Hi Kerry,

Thank you for contacting Mearto with your appraisal inquiry.

The Underwood Universal Portable Typewriter represents one of the most important transitions in typewriter history—from heavy office machines to truly personal, mobile writing tools.

The Underwood Typewriter Company, founded by John T. Underwood, had already become dominant in office machines by the early 1900s. Their standard desk models were industry leaders, competing with brands like Remington Typewriter Company.

In response to growing demand for portability—especially from journalists, traveling professionals, and military officers—Underwood introduced the Universal portable around 1919. It was their first major entry into the portable market, competing with earlier portables from companies like Corona Typewriter Company (later part of Smith-Corona).

Production of the Universal continued through the 1920s and into the 1930s, with incremental refinements but a largely consistent design.

The machine was remarkable for several reasons, not least being it offered true portability without compromising output. Whereas earlier portable typewriters folded awkwardly or sacrificed usability, the Underwood struck a good balance, being compact enough to carry in a case yet it retained a standard keyboard layout and solid action comparable to full-sized machines. It also innovated the use of the four-bank keyboard, which became the standard for portable typewriters for decades. Additionally, it used a front-strike mechanism, which meant that the typist could see what they were typing (this contrasted with some earlier machines that struck from below, obscuring the text. Finally, the rugged and practical design had a reputation for durability while the clean, compact design made it both appealing to both professional and home typists. This contributed significantly to normalizing the idea that writing could happen anywhere.

Your model appears to date from the 1930s or 40s and appears to be in good cosmetic condition, though as you note it does not have a ribbon and may not be in good condition. While there are several examples listed for sale on platforms such as EBay, Facebook and Etsy for around $100, when these come to auction, and sold in as-is condition, they typically bring the secondary / fair market prices between $50 and $75.

Please let us know if you have additional items to appraise, or questions/concerns, and thank you again for using Mearto.
~ Delia