Smith-Corona · 1949–early 1960s
Typical used$130–$230
The Skyriter is Smith-Corona's postwar ultra-portable, launched in 1949 as a redesign of the prewar Zephyr and named for the new age of air travel. Ted Munk's research splits it into the 2Y series (1949–56), the 3Y series (mid-1956 to about 1959) and the 4Y series (1960–62), when production moved to England; the Corsair replaced it in the mid-1960s. Early ones are brown crinkle with stripes, later ones tan or grey. It is small, flat and light enough to travel, though the action is stiffer than a Hermes Baby's; that is the design, not a fault. In late 2026 about 16 were on eBay at roughly $130–230 delivered, with many described as working but needing a tune-up.
Buying guide
From Oct 1, 2026 listings
16 Skyriters are listed, most at $130–230 delivered; seven more are loose parts from one seller and aren't counted. This model has an unusual number of copied listings — three pairs of identical titles from different sellers, plus two zero-feedback sellers, one asking about $621 — so compare photos and buy from established sellers. Nothing is sold as serviced, and 'works but needs a tune-up' is typical. The action is stiffer than a Hermes Baby's; that's the design, not a fault. Ask every seller about the case and carry handle.
About $110 delivered ($100 plus $10 shipping), Buy It Now, from a 98.3% seller, below the $130–230 band. The title doesn't say it types, and it reads almost like the $338 listing's, so compare photos and ask for a typed sample before you buy.
Vintage Smith Corona Skyriter Ultra Portable Light Typewriter In With
Listed as working but needing a tune-up, about $115 delivered ($97 plus $18 shipping) with Best Offer from a 99.5% seller. An honest description at a low price; ask what the tune-up involves and whether a case comes with it.
Vintage Smith-Corona Skyriter Portable Typewriter. Works. Needs A Tune
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 16 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.
UsedVintage Smith Corona Skyriter Ultra Portable Light Typewriter In With
$99.99 + $10.00 shipping
Buy It Now$99.99
Good buy
About $110 delivered. No working claim, and the title is nearly the same as the $338 listing's; compare photos.
Seller: heyde-89
98.3% positive
UsedVintage Smith-Corona Skyriter Portable Typewriter. Works. Needs A Tune
$96.76 + $18.15 shipping
Buy It Now$96.76
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
Works but needs a tune-up, per the seller.
Seller: crpomo_0
99.5% positive from 1.4K ratings
UsedSmith Corona Vintage SkyriterTypewriter with Green Keys
$75.00 + $53.15 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.
Our take
Green keys, about $128 delivered.
Seller: stevedent.2007
100% positive
Used1950-60’s Vintage Antique Smith-Corona Skyriter Typewriter w/ Original
$106.10 + $31.34 shipping
Buy It Now$106.10
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
With its original case, about $137 delivered.
Seller: drsg_418
100% positive
UsedVintage Smith Corona Skyriter Portable Typewriter With Case
$110.00 + $88.69 shipping
Buy It Now$110.00
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
Zero-feedback seller using another seller's exact title. Likely a copied listing — avoid.
Seller: nicole.-43
no feedback yet
Used1950s Smith-Corona Skyriter Vintage UltraPortable Typewriter Tested Fu
$199.99 + $17.85 shipping
Buy It Now$199.99
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
Same title as another seller's 'tested' Skyriter at about $244; compare photos to rule out a copied listing.
Seller: elizjedr_0
100% positive
UsedVintage Smith Corona Skyriter Ultra Portable Light Typewriter In Case
$299.99 + $37.72 shipping
Buy It Now$299.99
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 $338 delivered, well above the $230 top, and the same title as another seller's $169 Skyriter. Compare photos.
Seller: mysaver
99.8% positive
UsedVintage Smith Corona Skyriter Portable Typewriter With Case 1956
$500.00 + $120.81 shipping
Buy It Now$500.00
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: priced high
Zero-feedback seller asking about $621 delivered — nearly three times the usual top. Avoid.
Seller: thehobbyhut25
no feedback yet
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 Small 1⅝-inch Smith-Corona spools — the wrong spool is the easiest way to lose a typewriter purchase on the consumable.
Ribbon — Small 1⅝-inch Smith-Corona spools
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 AmazonIt uses small 1⅝-inch ribbon spools, not standard 2-inch spools, so keep the originals or buy ribbon sold for the Skyriter. Check the thin metal case and its catches, the carriage return, and the platen. This model had an unusual number of copied listings in our snapshot (identical titles from different sellers), so compare photos and buy from established sellers.
Series dates per Ted Munk's Skyriter survey (typecast.munk.org). 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.