Mercury 6x10 model X Excelsior

Hello,
While this appears to be a nice press, it is missing a critical component- it’s ink disc. It is possible that it could still be in the house. I would suggest having a good look around for it before listing the press for sale.

Daniel Morris
The Arm Letterpress
Brooklyn, NY

Lournae -

As introduction, I have a shop which I named “The Excelsior Press” nearly 50 years ago because that was the name on the press I began printing with. Since then, and after many years as a commercial printer, I created a web site named… ExcelsiorPress.org - which, as you might imagine has drawn a lot of traffic to my site and has sort of forced me to refine and share my knowledge of these little Kelsey presses.

I have restored and sold these presses in the past and know them quite well. In fact, at least once a month, someone comes by my shop to learn how to print with them.

This is indeed a 6x10 Excelsior Model X - probably the best table top press that Kelsey ever designed and made themselves. And, as Dan pointed out, it is missing the ink table (aka “disk”)

The ink table for this press is 11” in diameter. Please find it if you can. It would be very difficult to replace. They are very hard to find and very expensive to cast and machine.

Although my friend Lou has made ink tables in the past, he’s had to discontinue doing so simply because of the trouble and cost of casting and machining the part.

You can see what this disk looks like on our (outdated) page on Kelsey press parts - http://www.excelsiorpress.org/forsale/kelseypartsandrepair/index.html

You may also be able to date this press by looking on the top center of the “bed” - just below the latch that holds the chase in position. the center two digits would be the year that it was made.

Pricing can be tricky. But these presses are in demand and this press should easily sell for $500-600 - IF you find the ink table; $200 less without the table. My friend Lou in Rhode Island sells this model fully restored and repainted for $1250- $1500 with a complete starter kit of supplies and follow-up technical support (me).

Wholesale value - without the ink table - would be about $400. Proper crating and shipping within the US should be about $250-350 -

BUILD A CRATE - DON’T let someone put this into a cardboard box with just some styrofoam peanuts. That would be a recipe for disaster. Local pick up would be best.

If you don’t want to build a wooden crate, this press can be boxed in a heavy-duty double-walled corrugated box - with the press bolted to a wooden base, covered with a heavy-duty trash bag and the rest of the open space filled with high-density expanding foam.

Don’t let this press get damaged in transit.

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The type cases in the photo are known as “Two-thirds sized California job case” - they are 2/3 the width of the full-sized job cases and were probably made by Thompson Cabinet Company for Kelsey.

I have a few and have listed them for sale at $32 each - in like new, clean condition. Yours look pretty good, and could sell for $10-$20 each, plus $10-30/font for the type in them - If the type is in good shape and if the fonts are complete - not missing any letters.

The type in these cases is most likely what we refer to as “Thompson-cast type” since it was very likely made on a Thompson Caster. (no relation to the Thompson Cabinet Company).

You can tell if the type is Thompson or the much higher quality ATF (American Type Founders) by looking on the shank of one of the letters from each case.

If there is only one “nick” on the body of the type, it is most likely Thompson type. If there are more than just the one nick, it is very likely ATF-cast type, and more valuable.

The next bit of information that will indicate the value is the actual font design. You may find paper labels in the cases which have the name of the font printed on them. If they are plain brown paper with a rubber-stamped label, it’s likely Kelsey/Thompson. If you find heavier, colored printed cardboard labels, it’s more likely ATF.

There may also be other items that go with the press and type - precisely cut hard wood spacing called “furniture”, a “composing stick” used for setting the type, “Leads & slugs” to set between the lines of the type as it’s set, 1/4 tubes of ink, a package of “tympan” paper cut to about 7x10” and various other odd items which you may find on my Fund Raising page - http://excelsiorpress.org/forsale/fundraising.html

In any case, you can see the retail prices I am selling these items for. Figure 50% of my prices and you will come up with what might generally be considered fair market prices for individual sales.

All in all, anyone who is interested in printing with this press should be willing to pay at least $500 for the lot (depending, of course on whether you can find that ink table…)

I hope that this information has been some help to you. I think you should have no problem finding a buyer if you list this press and type, etc in the classifieds section.

- Alan