Sometimes it is difficult to say whether a typewriter was intended as a toy in the first place, or not. One of the selling points for early typewriters was that they were tools of learning, because they forced the typist to spell correctly, which made them very useful for school children.

The Simplex index typewriter was introduced as a real, but cheap typewriter. However, it soon developed into an undisputed and highly popular toy. This page shows a number of more rare examples of toy typewriters:

1. Rico. A small German toy typewriter with a square index. The type was placed on a thin type sleeve.

2. Lord Baltimore. This circular index machine was produced by the Baumgarten stamp factory in the 1890s. Extremely rare.

3. GSN/Junior. A German circular index machine that was quite popular in Germany and the USA. Many of these were exported. Many variations and colors are known.

4. Junior. Very little is known about this bakelite toy typewriter with circular index. The example presented here is the only one known in circles of typewriter collectors.

5. Ludolf. Another extremely rare toy, made in Germany in the 1920s.
The instructions on the left are for the exported version of this typewriter, called Cleeriter.

6. Virocyl. A heavy French toy typewriter, again with circular index.