Lead Prices Anyone know your local area? ADVISEMENT!!
F.Y.I I had a hunch that I was correct in thinking that used Foundry type and Linotype lead was currently priced way too high buy people selling it. I checked locally here in Ohio with numerous scrap yards. Some knew exactly what type of lead I was talking about and others, it didn’t matter what kind it was. Prices on lead in general were .32 & .35 per pound. One establishment here is able to verify the tin content and know that it’s foundry or linotype lead by X-raying it. Foundry type is .65 per pound and Linotype lead is .55. For those of you that are purchasing used foundry type, consider this; used type can be wore out and currently it’s .65 per pound. When buying either type lead know what the local prices are first. There are too many working type foundries to buy wore out type.
Paying $65.00 for a drawer of type is way too much.$11.00 to $15.00 at the most. A good foundry could fix you up in no time with good type.
At $.65 per lb $65 buys you 100lbs of type in whatever condition — maybe rare and in good shape. I bought a 100lb font of new foundry type a few years ago — it cost me $2800. Value added.
Bob
A drawer of type can easily weight 25lbs. I don’t see why people should expect to pay less than scrap for a drawer of foundry type.
A font of monotype from any foundry is going to cost you $30-50 isn’t it? If you can get higher quality foundry type (whose condition you can verify) with a drawer for $65, price doesn’t seem crazy. Type is getting expensive.
Market price scrap at 65 cents a pound for foundry type lead and a drawer weighing approx.25lbs, is 16.25 gee I was $1.25 off at $15.00 Thats what a drawer of type should cost, for As IS. Unless they are going to charge for the drawer. Thats like buying a car without wheels. But, I suppose someone may be willing to do that also.
Then you have to figure in what it’s going to cost for you to get it to you.
In larger lots, Linotype and type metal can fetch much more, based largely on the price of tin. Anymore, I would figure closer to $1.00 per pound, though you might be able to buy decent quantities for much less, depending on luck and what metal dealer/recycler you are dealing with.
It ain’t getting any cheaper—bad news especially for new linecaster operators without a store of metal.