Yeah, and Mouldtype (UK) was purchased, a couple of years ago, for probably less than half of the ATF receipts. The ATF auction was a disaster, and well documented. None of the institutions (the curators leave work at 5:30, everyday) that should have come to its rescue, bothered with it, though they were among the first to publish about its loss.
This, however, does not devalue the pricing of this particular foundry.
The Harold Berliner matrix holdings is probably what brings the asking price to the amount it is. This collection is truly outstanding in its scope, encompassing all of the finest book ad display types made by British Monotype under the direction of Stanley Morison and John Dreyfus. Most matix collections will include one or two of these faces; Dante, Lutetia and the like, but Harold had them all.
I had the privilege of seeing the foundry during an American Typecasting Fellowship conference, hosted by harold a number of years ago. The entire operation was the finest and the cleanest I have ever seen.
The machines appear to be all high serial numbers; some of them looking like they just came of the production line. Most casters show their age under layers of baked grease and splashed metal. My own Super Caster is a buckboard, compared to the one in the collection.
This is a amazing gathering of foundry equipment, whose only drawback is its great size. I wish I had the money and the years. Curses.
The casters have little real value. Paint is cheap and English pumps are junk. I think if you paid $5,000.00 for the lot of them you would be the highest bidder. Something tells me you would stick with your buckboard. Paint is cheap. I already said that didn't I? Moving is expensive!
And, $175,000. US or $234,813.98 CND is a lot of money. Over a quarter of a million bucks after moving and installation probably even in American dollars? If your time is worth anything. I would think if you had that kind of money you would not want to dirty your mits with moving.
Harold has an enviable selection of "English" mats. But for a foundry to be worth $175,000. his sales must be at least $175,000. per year? Do you think so? I don't. If he is I think I am going to buy it. But M & H "foundry type sales" volume is not that high and they are over one hundred year old. They also have good matrices. Better yet, Louis "the casterman".
If you make 10% profit above all expenses and paying and receiving "trade rate wages," not working for, lets say, $1.00 per hour, you would be classed, in PIA terms, as the industry leader. They do not count the free pig barn as genuine value when it come to rent. So rent something downtown and pay yourself more than someone living in Bangladesh.
At that rate, not including interest, it would take 10 years to pay off the equipment? How old would you be? What would the equipment be worth when it was paid off? A big zero. So I hope someone enjoys debt when they are eighty years of age. Then enjoys the idea of taking his life
3.Oct.2003 7.16pm
$175,000?!
Ten years ago the whole of ATF (constituting way way more than
this collection) went for $78,000 total (it was auctoned piecemeal).
hhp
4.Oct.2003 2.22am
Yeah, and Mouldtype (UK) was purchased, a couple of years ago, for probably less than half of the ATF receipts. The ATF auction was a disaster, and well documented. None of the institutions (the curators leave work at 5:30, everyday) that should have come to its rescue, bothered with it, though they were among the first to publish about its loss.
This, however, does not devalue the pricing of this particular foundry.
Gerald
4.Oct.2003 5.13pm
The Harold Berliner matrix holdings is probably what brings the asking price to the amount it is. This collection is truly outstanding in its scope, encompassing all of the finest book ad display types made by British Monotype under the direction of Stanley Morison and John Dreyfus. Most matix collections will include one or two of these faces; Dante, Lutetia and the like, but Harold had them all.
I had the privilege of seeing the foundry during an American Typecasting Fellowship conference, hosted by harold a number of years ago. The entire operation was the finest and the cleanest I have ever seen.
The machines appear to be all high serial numbers; some of them looking like they just came of the production line. Most casters show their age under layers of baked grease and splashed metal. My own Super Caster is a buckboard, compared to the one in the collection.
This is a amazing gathering of foundry equipment, whose only drawback is its great size. I wish I had the money and the years. Curses.
Jim Rimmer
5.Oct.2003 7.11am
Jim,
The casters have little real value. Paint is cheap and English pumps are junk. I think if you paid $5,000.00 for the lot of them you would be the highest bidder. Something tells me you would stick with your buckboard. Paint is cheap. I already said that didn't I? Moving is expensive!
And, $175,000. US or $234,813.98 CND is a lot of money. Over a quarter of a million bucks after moving and installation probably even in American dollars? If your time is worth anything. I would think if you had that kind of money you would not want to dirty your mits with moving.
Harold has an enviable selection of "English" mats. But for a foundry to be worth $175,000. his sales must be at least $175,000. per year? Do you think so? I don't. If he is I think I am going to buy it. But M & H "foundry type sales" volume is not that high and they are over one hundred year old. They also have good matrices. Better yet, Louis "the casterman".
If you make 10% profit above all expenses and paying and receiving "trade rate wages," not working for, lets say, $1.00 per hour, you would be classed, in PIA terms, as the industry leader. They do not count the free pig barn as genuine value when it come to rent. So rent something downtown and pay yourself more than someone living in Bangladesh.
At that rate, not including interest, it would take 10 years to pay off the equipment? How old would you be? What would the equipment be worth when it was paid off? A big zero. So I hope someone enjoys debt when they are eighty years of age. Then enjoys the idea of taking his life
5.Oct.2003 10.25am
Gerald
I am only lusting from afar. It will be somebody other than me who buys the Berliner foundry.
Jim Rimmer
5.Oct.2003 10.43am
Jim,
That's a good thing. You would not want to be in my kind of trouble. If I were younger and had a few extra bucks I would look at it myself.
Makes me wonder if he will be able to sell it in one lot though. I think he may have to part it out.
The big question is why is he selling? I worry about his health. He loves his stuff.
Gerald Giampa