Seller preparation worksheet

Typewriter selling checklist

Before listing an old typewriter, collect the proof that changes buyer confidence: clear photos, honest tests, safe packing decisions, and a sale channel that matches the machine's weight and condition.

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Photo proof buyers expect

Front badge, rear badge, model text, serial plate, keyboard, platen, carriage rails, underside feet, and case hardware.
A typed sample showing all letters, numbers, shift positions, ribbon color, margins, and line advance.
Close photos of rust, bent covers, cracked cases, smoke or mildew staining, missing spools, and damaged decals.

Functional tests before pricing

Test every key, spacebar, backspace, tab, shift, caps lock, margin release, bell, carriage return, and ribbon advance.
For electrics, show power-on behavior, cycling, correction features, cord condition, and whether the motor strains.
If anything sticks, disclose the symptom plainly instead of calling the machine fully working.

Packing and shipping controls

Lock or immobilize the carriage, remove loose accessories, protect knobs and levers, and double-box with firm void fill.
Budget packing materials before accepting an online offer; heavy standards can erase profit through damage risk.
Photograph the packed machine and keep tracking, insurance, and buyer messages with the sale record.

Local pickup discipline

Use local pickup for heavy standards, IBM Selectrics, fragile cases, or machines with uncertain mechanics.
Let buyers test keys and carriage movement in person, but set a clear pickup window and cash or platform-payment terms.
Discount local prices for speed, not because active online asking prices prove the machine is worth less.

Buy only what makes the sale clearer or safer

Supplies should support disclosure, testing, or damage prevention. They should not turn a parts machine into a claimed restoration or hide defects from buyers.

Double-wall boxes and packing paper

For online marketplace sales where the carriage and case need firm protection.

Universal typewriter ribbon

Useful when a machine types cleanly but has a dry or missing ribbon.

Soft brushes and mild cleaning supplies

For dust removal and listing photos without aggressive restoration claims.

Listing copy rule

A strong listing says what works, what was not tested, what is missing, and why pickup or shipping is priced the way it is. That transparency usually protects the sale better than a higher but vague asking price.