Olympia · 1953–early 1960s
Typical used$400–$580
The Olympia SG1 is Olympia's office standard of the 1950s, built in Wilhelmshaven from 1953 into the early 1960s, when the modernised SG3 replaced it. It is a big machine, close to 40 pounds, with segment shift so the carriage stays put for capitals, and carriages that could be swapped between lengths. Typists and repairers rate it among the best manual office machines ever built, with a smooth, precise action for long sessions. The weight is the catch: shipping adds $60–130 and risks damage, so local pickup is often cheaper. Only five complete SG1s were on eBay in late 2026, asking about $400–580 delivered, with more listings for loose parts. Local and estate-sale prices are often far lower.
Buying guide
From Oct 1, 2026 listings
Five SG-1s were listed at the late-September check, two of them as-is or for parts; seven more listings were loose parts and aren't counted. The working ones ask $400–580 delivered. It's a heavy desk machine, so shipping adds $57–131 unless the seller covers it, and local pickup is often cheaper. Most 1950s SG-1s need the platen re-covered, so judge the type impression in a sample. The one with a decimal tabulator is the unusual version. Red flag: an as-is machine at about $337 delivered, only $63 under the working one. For most buyers, the $400 working machine with free shipping is the clear choice.
$400 with free shipping, Buy It Now, at the bottom of the $400–580 band and the lowest price on a complete SG-1. Free shipping saves $57–131 on a machine this heavy. Ask how it will be packed and whether the carriage will be locked.
Very Nice Vintage Olympia SG1 Typewriter - Works Great
Listed as working great by a 100% seller, so you aren't gambling on an untested desk machine that would cost a lot to ship back. Ask for a typed sample to check the platen; a hard, glazed platen is the common SG-1 fault and needs a re-cover.
Very Nice Vintage Olympia SG1 Typewriter - Works Great
An SG-1 with a decimal tabulator, the less common office setup, at about $581 delivered ($450 plus $131 shipping) with Best Offer from a 99.8% seller. Offer against that shipping charge, and ask for a typed sample and a photo of the tab keys.
Olympia SG1 equipped with a decimal tabulator Typewriter Rare
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
4 of 5 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.
UsedVery Nice Vintage Olympia SG1 Typewriter - Works Great
$399.99 · free shipping
Buy It Now$399.99
Good buy
Works great per the seller, $400 with free shipping — the cheapest complete SG-1 here.
Seller: watersedgemarket
100% positive from 1.7K ratings
UsedOlympia SG1 equipped with a decimal tabulator Typewriter Rare
$450.00 + $131.05 shipping
Buy It Now$450.00
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
Decimal tabulator, about $581 delivered — $131 of it shipping.
Seller: sweetdeal1204
99.8% positive from 6.6K ratings
For partsVintage Olympia SG-1 Army Green Typewriter Good Shape AS IS Western Ge
$279.99 + $57.20 shipping
Buy It Now$279.99
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
Sold as-is at about $337 delivered, only $63 under the working $400 machine. Ask what's wrong first.
Seller: perhapsafriend
99.7% positive from 940 ratings
UsedVintage OLYMPIA WERKE WILHELMSHAVEN AG SG1 Typewriter - Works Great
$499.95 + $69.95 shipping
Buy It Now$499.95
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
Works great per the seller, about $570 delivered; the $400 free-shipping one is the better buy.
Seller: elchaka15
100% positive from 283 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 Group 1 universal — the wrong spool is the easiest way to lose a typewriter purchase on the consumable.
Ribbon — Group 1 universal (most postwar portables)
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 AmazonMost SG1s need the platen and feed rollers re-covered. On a shipped machine check for a bent carriage or frame and insist on solid packing with the carriage locked. Confirm the carriage length you are getting fits your desk and paper. Check the tabulator (decimal-tab versions exist) and that the segment is not gummed. Parts-only listings are common, so read titles carefully.
The SG3 is a separate, later model, not a carriage variant of the SG1. 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.