Keywords : finding a mimeograph on ebay
Categories: news, stencil duplicating
If you’re looking for a mimeograph on ebay, chances are good that the seller has no idea what they’ve got, and therefore doesn’t know how to list the item. The burden falls to you as a collector and mimeographer to sift through the jargon to find the best deals.
This luck manifests itself in one of two ways: people believe what they have is a collector’s item and charge way too much for it (i.e. the decrepit Dick-Edison Mimeographs listed at $40+), or you can get a real good deal on something useful, like the often-listed Print-O-Matic (which I have and love). Only rarely will you find a mimeo that prints sizes larger than a postcard, so keep that in mind.
Your best bet is to go with a mimeo the seller has tested in some way. If you’re buying a rotary machine, write the seller before bidding to ask if the crank moves smoothly. Try to find the mimeo that comes with a lot of extras, like stencils and styluses and ink (which may still be good). I wouldn’t trust a mimeo if the drum looks like it’s missing something. The metal trap door where the ink is added would be tough to replace, and at least with my machine, it’s a pretty necessary component. If you turn the crank on the drum without the drum chamber fully closed, you risk getting ink over the place! Plus the trap holds the stencil and cloth in place. If you’re crafty, probably you could jimmy a replacement, but my best advice is to go for what’s easiest.
I’ve made up a list of some of the known stencil duplicator keywords you may find helpful in your online search. Mix them around and test a few to see what delivers the best results until you find what you want. Happy hunting!
specific terms
: : Neostyle Company
manufacturing company out of New York City, NY
: : Mimeograph
brand name, general term
: : Hayer
manufacturing company
: : Hayer Conqueror
model
: : Gestetner
manufacturing company
: : Rotospeed
manufacturing company out of Dayton, OH
: : Rutherford
manufacturing company out of Houston, TX
: : Rutherford Duplicard
model
: : The Gem Postcard Duplicator
manufacturing company of a hand-held duplicator
: : Underwood Revolving Duplicator
model
: : A.B. Dick
manufacturing company
: : Edison-Dick
manufacturing company
: : Print-O-Matic
manufacturing company out of Chicago, IL
: : Print-O-Matic A-2
model
: : Print-O-Matic A-2-R
model
: : Print-O-Maroon
brand stencil
: : Print-O-Green
brand stencil
: : Cardmaster
manufacturing company out of Chicago, IL
: : Copy-Rite
manufacturing company
: : Swiftset
model of children’s stamp-style hand-crank mimeographs
: : Superior Ace Rotary Printing Press
model of children’s stamp-style hand-crank mimeographs
general terms
: : vintage copier
: : mimeo
: : postcard printer
: : ditto machine
: : duplicator
: : liberator
: : vintage printer
: : rotary
: : rotary printing machine
I have the swiftset rotary printing press 8502. Fully intact with only the red and blue ink missing. New in box with mimeo never taken from the box. It is nos and still in original box. Any information would be appreciated.
Hello Frank!
Glad to learn you’ve picked up a Swiftset press! They are pretty neat. I’ve been on hiatus, but my next podcast will focus on the Swiftset.
I’ve got two presses — one large and one small. What first attracted me to these machines were the accompanying Swiftset printers journal magazines that accompany each set. Does yours have a little printers journal pamphlet?
Owners of the Swiftset could subscribe to the journal, which I believe came out quarterly, and in it they would find tips for printing. The Swiftset was mostly sold to kids as a toy to print a community newsletter for them and their friends to act as reporters. Sets were also used to print up flyers for events and businesses or programs. I do not believe that the presses were used by adults for these things, they were used mainly by school kids through high school. I believe many fell out of the trend by college. The presses inspired some kids to go on to become pressmen, but at the time they came out in the mid-20th century, the printing industry was changing so rapidly that the skills it taught — such as typesetting — were becoming largely irrelevant with the rise of digital duplicators and photocopiers.
The Swiftset is kind of a cross between a rotary mimeograph (which is a stencil duplicator) and a printers outfit (which is a flat form of printing but which uses the same hand-typesetting as your Swiftset with the individual rubbery letters). I haven’t used my Swiftsets yet, but I believe they are inked by hand.
The letters would be set first in the wooden tray a few lines at a time, then transferred to the kit’s metal trays, then the metal trays would be placed individually on the machine’s drum, sticking the tip of the metal tray under the drum’s parallel rubber guides (this is not very easy to do!). Then, I believe each piece of paper is hand-fed into the machine.
It is not a very useful machine, but serviceable in creating very short runs of handbills or advertisements or what have you.
If you can find a Swiftset printer’s journal, you’ll have a much easier time understanding the machine and the community that benefited from it. In it are letters from “Swiftset pressmen” from around the U.S. with examples of their work, or tips on how to print a tri-fold document or something. Apparently supplies for the Swiftset could be bought at the local stationers, where you could get new fonts, ink, perfectly cut paper for each model, and little rubber images to illustrate the text.
The larger Swiftset I have is actually called “Ace,” so I think maybe each incarnation of this machine may have gone by a different name. From the sound of it, yours is probably the smaller variety.
I hope this information is helpful to you! And thanks for reminding me that I need to finish up my next episode.
Check back periodically to see if it’s ready. I may have more information for you!
Do you know anyone who would do a mimeograph print run? I’d love to pay to have a small set run…
Hi Tim,
I’m afraid I don’t know anyone with a working mimeo who also has the time to run a project for someone else — even for money. Unfortunately, because mimeos were made and marketed for institutional use, that’s where the knowledge stayed. Very few people know how to use them now, and it’s sort of difficult even to find those people. It’s unlikely that if you contact a commercial print shop that they will even be familiar with a mimeo, let alone own and operate one, so you can’t go that route either.
I’m afraid that if you want a mimeographed project, you will probably have to find a mimeo and learn to use it yourself.
I realize this is not very helpful! I’m sorry. Hopefully I’m mistaken and someone will see your message and contact you directly. Like I said, I don’t know anyone with a working mimeo who would be willing to do this, but I’m sure such a person exists…maybe contact the Independent Publishing Resource Center in Portland, OR. I know they’ve offered mimeo classes before. Maybe they’ve got a student or teacher who would be willing to run a project for you??
Good luck!
~ Sarah M.
I have an old print o matic card printing machine. I guess it says “stencil duplicator”. Its a model a2r and it looks fairly old. 50s maybe. Can anyone tell me where I can find a site to see pics of similar to determine year and maybe worth? Many thanks in advance.
Hi Timmy,
I have that same stencil duplicator. I made a little video demonstrating the machine here: http://makebetterbooks.com/archives/category/stencilduplicating/page/2
Basically these aren’t worth much. I wouldn’t expect to get more than $30 for it. It all depends on how complete and usable your press is though. Does it come with stencils? Or ink? Are the parts there? That makes a huge difference. Basically, there isn’t much of a market for these duplicators. They’ll be bought up by print hobbyists like zinesters and crafters but not collectors, which is why it’s so important that your duplicator actually functions.
Wish I had better news for you. Good luck!
Sarah M.