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Vintage Hermes Baby ultra-compact portable typewriter: small low flat body in dark grey (representative photo)
Representative photo — AI-generated from real seller photos. Individual listings vary. How we make these

Hermès (Paillard) · 1935–1970s

Hermes Baby

Typical used$320–$460

Ultra-portable1930sSwitzerland

The Hermes Baby, designed by Giuseppe Prezioso for Paillard and launched in 1935, was the first really flat ultra-portable with a full four-row keyboard, weighing about 3.6 kg (under 8 lb). It became a favourite of travelling writers and war correspondents; John Steinbeck and Ernest Hemingway are both associated with it. In the US the same machine was sold as the Hermes Rocket, the name to look for if you want an English keyboard. The design ran with only gradual restyling for decades, so prewar 1930s machines, postwar Babies and Rockets, and later versions all turn up. The very first 1935–36 machines are the collector versions. Keyboard layout matters on this model: many listings are German QWERTZ, Swiss, Spanish or Cyrillic. Late-2026 eBay asks run roughly $320–460 delivered, with a serviced Baby around $385 and untested ones $200–270.

Specifications

Brand
Hermès (Paillard)
Type
Ultra-portable
Era
1930s
Years produced
1935–1970s
Country of manufacture
Switzerland
Carriage width
Compact carriage (takes letter/A4 paper)
Pitch options
Pica, Elite
Ribbon spool
Small Hermes metal spools (2-inch plastic spools often too big)
Typical asking price (eBay, Oct 1, 2026)
$320 – $460

Buying guide

Which one to buy

From Oct 1, 2026 listings

26 Hermes Babies are listed, most at $320–460 delivered. Check the keyboard layout first: many are German QWERTZ, Spanish or Cyrillic, and the Rocket name marks the US-market version. A serviced Baby costs about $385; untested ones run $200–270, leaving room for the usual carriage-spring and clean-and-oil work. The first 1935–36 machines are the collector versions. Red flags: a zero-feedback seller at $350, and a for-parts Baby priced above the cheapest complete one. Two licensed clones (a Viking and an Empire Aristocrat) aren't counted. Budget buyers should take the $197 Swiss Baby; beginners, the serviced one.

Listed now
26
For parts
1
Typical ask
$320–$460
Full range
$170–$699

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

Live on eBay right now

8 of 26 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.

  • Vintage Hermes Baby Portable Typewriter Made in SwitzerlandUsed
    • ★ Cheapest

    Vintage Hermes Baby Portable Typewriter Made in Switzerland

    $196.51est. delivered

    $179.00 + $17.51 shipping

    Buy It Now$179.00

    Offers accepted

    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

    Cheapest complete Baby at about $197 delivered, Swiss-made. No case or layout mentioned; ask.

    Seller: indesignworks

    100% positive from 168 ratings

    View on eBay →
  • 1950s Hermes Baby Rocket Portable Typewriter Vintage Swiss Made W/ OriUsed
    • ★ Best value

    1950s Hermes Baby Rocket Portable Typewriter Vintage Swiss Made W/ Ori

    $264.50est. delivered

    $225.00 + $39.50 shipping

    Buy It Now$225.00

    Offers accepted

    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

    Rocket badge, the US-market name, with its original case, about $265 delivered.

    Seller: tenpin1260

    100% positive from 1.3K ratings

    View on eBay →
  • Serviced Hermes Baby Typewriter - With Carry coverServiced
    • ★ Best for beginners
    • ★ Easiest to get working

    Serviced Hermes Baby Typewriter - With Carry cover

    $384.40est. delivered

    $325.00 + $59.40 shipping

    Buy It Now$325.00

    Offers accepted

    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

    The only serviced Baby here, with a carry cover, about $384 delivered.

    Seller: macekdesigns

    100% positive from 178 ratings

    View on eBay →
  • Hermes Baby Typewriter Pre-1945 Cyrillic with Obsolete Letters WorkingUsed
    • ★ Collector's pick

    Hermes Baby Typewriter Pre-1945 Cyrillic with Obsolete Letters Working

    $334.50est. delivered

    $249.50 + $85.00 shipping

    Buy It Now$249.50

    Offers accepted

    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

    Pre-1945 per the seller, Cyrillic keyboard with obsolete letters, working, about $335 delivered.

    Seller: vasivachko-0

    100% positive from 5 ratings

    View on eBay →
  • Hermes Baby Typewriter - Vintage - For parts Or Repair (UNTESTED)For parts

    Hermes Baby Typewriter - Vintage - For parts Or Repair (UNTESTED)

    $215.90est. delivered

    $195.95 + $19.95 shipping

    Buy It Now$195.95

    Our take

    For parts or repair, untested, about $216 delivered — more than the $197 complete Baby, so only as a donor.

    Seller: always_on_time

    99.6% positive from 3.5K ratings

    View on eBay →
  • Hermes Baby Portable Typewriter German QWERTZ w/ Case Working PaillardUsed

    Hermes Baby Portable Typewriter German QWERTZ w/ Case Working Paillard

    $299.95delivered

    $299.95 · free shipping

    Buy It Now$299.95

    Our take

    German QWERTZ layout, so Y and Z are swapped. $300 with free shipping.

    Seller: mr.witten

    100% positive

    View on eBay →
  • HERMES BABY. POP ART. ORANGE PICA TYPEWRITER. 1980. SPANISH Ñ. SEE PICUsed

    HERMES BABY. POP ART. ORANGE PICA TYPEWRITER. 1980. SPANISH Ñ. SEE PIC

    $349.00delivered

    $349.00 · free shipping

    Buy It Now$349.00

    Offers accepted

    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

    Orange pop-art Baby with pica type and a Spanish keyboard (Ñ), $349 with free shipping; the seller dates it to 1980.

    Seller: afeijoo

    100% positive from 351 ratings

    View on eBay →
  • Original HERMES BABY 1957 Mint Green Typewriter w CaseUsed
    • ⚠ Check the seller

    Original HERMES BABY 1957 Mint Green Typewriter w Case

    $350.00delivered

    $350.00 · free shipping

    Buy It Now$350.00

    Offers accepted

    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

    Seller has zero feedback on a $350 machine. Pay only through eBay checkout.

    Seller: alejen3289

    no feedback yet

    View on eBay →

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 →

What eBay condition grades actually mean

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 / 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

    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

    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

    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.

Accessories on Amazon

The ribbon, brush, platen fluid, and oil a body off eBay almost never ships with. The ribbon link is matched to Small Hermes metal spools (2-inch plastic spools often too big) — the wrong spool is the easiest way to lose a typewriter purchase on the consumable.

Common issues to check before buying

Confirm the keyboard layout in the photos before anything else. Standard 2-inch plastic ribbon spools are often too large for the Baby: the gull-wing ribbon covers will not close or the ribbon will not feed, so keep the original metal spools and wind fresh ribbon onto them. A tired carriage (mainspring) tension and gummed escapement are the usual faults on stored machines and respond to a clean and adjust. Check that the carriage return lever and the ribbon covers are intact, and that the case lid still latches.

Notes on sources

Licensed copies and look-alikes (Empire Aristocrat, Viking and others) appear in Baby searches; they are related designs but not Swiss-made Hermes machines. 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.

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