Typewriters are popular collectibles, especially very early models, and typewriters with past famous owners or a particularly interesting pedigree, which often fetch very high prices on eBay.

Because they're bulky, often dirty, need lots of careful cleaning and sometimes repairs, most typewriters, old and modern, are overlooked and fetched low prices at local offline auction houses.

Despite this, anyone prepared to spend time cleaning, researching, repairing and eventually packing a typewriter, will find ready bidders on eBay in both the UK and USA, and no doubt other country sites, too.

Typewriters don't always fetch fabulous prices, but most early typewriters, from the late 1800s and early 1900s rarely go unsold on eBay so you're almost always going to make money.

Recent eBay prices range from