Office Technology: Antique Typewriters, Adding Machines & Business Equipment
Office technology collectibles encompass the mechanical and early electrical devices that powered business operations from the 1870s through the 1970s -- typewriters, adding machines, check writers, dictating machines, calculators, pencil sharpeners, and early computing equipment. This category appeals to both technology historians and decorative collectors, as many early office machines feature exceptional mechanical engineering, ornate cast-iron construction, and striking industrial design that translates well to modern display.
Categories & Identification
Typewriters
- Index typewriters (1880s-1910s): Non-keyboard machines using a pointer or dial to select characters; examples include the Hall, Odell, and Merritt
- Early keyboard machines (1870s-1900s): Sholes & Glidden (first commercial typewriter, 1874), Caligraph, Hammond, Blickensderfer, and early Underwood and Remington models
- Portables (1920s-1960s): Corona, Royal, Olivetti, Hermes, and Smith-Corona portables
Calculators & Adding Machines
- Mechanical calculators: Comptometers, Monroe, Marchant, and Friden machines with complex gear mechanisms
- Adding machines: Burroughs, Victor, and Dalton lever-operated models
- Slide rules: Keuffel & Esser, Pickett, and Faber-Castell precision instruments
Other Equipment
- Dictating machines: Edison and Columbia cylinder-based dictation systems
- Check writers: Todd, Paymaster, and Hedman machines with ornate cast-iron frames
- Early copiers: Hectograph, mimeograph, and early Xerox machines
Auction Price Ranges
| Item | Low | Mid | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Index typewriter (common model) | $100 | $400 | $1,500 |
| Sholes & Glidden typewriter | $10,000 | $30,000 | $100,000+ |
| Early Underwood No. 1 | $200 | $600 | $2,000 |
| Portable typewriter (1940s-60s) | $30 | $100 | $300 |
| Comptometer (brass keys) | $50 | $200 | $600 |
| Ornate check writer (cast iron) | $40 | $150 | $400 |
| Keuffel & Esser slide rule | $20 | $75 | $300 |
Condition Factors
- Typewriters must have functioning mechanisms to command top prices; seized carriages or broken type bars reduce value significantly
- Original cases, covers, and accessories add 15-30% to typewriter value
- Decals, pinstriping, and original finish on cast-iron machines are highly valued; repainting reduces collector interest
- Rubber platens deteriorate over time; hardened or cracked platens are expected on pre-1950 machines
- Nickel and chrome plating should be intact; pitting and flaking reduce visual appeal
Collecting Tips
- Index typewriters offer the most visual drama and mechanical fascination for display purposes
- The Olivetti Valentine (1969, red plastic) and other design-icon typewriters attract both office technology and industrial design collectors
- Mechanical calculators from the 1920s-1950s are currently undervalued relative to typewriters and offer good collecting opportunities
- Working condition commands premiums but is not essential for rare early machines -- many collectors display rather than use
- Online typewriter collector communities maintain databases of serial numbers and production dates that aid identification
- Period advertising, catalogs, and ephemera related to office machines form a complementary collecting area