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If You Kept Your Old Typewriters, You Might Be Sitting on a Gold Mine

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Raise your hand if you have any vintage typewriters collecting dust in your attic or basement. Keep it held high if you also like easy ways to make money fast. If both of those sentences sound like you, you may have already hit the jackpot without even realizing it.

Vintage typewriters are one of the best-kept secret ways to get some extra cash in your pockets. And when we say cash, we mean a lot of cash. For example, Branford House Antiques reports that its Hooven Automatic Typewriter recently sold for $7,500. Prior to that, the shop’s Cash Typograph Typewriter sold for an impressive $25,000 in an auction. 

But the hefty sums those vintage typewriters brought in seem like child’s play compared to what’s been affectionately dubbed the “Rolls Royce of typewriters” — the Malling-Hansen Writing Ball. If you’re lucky enough to own one of those babies, you can sell it for a whopping $100,000, according to Senior Planet

Vintage typewriters have had quite an enthusiastic fanbase for decades now. Even though our modern day computers can do so much more than typewriters, it seems like many folks simply can’t let go of the nostalgia factor. Interest has only grown in the age of the internet. There’s even a Facebook group called Antique Typewriter Collectors, boasting thousands of devoted fans. 

It certainly doesn’t hurt that the popular documentary California Typewriter ($9.99, Amazon) recently delighted both typewriter experts and rookies just last year. After all, one typewriter enthusiast named Tom Hanks happened to be in that movie. So who can blame collectors for getting excited to buy right now?

If you’re interested in getting money for your vintage typewriter, you might consider listing it alongside other models on websites like eBay or Etsy. If there’s a local antique store or pawn shop near you that’s seeking typewriters, that’s another option for you to cash in. 

Just be sure to talk to an expert buyer before trying to sell your vintage typewriter for a few grand. Collectors won’t dish out the dollars for just any old piece.  If you’re stumped about whether your typewriter is worth anything, it never hurts to look at a typewriter collector’s wish list, such as this one by collector Tony Castillo. Tip: If you own an early model from the late 19th century, you have the best shot at selling it to a top collector and making the most dough, according to Collectors Weekly.

Now, you’ll have to excuse us as we raid our storage!

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