Should I sell the press and type separate or as one lot?

I would say give it a shot selling it all as a package. Even in that condition Pilots have been fetching $1500-2000. The type probably wouldn’t add much to that, but it would sweeten the deal for whoever was buying it.

BBedford - I agree with dicharry. It could sweeten the deal, but if the type is old and collectible, it is possible that the type could be worth a considerable amount of money. If the press is purchased by a beginner who might use the type for the experience of learning to print, it would be a pity to experiment on a beautiful font of type which is likely to get crushed in the process.

Before deciding whether or not to sell the press and type as one package, it might be better to try to identify the fonts first and make sure they are not rare and worthy of being used and/or preserved by an experienced printer.

If the front of the type cases are not marked with names, perhaps you can upload some photos of the type to the Discussion forum under the Press and typeface identification topic. If you have any samples of pieces that were printed with the fonts, uploading scans would certainly help.

On the other hand, you may wish to sell the press and type together and let the new owner have fun identifying the type.

Off topic, but I’d also suggest removing the handle, ink disk, chase, feed board & brackets before trying to get this thing out of the basement. This will minimize the possibility of damaging it while taking it up the stairs.

Daniel Morris
The Arm Letterpress
Brooklyn, NY

Thank you to all that replied.

I have decided to sell it as one lot because I do not have the time or knowledge to determine if the type is rare or just type.

Thanks for all your help,

Brian

Thank you for all your input. The press now has a new home. I sure hope it is used more than it was being used in the basement.

Thanks again for all your help.