Selling Old Typewriters On eBay

Typewriters are popular collectibles, especiallycan still be found in working condition,
very early models, and typewriters with pastconsequently they are worth very little.Tips*
famous owners or a particularly interestingThere are no catalogues or price guides for old
pedigree, which often fetch very high prices ontypewriters such as those you'll find updated
eBay.Because they're bulky, often dirty, need lotsannually for postcards and stamps, coins and
of careful cleaning and sometimes repairs, mostceramics. There simply aren't enough collectors, or
typewriters, old and modern, are overlooked andtypewriters, to warrant special listings. Value, like
fetched low prices at local offline auctionmany low volume collectibles is best determined
houses.Despite this, anyone prepared to spendat auction, and is the point where the price
time cleaning, researching, repairing and eventuallysomeone is willing to pay matches what the
packing a typewriter, will find ready bidders oncurrent owner will accept. By far the highest
eBay in both the UK and USA, and no doubtprices are paid for typewriters in good, clean,
other country sites, too.Typewriters don't alwaysworking condition, with or without restoration
fetch fabulous prices, but most early typewriters,work.* You should clean typewriters carefully,
from the late 1800s and early 1900s rarely gogetting right into the tiniest of grooves without
unsold on eBay so you're almost always going tocausing damage to keys which were often long
make money.Recent eBay prices range fromand spindly and unexpectedly delicate. I found the
£73 for an early Empire Typewriter frommost comprehensive guide to cleaning old
1892, to £380 for a Salter Standardtypewriters at: just a tiny few of their
Victorian Typewriter in original tin carry case. Moresuggestions:'A toothbrush and a nail brush can be
unusual typewriter types attract premium prices,helpful.For a gentler initial cleaning on a basically
such as a Braille typewriter that went forclean machine, try Endust or Pledge (be cautious
£142 and an early double keyboard modelaround decals (transfers), as occasionally these
that fetched £127.Outside of eBay some farproducts can harm them).For an even gentler and
higher prices have been achieved for very earlysafer cleaning, simply use a few drops of
and unusual typewriter models which are worthdishwashing liquid dissolved in water.Q-tips (similar
remembering at buying expeditions. For example,to cotton buds) are very nice for cleaning
at Sotheby's a Merritt typewriter from 1895 wenthard-to-reach areas.For initial dust removal, the
for £715 some years ago, and at Koln invacuum-cleaner hose attachment kits sold in
Germany The Auction Team valued a rarecomputer and computer supply stores and
Imperial Typewriter, one of only three known tocatalogues work very well!'* Best places to buy
exist, at between £7,000 andare at general auction or from long established
£8,000.Since the first successful commercialoffice equipment stores, but rarely will you get a
typewriters were introduced in the late 1860sbargain from antiques and second-hand dealers
many unusual designs have emerged, some plainwho invariably think old means valuable, for most
and simple, others intricate and stunningly detailed.items, and often they are wrong.* This is one of
One of the simplest and earliest designs had athose collectibles you really need to study and
wheel with letters round the edge which waslearn what makes one older item worthless and a
turned manually until the required letter appearedmore modern type quite valuable. Web sites and
in front of the paper and was pushed to form anbooks listed later provide much useful information.
impression.More complicated typewriters hadChoose one or both of those books mentioned
double keyboards, one for lower case, the otherlater, they're packed with pictures, and keep
for capitals, and were created in brass andthem close by on buying days.* Don't expect to
mother of pearl hand painted with glorious gildedmake more than fifty pounds or so on most
leaves and flowers. These are the kind of unusualearly typewriters, but remember you can pick
models to watch out for at non-specialist auctionsthem up very cheaply indeed, I've seen them
and they're almost certain to attract high pricesfetch less than a tenner at local auction. The trick
on eBay.These early models sometimes crop upto making money is to buy typewriters in good
at specialist typewriter auctions where theycondition, but dirty, and spend time cleaning them
invariably fetch a high price. Not the place to buyup and taking several great photographs to
in expectation of high resell fees on eBay butdisplay them from all angles for listing on eBay.*
worth visiting for research and experience.LikeBe careful about delivery costs. These early
most collectibles, value depends mainly on rarity,models are extremely heavy and may cost way
not just age. For example, one of the earliestmore to have delivered than they themselves are
serviceable typewriters, the Underwood, createdworth. Where possible, look for local buyers or
from 1900 to 1932 was made in the millions andothers willing to collect.