Potential scam on press offering
I was alerted on Tuesday, May 13, to a listing on the Briar Press Classifieds of a Vandercook Universal I being offered for sale in Hawaii with the serial number of 29428. The price listed was substantially under current market price for one of these and it turns out the press shown in the photos was sold last year at auction to a printer in Houston, Texas and it bears the serial number listed in the classified. That press is not in Hawaii and the person offering it for sale does not own it. That listing was removed later in the day.
I have the Vandercook serial number records and anyone who is thinking about buying a Vandercook, especially sight unseen, should contact me to verify what is known about a particular press. You can contact me through our website at www.nagraph.com.
…I thought that price looked a little too sweet!
Thanks for your vigilance and heads up.
This is a scam. The pictures posted on Briar were taken in Jack Boggs’ warehouse in Cleveland. Jack sold this press on WiredBids to the Hicks Bros. in Fremont, California who then sold it to the present owner in Houston. I just got off the phone with the real owner who is now aware of what’s gong on and confirmed all the details. I hope no one has fallen for this scam. The price was too good to be true.
The only accurate piece of information in the Briar listing was that this press was used to print diplomas (names imprinted) as the original owner was Geiger Brothers in Lewiston, Maine who continue to offer imprinted diplomas and certificates, but done some crappy way other than letterpress.
Fritz Klinke
I remember this press and the Vandercook mobile cart that fits under the feed board. I always wanted one of those! I hope nobody fell for that nonsense and sent them a wire transfer!
Daniel Morris
The Arm Letterpress
Brooklyn, NY
US… fellow Letterpress people have to stick together. Hat’s off to you Fritz. There is only so many people who mess with letterpress. The markets getting thin on whats available.
I was actually contacted by this man! I had posted a wanted ad for a vandercook and this man named “Frank” had a press shipping from Hawaii for sale for super cheap. Thank you for investigating this and posting about it! It is definitely a scam and no one should have to deal with this type of person.
This press use to print the Evansville courier.
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Available for anyone interested!. Happy holidays
You can post this in the Briar Press Classifieds. Free ads are always made sticky for at least one month.
Although made by H. B. Rouse, still in business, who once made a line of printers’ material, I doubt this “press” was used to print a newspaper.