Prepping for the 2nd

/
 

       Our next open date is Saturday, June 2nd. We're back in reasonable physical condition and the Swoop events are well behind us. Now our attention and energy is focused on getting back to normal activity.

       On the website we've added some additional cabinets like the Multigraph cabinet (C-273), a California cabinet with dual working tops (C-327), and a press stand with ten cases (C-338) to name a few. As always, there's many more cabinets available on the website and at the store.

 
 

             Several additional machines are also on hand, such as a Martin Yale paper cutter (M-184), and a Bostitch stapler (M-185) with lots of staples. We're also showcasing one of the rarer presses we've had in quite awhile; a 5 x 8 Golding Pearl with a motor (M-186). Even if you're not interested in purchasing it, it's a press really worth seeing in person!

Also on hand is a tabletop 5 x 8 Kelsey (M-178) which will be available for shipping after the second.

           There's still a bunch of "things" (furniture cabinets, slug cutters, hand tools, type, etc.) to rummage through at the store and the various type fonts/plate sets seen on the website can be purchased in house sans postage fees. Teachers and professional printers, consider stopping by for your summer printing project supplies!

Hope to see you soon!  - JB

 

After the Swoop

/
 

You came, you saw, you swooped up a lot of great type, ornaments, wood type and more. Fifty plus people over two days; beyond our expectations! It's meant some serious time/work to get it all organized again as there are still 300+ type fonts left. True, the real rare ones are gone, but if you're just starting to build your type inventory, there's still a good selection of the more "common" working fonts. There's even a few sets of wood type left! 

Some of the items originally only available at the swoop will now be available online and will be posted on the website later this week.

 

17th Anniversary

/
 
 
 

Time flies when you're not paying attention! It's been 17 years since the first cabinet and press were dragged off the elevator on the fourth floor at 55 North Chicopee St. During all that time, 5,000+ type fonts, 400+ cabinets and over 300 machines and presses have come up and down that elevator.

But the significant number (rough estimate over 4,000 to date) are the visitors from near and far who've walked up four flights of stairs to enjoy the ambiance, pick up supplies or find a treasure or two. It goes without saying the patronage is much appreciated. Those who have made the trek here know first-hand our passion and commitment to letterpress.

Saturday, November 18th the store is open; just another open date (over 350 so far!) Nothing special planned. Well, there may be some cupcakes with 17 candles. What we'd really enjoy would be for lots of folks to come by, say hi, hangout and check out our new inventory.

And promise, you won't have to sing "Happy Birthday."

                                                                             -JB

 

November Open Dates

/
 
 

Autumn leaves are falling and the wind has a noticeable chill. November is upon us and it's now a head-long dash to the holidays! Of course, this year you're going to print your holiday cards and gifts early...right? Yeah!

Well, maybe we can help kick-start your efforts and enthusiasm just a bit.

This Saturday we're digging out plates, ornaments, borders, type and anything else we can find related to the holidays - Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanuka, New Years (maybe even Valentine's if we can find something) and the winter season.

So come on by to see if there's something here that can ignite some early holiday energy.

 
 

And a heads up, the open date on Saturday, November 18th is our 17th anniversary! That's right, seventeen years ago that weekend we started hauling "things" into a 1,500 square foot area. Now the entire fourth floor (6,500 sq ft) is filled. Check back in a week or so; for sure there'll be something special going on that day.

                                                                                                                                  -JB

Wrapping Up & Winding Down

/

It's the end of Spring, the start of Summer, and our "It's too hot up here!" shutdown is close at hand.

Imagine: New England in July, high heat and humidity, an old brick mill building, on the top floor with about five open windows and a bunch of giant fans. Physical activity, even just standing still, equals buckets of sweat!

 
 

Two Open Dates remain pre-summer shutdown, Saturday June 24th and Sunday June 25th. The crew is working hard to wrap up a number of projects in order to have as much new inventory out on the floor for these Open Dates.

Come by on the 24th and 25th and you'll find:

 
 

+ A Variety of "new" fonts in the type cabs. +

+ Some wood type fonts and some "Alpha" (similar to the Franken-Fonts from last October.) +

+ A number of pounds of icons, borders, etc. +

+ A big bunch of new plates. +

+ A few table-top presses. +

+ A growing selection of "one-of-a-kind" things. +

 

So this is it for the Winter and Spring seasons. Soon we'll slip away to get some rest, do some traveling and generally "wind down" after what's been a busy Spring. Looking forward to having you stop in!

Plans for June 2017

/
 

It's June, summer and vacation time is approaching. We're busy wrapping up the final processing of several shop purchases from last fall and earlier this year. The goal is to finish before the heat and humidity of July sets in. This Saturday, we continue offering a variety of tools and things, first at the store and then subsequently on the website.

 
 

And there will be several 5 x 8 Kelseys available if you're looking for a press. In preperation for our summer vacation, we'll be open for two days the fourth weekend of June with an expanded amount of items. Details to come soon!

Tools & Machinery in Store

/
 

 

So what's new around Letterpress Things these days?

Well, at our commercial shop in West Springfield, a well-equipped workshop for cleaning and fixing tools, machines, presses, etc. is finally up and operational.

 
 
 

 

This improves our ability to more quickly process and prepare items acquired in recent months for sale on the floor.

In fact, this Saturday the 27th, there'll be a number of small tools available for the first time including several round cornering units, a steel rule cutter, a Hanson brass rule cutter, a single spindle drill, an ink scale and more.

 

 
 

There'll also be a 6 x 10 Kelsey, complete, ready to print and possibly several other units presently being worked on. There's even still some type and items left from the Howie Swoop.

 

It's a long weekend coming up so if you're looking for a day trip destination or coming through the area, stop in and say hello!

Gelbert Swoop 2.0

/
 

The Howie Gelbert Swoop on April 14th was well attended.

It was really nice to see so many letterpressers out and about on such a gorgeous Spring day.

The Swoop continues this Saturday, April 29th for anyone who couldn't make it earlier this month.

 

There's still a good variety of type fonts available as well as a furniture and reglet cabinet,

an Enkay Paper Trimmer, a 5 x 8 Kelsey, a half-size cabinet (12 cases), and a short open case cabinet in green.

 
 

Of course, there's lots of store inventory as well, including a rare item for us; 100 sheets of large rag paper.

See you Saturday! 

Swoop Details

/

Just a day left until this Saturday's Swoop at Letterpress Things. There's a nice variety of "finds" from Howie's printshop.

Presses, such as a Vandercook 099, 5 x 8 and 3 x 5 Kelseys, as well several toy presses with rollers.

There's several books including catalogs and 40 plus ITC type specimen pamphlets.

 
 

We've got cases filled with over one hundred fonts of type including:

Caslon, Gallia, Raleigh, Shadow, Comstock and many others.

 
 
 
 

You'll also find couple of fonts of wood type alongside plates, ornaments,

- and several tables of good ole' fashioned "letterpress things."

The weather's looking good, so come out and make a spring day trip to Chicopee!

Gelbert Swoop

/
 
 
 

Several weeks ago, a three day truck trip was made to Central Pennsylvania to retrieve an entire basement print shop. The shop belonged to Howie Gelbert, recently passed, a long-time avid letterpress printer, member of APA and the Westchester Chapel.

 
 
 
 
 

His entire shop- presses, type, tools, accessories, books - is now on the floor at the store and available to letterpress printers on Saturday, April 15th continuing on Saturday, April 29th.

 
 
 
 
 

A more detailed inventory of type and things will be posted in another blog soon. Sorry, no holds and no pre-sales. 

"Franken-Fonts"

/

Over the years, Letterpress Things has accumulated a large collection of orphan wood type, and though we try our best to complete as many sets of type as we can, some letters are so odd and rare that we've never been able to find a home for them.

So, in the spirit of the season, we've cobbled together several wood type sets we're calling "Franken-Fonts." Each font contains every letter of the alphabet in varying styles and sizes along with assorted punctuation.

                                                     FF-01  sOLD!

                                                     FF-02  Sold!

                                                      FF-03 sOLD!

While these three wood type sets are for sale online, there are seven more of these "Franken-Fonts" available only for purchase in store during our open date, Saturday October 29th. All fonts are sold on a first come, first serve basis.

We hope you'll visit the store this weekend to see rest of our wood type creations!

 

Cabinet Clear Out

/

For our next Open Date, October 15th, our focus is on cabinets; type, furniture, reglet, and utility.

At the moment there's 26 units shown on the website, but there are more than twice that out in the store.

Walking around, you'll find C-246 and C-247; Thompson/Kelsey press stands with 11 cases each.

 
 
 

Close by is C-262, a two column, 12 x 18 galley cabinet.

C-255, C-256, and several others, are perfect for wood type or plate storage.

There's even a few small counter-top type cabinets like C-259.

 
 

For the Ludlow owner, we've got C-196, a flat-top matrix unit.

Or a Hamilton roller cabinet , C-264 which can be easily converted utility storage.

Also on hand, a reglet cabinet and yes, furniture cabinets; midget, standard, and even a mammoth, some with assortments of furniture, some without.

Here's a very nice midget cabinet filled with new and slightly used furniture.

 
 

Been considering getting another cabinet?

Now's the time! Our inventory is the largest and best it's been in a long time.