The Royal HH is Royal's 1950s office standard, made from about 1952 and documented through at least 1957. It weighs about 30 pounds, has a standard 43-key keyboard and was offered in pica (HHP), elite (HHE) and other typefaces, with decimal-tabulator versions as well. Paint choices ran from charcoal grey to Nile green, horizon blue and coral rose. Desk machines like this give a firmer, longer keystroke than any portable and were built to run all day in an office. Shipping is the catch: at around 30 pounds it costs a lot to send and is easily damaged in transit, so local pickup from an estate sale or Marketplace is usually the better deal. Only three HHs were on eBay in late 2026, at about $145–250 delivered with shipping a large part of that.
Specifications
Brand
Royal
Type
Standard (desk)
Era
1950s
Years produced
c. 1952–late 1950s
Country of manufacture
USA
Carriage width
Several carriage lengths offered
Pitch options
Pica, Elite
Ribbon spool
Royal proprietary
Typical asking price (eBay, Sep 25, 2026)
$180 – $240
Buying guide
Which one to buy
From Sep 25, 2026 listings
Only three Royal HH desk machines are listed, about $145–246 delivered. At around 35 pounds, shipping is a big share of the cost, $80 on the cheapest, and a poorly packed standard can arrive with a damaged carriage, so local pickup is often the better deal. The 1950s platen rubber has usually hardened; ask whether it has been re-covered. Two of the three are the same 99.6% seller's green-key Magic Margin machines, $26 apart, so ask what differs. None is described as tested.
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
Vintage 1950s Royal HH Standard Desktop Typewriter Business Model
$145.20est. delivered
$65.00 + $80.20 shipping
Buy It Now$65.00
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.
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Good buy
Bare listing. Ask about the platen and whether it types.
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 Royal proprietary — the wrong spool is the easiest way to lose a typewriter purchase on the consumable.
Ribbon — Royal proprietary (Royal Quiet De Luxe lineage)
Most HHs need the platen and feed rollers re-covered; ask about it. On a shipped machine, check for a bent carriage or frame, broken paint and loose typebars from rough handling, and insist on proper packing with the carriage locked. Royal standards take Royal-style spools. Check the tabulator and margin stops work and that the carriage advances evenly at every position.
Notes on sources
The letter after HH on the model plate indicates the typeface option (P = pica, E = elite). 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