Royal · 1963–early 1970s
Typical used$110–$210
The Royal Safari is Royal's mid-range portable of the 1960s, introduced in 1963; the Typewriter Database records machines into the early 1970s, and the design continued in restyled form under other names. Despite its budget reputation the body is all metal apart from a plastic keyboard shroud. It was built to a price, though, and it feels lighter-duty than a 1950s Quiet De Luxe. Colours include mustard yellow, baby blue, beige and grey, and the brighter colours ask more. Many repair shops would rather not work on Safaris, so a tested or serviced listing matters more here than on an older Royal. In late 2026 there were 18 on eBay, four for parts; working ones mostly asked $110–210 delivered and a serviced mustard machine about $320.
Buying guide
From Oct 1, 2026 listings
18 Safaris are listed, four of them for parts or repair. Working ones mostly ask $110–210 delivered, and the one serviced machine, in mustard, is $320. The Safari was built to a price and many repair shops won't take one on, so a seller who says it works matters more here than on a Quiet De Luxe. Mustard and baby blue ask more than beige and gray. Two beige listings from different sellers share an exact title, and an unserviced mustard one asks nearly serviced money. It takes a Royal ribbon spool, not Group 1.
A 1960s Safari Deluxe with its case, about $116 delivered ($100 plus $16 shipping), Buy It Now, from a 99.7% seller, near the bottom of the $110–210 band. The title makes no working claim, so ask whether it types and the carriage returns; the working baby-blue one is only $18 more.
1960s Royal Safari Deluxe Portable Typewriter in With Case
A 1964 Safari in baby blue, listed as working, with its case, about $134 delivered with Best Offer from a 100% seller. Baby blue usually asks more, so this is low for a working one; ask for a typed sample.
1964 Royal Safari Vintage Portable Typewriter Working w/ Case Baby Blu
Serviced mustard Safari with its case, $320 with free shipping, Buy It Now from a 100% seller. It's well above the band, but it's the only one with a service, and many shops won't work on Safaris. Ask what the service covered and how it will be packed.
Serviced Royal Safari All-Metal Mustard Yellow Vintage Typewrite w/Cas
The service is done, so this is the only Safari you can expect to type well straight out of the box. On a model many repair shops turn away, that saves a hard search for someone to clean and adjust it.
Serviced Royal Safari All-Metal Mustard Yellow Vintage Typewrite w/Cas
A blue 1960s Safari with its case, sold as-is and needing work, about $38 delivered, Buy It Now from a 99.9% seller, about a third of a working one. Ask what's wrong: a gummed-up mechanism is a fair first project, broken plastic parts are not.
Vintage 1960s Royal Safari Blue Typewriter With Case Needs Work As-Is
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
8 of 18 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.
Used1960s Royal Safari Deluxe Portable Typewriter in With Case
$99.99 + $16.35 shipping
Buy It Now$99.99
Good buy
1960s Deluxe with its case, about $116 delivered. No working claim in the title.
Seller: goodwill_southern_alleghenies
99.7% positive from 27.3K ratings
Used1964 Royal Safari Vintage Portable Typewriter Working w/ Case Baby Blu
$100.00 + $33.80 shipping
Buy It Now$100.00
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 the seller. Baby blue with its case, about $134 delivered.
Seller: vintagevibe733
100% positive
ServicedServiced Royal Safari All-Metal Mustard Yellow Vintage Typewrite w/Cas
$319.95 · free shipping
Buy It Now$319.95
Good buy
Serviced. The seller describes it as an all-metal body in mustard yellow.
Seller: meowflips
100% positive from 1.4K ratings
For partsVintage 1960s Royal Safari Blue Typewriter With Case Needs Work As-Is
$22.50 + $15.53 shipping
Buy It Now$22.50
Project piece
Blue, with its case, as-is and needs work, about $38 delivered. Ask what's wrong.
Seller: sales2009741
99.9% positive from 15.6K ratings
UsedVintage 1967 Nice Royal Safari Portable Typewriter W/Case - Types & Lo
$119.00 + $45.30 shipping
Buy It Now$119.00
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
1967, types and looks good per the seller, about $164 delivered.
Seller: pilkenton777
100% positive from 1.6K ratings
UsedVintage Royal Safari Typewriter with Case Beige 60s Magic Margins USA
$75.00 + $31.08 shipping
Buy It Now$75.00
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.
Heads-up: check the seller
Another seller uses this exact title. Compare photos for a copied listing before paying.
Seller: tansey_703
100% positive
UsedVintage Royal Safari Typewriter with Case Beige 60s Magic Margins USA
$45.00 + $88.69 shipping
Buy It Now$45.00
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.
Heads-up: check the seller
Another seller uses this exact title, and $89 of the $134 is shipping. Compare photos first.
Seller: scottb1411
99.6% positive
UsedVintage 1960s Mustard Royal Safari typewriter With Case Mid Century Mo
$279.77 + $16.53 shipping
Buy It Now$279.77
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.
Heads-up: priced high
About $296 delivered for an unserviced mustard Safari. The serviced mustard one is $320.
Seller: tstrecoveredtreasures
100% positive
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 →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-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 / 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 — 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 / 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.
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)
Search on AmazonType slug cleaner brush
Search on AmazonPlaten rejuvenation fluid
Search on AmazonLight machine oil (segment + rails)
Search on AmazonReplacement rubber feet
Search on AmazonBuy one that is described as typing, with a typed sample, because shops are reluctant to service them. Check the plastic keyboard shroud for cracks and the case latches. Carriage tension and escapement problems on stored machines usually come down to dirt and old oil. It takes a Royal-style ribbon spool rather than Group 1. Look for a hard platen and missing paper-bail rollers, which are common.
Royal had overseas plants in this period; check the label on your machine for the factory. 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.