For an inexpensive starter machine ($5-25) that's easy to find, easy to get parts for and has a reasonable chance of working when in "unknown" or "untested" condition, I'd recommend one of the following ubiquitous, but solid machines which show up almost daily on ShopGoodwill.com:

• Royal Quiet De Luxe https://typewriterdatabase.com/Royal.Quiet+De+Luxe.72.bmys
• Remington Quiet Riter https://typewriterdatabase.com/Remington.Quiet-Riter.42.bmys
• Smith-Corona Clipper (their Sterling, Silent, and Silent Super are very similar, but can sometimes be more expensive; they often have a few more features like tabs, but are otherwise the same machine) https://typewriterdatabase.com/Smith+Corona.Clipper.86.bmys

They'd all make excellent starter machines for a younger kid. The black models with glass keys from the 1940s will look a bit more old school/classic while the more industrial browns and grays with plastic keys from the 1950s are still solid choices. You might also find some later 60s/70s versions of these machines (or variations), and while they may be a bit more colorful, they'll usually have a lot more cheap plastic and can potentially have cheaper builds. (My parents got me my first typewriter, a 1948 Smith-Corona Clipper, in the mid-1980s when I was 10—I have it today and it still works as well as it did then; I still also love the airplane on the hood.)

If you want something simple with a bit of color you can also look at the 70s/80s Brother Charger 11 which is pretty ubiquitious and inexpensive as well.

Since you have some time, you can wait for one in better looking cosmetic condition (and with a case) which means it was probably better taken care of, and less likely to need aggressive cleaning, and more likely to work without needing any repairs. You can also wait to find one local that you can pick up in person (to save shipping cost and/or potential damage) or which will be cheaper to ship from nearby.

Without any experience, you might try looking at Just My Typewriter's Typewriter 101 series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJtHauPh529XYHI5QNj5w9PUdi89pOXsS She covers most of the basics there.

Cleaning a machine isn't horribly difficult and can be done pretty cheaply ($20 or less for some paint thinner/isopropyl and a small toothbrush), but if you need it or get a machine that needs some repair work, try https://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/tw-repair.html.

If you're in an area with lots of yard sales, try shopping around and see if you find something interesting. It's at these that you'll have a potential chance of finding more collectible machines for pennies on the dollar and it'll also give you the chance to put your hands on machines to test them out to make sure they work.

Good luck! 🎄

reply to u/strawberystegosaurus at https://old.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1g5rgi4/typewriter_for_christmas_please_help/

Tan, Steph H., Orchid Allicock, Mari Armstrong-Hough, and Anne L. Wyllie. ‘Saliva as a Gold-Standard Sample for SARS-CoV-2 Detection’. The Lancet Respiratory Medicine 0, no. 0 (19 April 2021). https://doi.org/10.1016/S2213-2600(21)00178-8.