Used- ★ Cheapest
Vintage Royal Quiet De Luxe Portable Typewriter with Case
$70.99est. delivered
$65.00 + $5.99 shipping
Buy It Now$65.00
Good buy
Case included. Bare title; ask whether the carriage moves freely.
Seller: babzhart5
100% positive
Royal · 1939–1959
Royal Quiet De Luxe
Typical used$100–$180
Portable1940sUSA
The Royal Quiet De Luxe was Royal's premium portable from 1939 to the late 1950s and one of the best-known American writer's machines. Ernest Hemingway used one, and Ian Fleming bought a gold-plated Quiet De Luxe in 1952 after finishing the first draft of Casino Royale and wrote the rest of his Bond books on it. There are three broad looks: the 1939–1948 first generation (production paused during the war), often with glass-topped keys; a late-1940s redesign by Henry Dreyfuss's office; and the rounded 1950s body, offered in several colours from 1955. All of them type well. Supply is deep: in late 2026 about 35 were listed on eBay at roughly $100–180 delivered, so there is no reason to overpay for an untested one. The prewar and 1940s glass-key machines are the ones collectors prefer; the 1950s bodies are the practical buy.
Specifications
- Brand
- Royal
- Type
- Portable
- Era
- 1940s
- Years produced
- 1939–1959
- Country of manufacture
- USA
- Carriage width
- Full-size portable carriage (takes letter paper)
- Pitch options
- Pica, Elite
- Ribbon spool
- Royal proprietary
- Typical asking price (eBay, Oct 1, 2026)
- $100 – $180
Buying guide
Which one to buy
From Oct 1, 2026 listings
Supply is deep: 35 Quiet De Luxes are listed, most at $100–180 delivered, so there's no reason to overpay. A 1949 machine the seller says works is about $94, and one with a case is $71. The prewar and 1940s glass-key machines are the Hemingway-era versions collectors prefer; 1950s painted-key bodies type the same for less. Untouched machines usually need a platen re-cover, and none of the listings shown is sold as serviced. It takes a Royal ribbon spool, not Group 1. Skip the $875 Double Gothic, and check the seller on the unrated $126 listing.
- Listed now
- 35
- For parts
- 2
- Typical ask
- $100–$180
- Full range
- $49–$575
- Cheapest$70.99est. deliveredView on eBay →
About $71 delivered ($65 plus $6 shipping), Buy It Now, with the case, from a 100% seller, well under the $100–180 band. The title is bare, so ask whether it types, whether the carriage moves freely, and for a photo of the platen.
Vintage Royal Quiet De Luxe Portable Typewriter with Case
Best value$93.53est. deliveredView on eBay →A 1949 Quiet De Luxe the seller says works, with its case, about $94 delivered with Best Offer from a 100% seller, below the typical band for a working machine. Ask for a typed sample and whether the platen rubber has hardened.
1949 Royal Quiet De Luxe Typewriter w/Case Dreyfuss Edition? ,Works, P
- Easiest to get working$93.53est. deliveredView on eBay →
Nothing here is sold as serviced, so this 1949 machine the seller says works is the shortest route to typing: about $94 delivered with Best Offer from a 100% seller, with its case. Expect a clean and possibly a platen re-cover sooner or later; ask for a typed sample.
1949 Royal Quiet De Luxe Typewriter w/Case Dreyfuss Edition? ,Works, P
Collector's pick$161.68est. deliveredView on eBay →Gray with glass keys, the earlier style collectors want, about $162 delivered with Best Offer from a 99% seller, inside the typical band. Ask for close photos of the key tops, since glass keys crack, and for the serial number to date it.
Royal Quiet De Luxe Portable Typewriter Grey Glass Keys with Case Vint
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 35 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.
- UsedView on eBay →
- Used
- ★ Best value
- ★ Easiest to get working
1949 Royal Quiet De Luxe Typewriter w/Case Dreyfuss Edition? ,Works, P
$93.53est. delivered$77.00 + $16.53 shipping
Buy It Now$77.00
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
Works, per the seller. 1949, with the case, about $94 delivered.
View on eBay →Seller: superstar133
100% positive
- Used
- ★ Collector's pick
Royal Quiet De Luxe Portable Typewriter Grey Glass Keys with Case Vint
$161.68est. delivered$129.99 + $31.69 shipping
Buy It Now$129.99
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
Glass keys. Check them for cracks in the photos.
View on eBay →Seller: closethedealwithus
99% positive from 489 ratings
For partsVintage Handsome ROYAL QUIET DELUXE Portable TYPEWRITER For Repair
$93.70est. delivered$74.70 + $19.00 shipping
Buy It Now$74.70
Our take
Sold for repair at about $94, the same as a working 1949 machine here, so it's no bargain.
View on eBay →Seller: akachuck
99.9% positive
UsedVintage Royal Quiet De Luxe Typewriter Black and Gray Crinkle Finish &
$125.00est. delivered$100.00 + $25.00 shipping
Buy It Now$100.00
Our take
Black and gray crinkle finish, about $125 delivered, Buy It Now from a 100% seller. No working claim in the title.
View on eBay →Seller: typesaway
100% positive from 8K ratings
UsedRoyal Quiet De Luxe Typewriter – Wide Carriage – 1957/58 – Fully Worki
$238.70est. delivered$199.95 + $38.75 shipping
Buy It Now$199.95
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
1957–58 wide carriage, fully working per the seller, about $239 delivered.
View on eBay →Seller: vinceipp
99.7% positive
Used- ⚠ Check the seller
VINTAGE PORTABLE ROYAL QUIET DE LUXE # A 1659770 BLACK TYPEWRITER WITH
$126.49est. delivered$99.99 + $26.50 shipping
Buy It Now$99.99
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 feedback wasn't shown in the capture. Check it before you buy.
View on eBay →Seller: unknown
Used- ⚠ Priced high
Vintage 1940s Royal Quiet Deluxe Typewriter Double Gothic Typeface
$875.00est. delivered$575.00 + $300.00 shipping
Buy It Now$575.00
Heads-up: priced high
About $875 delivered, $300 of it shipping. Double Gothic is a sought-after typeface, but that's about six times the usual price.
View on eBay →Seller: objectdept
100% positive
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 Royal proprietary — the wrong spool is the easiest way to lose a typewriter purchase on the consumable.
Ribbon — Royal proprietary (Royal Quiet De Luxe lineage)
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 Amazon
Common issues to check before buying
Most untouched machines need a platen re-cover and dried feed rollers replaced before they type crisply. Royal portables use Royal-style ribbon spools; many universal spools will not seat on the Royal spindle, so buy ribbon sold for Royal portables or wind it onto the original spools. Check the paint (crinkle finishes flake around the knobs), the glass key tops on early machines for cracks, and that the Magic Margin and tab work. The one serviced listing in our snapshot was about $370.
Notes on sources
Wikipedia gives 1939–1959; the Typewriter Database's last Quiet De Luxe entries are around 1957. 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.