Underwood · 1900–early 1930s
Typical used$150–$260
The Underwood No. 5 is the machine that set the pattern for the office typewriter. Franz Wagner designed the front-strike, visible-writing mechanism that John T. Underwood put into production in 1895; the No. 5 arrived in 1900 and was made until the early 1930s, with millions sold. Because so many survive, it is the classic old typewriter look at an affordable price, and the cast-iron mechanism is simple and tough. It weighs around 30–35 pounds, so shipping runs $30–100 and a local pickup often wins. In late 2026 about 23 were on eBay, mostly $150–260 delivered. Early production, roughly 1900–1910, is what collectors pay extra for; for a typist, a working escapement and sound paint matter more than the year.
Buying guide
From Oct 1, 2026 listings
23 No. 5s are listed, most at $150–260 delivered; two more listings are loose keys and aren't counted. At about 35 pounds, shipping here runs $27–65, so local pickup often wins. The platen on almost every surviving No. 5 is rock hard, so budget about $200 for a re-cover before daily use; a working escapement and clean paint matter more than the year. Early production, roughly 1900–1910, is what collectors pay extra for. Watch for a non-working donor priced like a complete one.
About $137 delivered ($110 plus $27 shipping), Buy It Now, from a 99.7% seller — below the band, with modest shipping for a 35-pound machine. The title says nothing else, so ask whether the carriage advances, the keys strike, and how it will be packed.
Vintage Underwood Typewriter No 5.
Listed as working, about $155 delivered ($120 plus $35 shipping) with Best Offer from a 99.3% seller, at the low end of the band. Ask for a typed sample and how it will be packed; a loosely boxed No. 5 is easily damaged in transit.
Vintage, Underwood, Type Writer, No. 5. Working. Vintage Condition
A 1928 No. 5, working per a 99.5% seller, with its original case, about $264 delivered ($199 plus $65 shipping) with Best Offer. Late production and a case make it the safest one to use; still plan for a platen re-cover, and ask for a typed sample.
Underwood No. 5 Standard Typewriter 1928 Working – Black Original Case
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
6 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.
UsedVintage Underwood Typewriter No 5.
$110.00 + $26.77 shipping
Buy It Now$110.00
Good buy
Lowest total at about $137. Bare listing; ask whether the carriage advances.
Seller: lasc-100
99.7% positive from 309 ratings
UsedVintage, Underwood, Type Writer, No. 5. Working. Vintage Condition
$120.00 + $35.00 shipping
Buy It Now$120.00
This seller takes offers, and sellers often accept less than the asking price.
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Good buy
Working, per the seller.
Seller: stevel9101
99.3% positive
UsedUnderwood No. 5 Standard Typewriter 1928 Working – Black Original Case
$199.00 + $64.98 shipping
Buy It Now$199.00
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
1928, working, with the original case.
Seller: roeschrefreshtreasures
99.5% positive from 238 ratings
For partsANTIQUE UNDERWOOD NO 5 BLACK STANDARD TYPEWRITER 1919 For Parts Non Wo
$80.00 + $55.75 shipping
Buy It Now$80.00
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.
Our take
1919, for parts, not working, about $136 delivered — the price of a complete one, so only as a donor.
Seller: mmonmoyq8bstjc
99.7% positive from 867 ratings
UsedAntique 1920s Underwood No. 5 Standard Typewriter “Model T” | Vintage
$129.99 + $62.61 shipping
Buy It Now$129.99
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
1920s No. 5 sold under its 'Model T' nickname, about $193 delivered.
Seller: plutosquare
100% positive from 38 ratings
UsedExcellent Antique Underwood No 5 Typewriter Standard Desktop Working 1
$202.50 + $34.95 shipping
Buy It Now$202.50
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
Excellent and working, per the seller, about $237 delivered.
Seller: bubba_bruin
99.7% 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 →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 AmazonThe platen on almost every surviving No. 5 is rock hard, so budget about $200 for a re-cover before daily use. Check the escapement spaces evenly, the carriage returns freely, and the typebars are not bent. Paint and decals flake; look at the photos closely. Original metal ribbon spools work best: if a modern universal spool does not seat, wind fresh ribbon onto the originals. Insist on careful packing with the carriage secured.
Underwood serial numbers on the No. 5 also show whether a machine is early or late production. 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.