Question: I am interested in information and value concerning my pictured book set, "The Wood Type of the Angelica Press," purchased at an estate sale for $14. It is No. 208 of 220 copies printed in 1975, measures 14 1/4 inches by 21 inches and consists of four folders in a wood box. - S.M., Vineland
Answer: Your paper bound, four-part, folio-type book, complete with an unusual inlaid storage case, was produced by the Angelica Press of New York, founded in 1974 by Dennis and Marilyn Grastorf. The book, designed, illustrated and printed by the Grastorfs, is considered the firm's most significant publication.
A history of printing with wood type, it includes practical information in explanatory text and illustration concerning movable type printing, a process devised by Johannes Gutenberg in 1440.
Atlantic City book expert, Robert Ruffolo, owner of Princeton Antiques & Book Service, advised that because there is very limited collector interest in printing fonts, the market for a book such as yours is thin, but the case does enhance its worth. He added asking prices may range from $250 to $460, but most sell for much less. Bob notes that although the limited edition printing of your book numbered 200 copies, it is usual for a small number of additional copies to be printed for an author's personal use and your No. 208 copy could be one of those.
It is possible the American Printing History Association at printinghistory.org will provide additional information about your book's sale and you can contact nearby colleges and universities that may want to purchase it as a library acquisition.
Question: I own a green pottery dinnerware set with matching pitcher, cookie jar, covered casserole, spoon holder and tea pot on a stand. The pieces have a molded "Raymor by Roseville" mark. I would like to know if they were made by the same company that produced the expensive vases and, if so, what they are worth. - B.E., Linwood
Answer: Your "Raymor" pattern dishes set is a mid-20th century stoneware line created for the Roseville Pot-tery Co. by freelance designer, Ben Siebel, Founded in 1890 at Zanesville, Ohio, the Rose-ville Pottery Co. produced utilitarian, kitchen and decorative items until it closed in 1954.
From the 1970s through the mid-1990s, Roseville pottery, particularly vases, bowls and candlesticks made during the first quarter of the 20th century, were highly collectible. However by 1996, thousands of Chinese reproductions appeared in the U.S., and the market quickly declined.
Although it was hoped the sleek, contemporary shapes of the oven-to-table Raymor dinnerware - offered from 1952 to 1954 in white, black, terra cotta, dark brown, avocado, gray and rare ice blue - would boost sales of the floundering Roseville factory, the line failed to win public approval. However, interest in the dishes has grown considerably during the past decade.
Recently, a mint, 16-piece starter set that originally cost $8.95 sold for $170 while a service for 12 with 14 accessory pieces fetched $700. Pitchers are valued at $25 to $50, cookie jars at $200, a covered casserole brings $25, a spoon holder $10, and tea pots on a stand sell for $180 to $550, based on color and condition.
Alyce Hand Benham is an antiques broker, appraiser and estate-liquidation specialist whose consulting firm, Treasures Unlimited, is based in southern New Jersey. Send questions to: Alyce Benham, Life section, The Press of Atlantic City, 11 Devins Lane, Pleasantville, N.J. 08232. Email:
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