splendid models (Splendid 66 and others) are different machines; check the badge. 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.
Used