Valuation Of A Hopkinson’s Albion Table Press
Earlier this year my father passed away and left behind his beloved printing press. Although I have very fond memories of making lino cut christmas cards with him every year as a child, sadly my mother is having to move to a smaller property and has asked me to to go about finding out its value. She has actually got a relative that has shown an interest in purchasing it.
I would be very grateful if there was anybody out there who would be able to advise us on where we might be able to obtain an accurate estimation of value I have tried to post a few images of the press but have been unsuccessfull because they exceed the file size, but I can tell you the foolowing abot the press;
HOPKINSON’S No 1127 Albion Press 1839
PATENT 1466
JON & JER BARRETT EXORS OF R W COPE KINGSBURY LONDON
I would be happy to email any pictures if required .
I would appreciate any feedback at all thanks.
Unfortunately an accurate estimation of the value is in the eye of the beholder. There have been similar presses offered for $2000 to $4000 and I believe at least one for $10,000 USD. A lot depends on the condition of the press, the presence or absence of the tympan and frisket, the presence or absence of the original stand, etc. But for an accurate value I am afraid you are pursuing a chimera.
For file size, you can open the photo in Microsoft’s Paint and reduce the file size, then save it as a different name to preserve the original, and upload that smaller file (I’d suggest less than 100KB file size).
Good luck! Bob
So sorry about your father, but you are lucky to have those cherished memories. The value is based on age, size, condition, and completeness. The age and make is very choice, it being quite early for an Albion. The size (which can be determined by the measurements of the bed and platen) is very appealing to collectors and hobbyists. And if the press is in good shape, with no welds or cracks, and has the tympan & frisket frames, it should price out at $6,000 to $8,000 USD. Of course the market is quite limited and if you actually auctioned it, you might well exceed the top price. I hope it does find a good home, and is loved and respected as much as your father obviously did.
Paul
Hello. Please call me at home: (323) 465-6267 after 7 PM West Coast time.
Thanks for the information so far. This is turning out to be quite a learning process!
I now know that the tympan cover is complete and that the the top plate size is important.
Top Plate size is 9 1/2 inches x 15 inches.
Any further info gratefully received.
Paul mentioned auctioning the press.Could anyone suggest where the best place for this would be in the U.K
Regards Tom
Have you sold this yet? If not please get in touch.
Hello.
Did you sell your Albion printing Press??
Sorry to put a spanner in the works but £5000 plus for this press is too high a valuation. There has been a table top Albion on Ebay several times over at just over £3k and it didnt sell. If its freestanding it would be too much for the press at £3k. Unfortunately the market in the UK for handpresses has slowed up due to recession. Bear in mind that putting a hand press into an auction could be a recipe for disaster. Yes it may fetch a good price but it could easily not fetch a good price especially if not protected with a reserve. Also most auction houses deal with furniture not cast iron and it could be damaged on the way to the sale. The best place to sell it is via Briar Press or a similar site as you have a captive audience of people who are familiar with the value of things.
As a footnote - sometimes people use this site and others to sound out a price and never give site members a fair crack of the whip to buy……
Dec 2011-Rochat in Uk have small albion for sale offers c 1500£, Polymetaal offering one 3000euros………I just wonder what happened to this one, market is very up and down, eg europe some cylinder proofing presses selling amazingly cheap, could try advertising on maschinensucher.de too, but this is mainly larger stuff………..eg large Albion on ebay 1000£ sold couple of months ago, but Columbians(about 4 in uk available at the moment)not selling at prices c6000£ reduced to 5700£……..
Over a year has passed since this thread started, and we all know what a tough year it has been. Albions in the US sell for more than the UK largely because of the cost to bring them to this country. Presses formerly made in this country tend to sell for less for similar function, but for the one manufacturer making Albions in the US today the factory-floor cost is quite similar.
Paul