Olivetti · 1969–1970s
Typical used$290–$480
The Olivetti Valentine is the design-icon typewriter: Ettore Sottsass designed it with Perry King and Albert Leclerc, and it was introduced in 1969 in glossy red ABS plastic with a matching tub-shaped case. Milton Glaser drew its famous posters, and MoMA had it in the collection by 1971. Underneath is the Lettera 32's mechanism, so it types like a Lettera. Early machines carry 'made in Barcelona, Spain' on the back; production later also ran in Italy and Mexico. It was not a commercial success in its day, and today you are paying for the shell. On eBay in late 2026 about 23 were listed at roughly $290–480 delivered, almost all shipping from Japan, which is below the $500–900 often quoted because so many are untested. White Valentines are rarer and ask more.
Buying guide
From Oct 1, 2026 listings
23 Valentines are listed (one for parts), most at $290–480 delivered, and almost all ship from Japan. That's under the $500–900 often quoted, mainly because so many are untested. Mechanically it's a Lettera 32 in a red ABS shell, so check corners and case clips for cracks and the red for fading toward pink. White ones are rarer and ask more. Red flags: one Japanese title appears from three sellers at about $294 to $586, and a 'tricolor' one asks $639. Budget buyers start at the $210 untested Valentine S; the $288 working 1969 machine suits someone who wants to type.
A red Valentine S at $210 with free shipping from Japan, Buy It Now, from a 100% seller — well under the $290–480 band. It's untested, so ask for photos of the case corners and clips, and whether the carriage moves and keys print.
Olivetti Valentine S Red Vintage Typewriter Untested Ettore Sottsass I
Red, listed as tested and working, about $441 delivered ($397 plus $44 shipping), Buy It Now, from a 100% seller, inside the $290–480 band. It costs about $150 more than the working 1969 machine, but the seller's feedback is spotless; ask for a typed sample and close photos of the shell corners, where Valentines crack.
Olivetti Valentine Red Typewriter Vintage Retro Tested Working Antique
A 1969 red Valentine with its case, listed as working, at about $288 delivered — the cheapest one that says it types. The seller's 98.1% feedback is just above the 98% line, so read recent comments and ask for a typed sample.
OLIVETTI Valentine 1969 Red Portable Typewriter with Case Working
A white Valentine S, the less common color, listed as fully working at about $482 delivered from a 99.7% seller, the top of the band. Ask for daylight photos to check the white for yellowing and the corners for cracks, and how it will be packed.
OLIVETTI Valentine S Typewriter White Vintage Portable Fully Working S
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
8 of 23 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.
UsedOlivetti Valentine S Red Vintage Typewriter Untested Ettore Sottsass I
$209.99 · free shipping
Buy It Now$209.99
Good buy
Untested Valentine S, $210 with free shipping from Japan.
Seller: mktjapan
100% positive from 290 ratings
UsedOlivetti Valentine Red Typewriter Vintage Retro Tested Working Antique
$397.00 + $44.00 shipping
Buy It Now$397.00
Good buy
Red, tested and working per a 100% seller, about $441 delivered. No case mentioned in the title.
Seller: goodgoodsdazaifu
100% positive from 589 ratings
UsedOLIVETTI Valentine 1969 Red Portable Typewriter with Case Working
$278.00 + $10.00 shipping
Buy It Now$278.00
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
1969, with the case, working per a 98.1% seller, about $288 delivered.
Seller: martake53
98.1% positive from 1K ratings
UsedOLIVETTI Valentine S Typewriter White Vintage Portable Fully Working S
$407.71 + $74.25 shipping
Buy It Now$407.71
Good buy
White, fully working per the seller, about $482 delivered.
Seller: nizaemon.store
99.7% positive from 484 ratings
For partsOlivetti Valentine Typewriter Red RARE Vintage Junk for parts
$211.00 · free shipping
Buy It Now$211.00
Our take
Sold as junk for parts at $211 shipped, about what an untested complete one costs — a parts donor only.
Seller: miwako826
100% positive from 142 ratings
ServicedRare Olivetti Valentine White Typewriter AZERTY Reconditioned Cleaned
$827.41 + $156.46 shipping
Buy It Now$827.41
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
White, reconditioned and cleaned, about $984 delivered. French AZERTY layout.
Seller: huntercollection
100% positive from 1.6K ratings
UsedOlivetti Valentine Red Typewriter Vintage From Japan Excellent F/S in
$468.88 + $117.22 shipping
Buy It Now$468.88
Heads-up: priced high
About $586 delivered, above the $290–480 band, and its title matches two Japanese listings at about $294 and $332.
Seller: s.mer-74
99.3% positive from 167 ratings
UsedOlivetti Valentine Typewriter Fully Functional Tricolor Design From Ja
$639.00 · free shipping
Buy It Now$639.00
Heads-up: priced high
About $639 for a 'tricolor' Valentine, above the $290–480 band. Ask whether the finish is original.
Seller: minishi_10
99.4% positive from 588 ratings
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 →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-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 / 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 — 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 / 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.
The ribbon, brush, platen fluid, and oil a body off eBay almost never ships with. The ribbon link is matched to Olivetti proprietary (Lettera) — the wrong spool is the easiest way to lose a typewriter purchase on the consumable.
Ribbon — Olivetti Lettera proprietary
Search on AmazonType slug cleaner brush
Search on AmazonPlaten rejuvenation fluid
Search on AmazonLight machine oil (segment + rails)
Search on AmazonReplacement rubber feet
Search on AmazonCheck the red plastic for cracks at the corners and where the case clips engage, and for sun fading towards pink. Make sure the case and its clips are present and undamaged, since much of the value is in the set. Mechanically it has the Lettera 32's carriage and escapement weak points, and it takes Olivetti Lettera spools. Several Japanese listings reuse the same photos and title at very different prices, so compare carefully.
Check the badge: Olivetti also sold later Valentine-named variants, and colour (red, white, others) affects value. 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.