Smith-Corona · c. 1950–1959

Smith-Corona Silent-Super

Name: Smith-Corona Silent-Super
Brand: Smith-Corona
Availability: InStock

Typical used$180–$360

Portable1950sUSA

The Silent-Super was the top of Smith-Corona's 1950s 5-series portables, made in Groton, New York and sold from about 1950 until the series was restyled at the end of the decade. It has the 5-series basket-shift mechanism with the fullest feature set of the range, and many typists consider these Groton-built machines Smith-Corona's high point. The 1950s colour range (Sapphire Gray, Desert Sand, Alpine Blue, Coral Pink and Seafoam Green, in a sandy crinkle finish) is a big part of the appeal; grey and tan are the common ones. In late 2026 about 29 were on eBay, mostly $180–360 delivered, a modest step up from the plain Silent. Colour, not mechanical condition, explains most of the spread.

Specifications

Brand: Smith-Corona
Type: Portable
Era: 1950s
Years produced: c. 1950–1959
Country of manufacture: USA
Carriage width: Full-size portable carriage (takes letter paper)
Pitch options: Pica, Elite
Ribbon spool: Group 1 universal
Typical asking price (eBay, Oct 1, 2026): $180 – $360

Buying guide

Which one to buy

From Oct 1, 2026 listings

29 Silent-Supers are listed, most at $180–360 delivered. The Super adds a tabulator and a slightly more positive action over the plain Silent, and colors such as Alpine Blue and olive green ask more than gray. None here is sold as serviced, and 1950s platens are almost always hard, so budget a re-cover if you'll type daily. Red flags: a zero-feedback seller on an olive-green machine, and a bare listing at about $521. Bargain hunters should start with the $155 cased machine; the $235 tested one is the safer buy.

Listed now: 29
For parts: 0
Typical ask: $180–$360
Full range: $50–$400

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

7 of 29 listed

Snapshot captured Oct 1, 2026 — 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.

Used
- ★ Cheapest
Vintage 1950's Grey Smith Corona Silent-Super Typewriter
$77.32est. delivered
$49.99 + $27.33 shipping
Buy It Now$49.99
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
Lowest total at about $77. Bare listing; ask about a case and a typed sample.
Seller: roby2228
99.7% positive from 829 ratings
View on eBay →
Used
- ★ Best value
Vintage Smith Corona Silent Super Portable Typewriter in Case Gray/Gre
$155.00delivered
$155.00 · free shipping
Buy It Now$155.00
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
In its case, $155 with free shipping and Best Offer — under the usual band, but no working claim.
Seller: silverstreasures
100% positive from 1.6K ratings
View on eBay →
Used
- ★ Best for beginners
Vintage 1950's Smith Corona Silent Super Typewriter With Case - Tested
$235.16est. delivered
$199.99 + $35.17 shipping
Buy It Now$199.99
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
Tested per a 99% seller, with the case, about $235 delivered.
Seller: thebucketdropper00
99% positive from 769 ratings
View on eBay →
Used
- ★ Collector's pick
Vintage '53 Smith Corona Silent Super Typewriter Alpine Blue & Case -
$375.00est. delivered
$350.00 + $25.00 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.
Good buy
Alpine Blue 1953 with the case, about $375 delivered with Best Offer.
Seller: boardguy123
100% positive from 1.7K ratings
View on eBay →
Used
Smith-Corona 1950s Silent-Super 5T Green Keys Vintage Portable Typewri
$212.69est. delivered
$149.99 + $62.70 shipping
Buy It Now$149.99
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.
Our take
5T series with green keys, about $213 delivered; about $63 of that is shipping.
Seller: ltbryan1016
100% positive
View on eBay →
Used
- ⚠ Check the seller
**Vintage ** Olive Green Vintage 1950s Smith-Corona Silent Super Typew
$248.67est. delivered
$230.00 + $18.67 shipping
Buy It Now$230.00
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; olive green at about $249 delivered. Pay only through eBay checkout.
Seller: shannand3
no feedback yet
View on eBay →
Used
- ⚠ Priced high
1950s SMITH Corona SILENT Super Typewriter
$520.81est. delivered
$400.00 + $120.81 shipping
Buy It Now$400.00
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: priced high
About $521 delivered for a bare listing with no working or service claim — well above the $360 top.
Seller: mbir_3212
100% positive from 23 ratings
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 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 Amazon
Type slug cleaner brush
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Platen rejuvenation fluid
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Light machine oil (segment + rails)
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Replacement rubber feet
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Common issues to check before buying

The platen almost always needs re-covering. Check the tabulator and margin set work, and that the ribbon vibrator lifts and drops cleanly. Old oil in the typebar segment makes keys sluggish. Crinkle paint scuffs and the bakelite keytops can chip. Five listings in our snapshot came from zero-feedback sellers, so stick to established sellers and pay through eBay.

Notes on sources

Factory per collector sources (Groton, NY); some sellers say Syracuse, which was the company's headquarters. 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.