Most Collected Typewriters on the Typewriter Database

In reflecting on my own typewriter collection, I thought I’d look through it to see how some of the models I gravitate toward compare to those others are collecting. As a potential proxy for this, I took a look at the most popularly collected typewriter models according to the Typewriter Database and compiled a list of the top fifty, which appears below. (Numbers in parenthesis are the number of examples in the database.)

Naturally the data isn’t perfect and some of the numbers broadly track the manufacturing numbers of some of the most widely made models across the 20th century, particularly models which, though they changed in style and design over time, kept the same model name for decades. Despite this, the list of the top 50 doesn’t seem too far off of what one might expect.

Which models would you have expected to see more of? Which less? Does your taste in machines track the most “popular” by this measure? How does this list compared to the Rarity vs. Desirability list from ETC Magazine with respect to your collection? What other measures or benchmarks might one consider in collecting?

Have you uploaded all of your own examples to the Typewriter Database to help “even out” the data? Even if you don’t add them all, which favorites will you add to help your “favorite team” move up the rankings?

1. Royal Quiet De Luxe (610)
2. Smith-Corona Sterling (400)
3. Olympia SM3 (381)
4. Hermes 3000 (363)
5. Olympia SM9 (340)
6. Underwood 5 (304)
7. Olivetti Lettera 32 (262)
8. Corona 3 (252)
9. Smith-Corona Silent (246)
10. Remington Portable (244)
11. Olivetti Lettera 22 (241)
12. Royal P (240)
13. Hermes Baby (227)
14. Royal 10 (225)
15. Smith-Corona Skyriter (213)
16. Smith-Corona Silent Super (211)
17. Underwood Universal (175)
18. Royal KMM (163)
19. Remington Quiet-Riter (150)
20. Corona 4 (143)
21. Smith-Corona Standard (140)
22. Olivetti Studio 44 (139)
23. Olympia SM4 (137)
24. Underwood Portable 4 bank (136)
25. Royal O (136)
26. Hermes Rocket (134)
27. Olympia SM7 (129)
28. Underwood Portable 3 bank (118)
29. Smith-Corona Clipper (116)
30. Smith-Corona Classic 12 (115)
31. Royal Futura 800 (114)
32. Olympia SG1 (113)
33. Hermes 2000 (112)
34. Groma Kolibri (112)
35. Royal HH (106)
36. Royal Arrow (105)
37. Underwood Champion (103)
38. Remington Deluxe Model 5 (99)
39. Continental Standard (94)
40. Remington Noiseless 7 (93)
41. Olympia SM2 (92)
42. Olympia SG3 (91)
43. Oliver 9 (87)
44. Underwood 6 (86)
45. Royal KMG (86)
46. Remington Portable 5 (85)
47. Royal Aristocrat (84)
48. Olympia SF (83)
49. Smith-Corona Galaxie Twelve (81)
50. Remington Portable 3 (80)