need some advice on missing letter in type set [futura]

So I bought this 36pt futura on ebay, and the seller forget to note there are letters missing “d,f,j,k,1” lower case in the set. She is offering me to get the return to get full refund or keep it and she can give me 50% refund back.

My question is how easy it is to find those missing letters? I paid about $50 for the set. And I am not really sure where i can buy futura else where.

Sorry if my terminology is not been exact correct, I am a beginner. Thanks!

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Send it back, make sure you get your money then call the folks at Don Blacks Linecasting.

http://www.donblack.ca/

I got a set of Century School Book Roman Caps, LC, Figs. for about $80. iirc. It was all NOS too.

Hi. I totally agree with Lammy. Send it all back and request a full refund. But you should take another look at the listing to determine whether there was any reason to expect that the font might be incomplete or in poor condition, since you might get an argument.

I have bought some gorgeous fonts on eBay, but I think the key is either to know the seller or to ask some very pointed questions. I’m always wary of listings that say things like “looks to be in great condition.” You need to ask the seller if he knows how and by whom the type was cast, and to examine it with a loupe and tell you whether the edges of the letter faces are sharp and crisp, and whether he sees any dings, roughness, or corrosion (“fuzzy white stuff”). Even at that, you need to read between the lines of the reply. You also need to study the photos to determine the sort count for yourself. You also might want to consult McGrew’s _American Metal Typefaces of the Twentieth Century_ to see if you’re getting the special characters that are included in many fonts.

Lammy’s also right about checking out some other sources for type. You should consider investing in new type. Look in the Briar Press Yellow Pages for foundries. If you buy monotype you’ll need to examine the condition after each project. My letterpress teacher said that when he finished a run with brand-new monotype, he’d redistribute it into a separate case for “once-run” type. When he used his once-run type, he’d redistribute it into a “twice run” case. After the third run, he’d have it recast. You don’t need to do this with foundry type, but you do have to treat it with the respect it deserves or you could render it useless in one run. Lead is a very soft metal and simply cannot take a deep impression. For that, photopolymer plates work great and the only thing you have to worry about is throwing your press out of kilter.

Barbara

thanks for both of your advices. i think i’ll return it then.

If you have to pay the return shipping (which is usually the case) it may be smarter to simply sell it as an incomplete font, then buy a complete one.