Make Better Books

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