Use this guide to understand why one old typewriter is a $45 local pickup machine and another is a $650 collector portable. Then run the calculator to turn the same factors into a fee-aware estimate.
A common Underwood standard and a clean Hermes 3000 do not share the same buyer pool. Start with the badge, then look for the model family printed on the front, rear plate, paper table, or case.
Buyers pay more when every key, carriage return, line advance, ribbon advance, margin stop, tab, bell, and shift action is shown working. Electric machines also need power-on proof.
Paint, decals, platen hardness, missing feet, bent typebars, rust, smell, case latches, manuals, and original spools all affect resale confidence. A case is most valuable when it actually locks the machine in place.
The same machine can have a high asking price online and a lower practical local value. Marketplace fees, packing material, return risk, shipping damage, dealer margin, and negotiation room should be deducted before deciding what an offer is worth.
These are starting priors before condition, case, shipping, restoration, and fee adjustments. Use them as a sanity check, not a guaranteed sale price.
Quiet De Luxe
$95-$450
Strong buyer interest when case and glass keys are clean.
No. 5
$45-$275
Common, but iconic; shipping friction keeps quick-sale values lower.
Sterling / Silent
$70-$325
Solid mid-market portable when typing action is clean.
Skyriter
$55-$275
Thin case condition matters because buyers expect portability.
Lettera 22 / 32
$125-$650
Design-led demand, especially with clean body panels and case.
Baby / Rocket
$175-$850
High demand but condition and keyboard layout can swing price.
3000
$300-$1,400
Premium model; low confidence if functionality is not proven.
SM3 / SM4 / SM9
$120-$575
Writer-grade demand rewards clean mechanical condition.
Corona 3
$125-$800
Collector model; missing case or carriage issues cut value sharply.
Selectric
$40-$375
Requires powered typing proof and local-pickup pricing discipline.
Use this page for pricing judgment and the calculator for a resale range. Outputs are estimates, not certified appraisals, probate values, or guaranteed sale prices.
Most ordinary working portables land in a broad resale range, while specialist models such as Hermes 3000, Corona 3, and clean Olivetti/Olympia machines can run higher. The calculator is better than a single guide number because it adjusts for condition, case, channel, and uncertainty.
No. Age helps only when rarity, desirability, and condition line up. A rough early standard can be harder to sell than a later portable that writers and collectors actively want.
Use them carefully. Active listings show asking prices, not confirmed sale prices. Completed marketplace filters can help, but this site does not scrape or claim live sold-comps data unless an approved provider is configured.
Missing proof of working condition, sticky carriage movement, rust, smoke or mildew odor, missing case parts, shipping-only expectations for heavy standards, and vague model photos usually lower buyer confidence.