I assume the seller is not your reloading friend. So, I do not know your relationship with the seller. If a good friend, it would affect MY bargaining approach. So, I will leave the bargaining tactics to your judgement. If he considers you taking the gear off his hands in one big batch a favor or if he is desperate for the money, might make a difference to you also. Your call.
one with a round plate with four holes I’m assuming a turret
Right you are. Lee makes two versions. The Deluxe Turret (aluminum base shaped like a truncated pyramid) and the Classic Turret, (flat base, cast iron or steel). The Classic is far superior to the Deluxe for a number of reasons. Classic sells new for $85 and the Deluxe for $72. Used, $80 and $40.
Spare turrets are $9-$10 each and worth every penny. You mount your dies and just change the whole set in the turret, never having to readjust.
There should be a twisted rod in the center of the press (auto-indexing rod, $5 if it is missing). Take the handle of the press and cycle it through its entire range of motion and the rod and turret should rotate one-quarter turn. If it doesn't, there is something missing or broken. The good news is that the most likely broken part is only one dollar for two of them.
DO NOT partial stroke it. DO NOT force it. The turret should rotate counter-clockwise (from a looking-down vantage point). If you force it, you will break the square ratchet that turns the rod and will embarrass yourself and hurt your bargaining position. The part is only 50 cents, however. Lots of people break them, but it is easy to avoid if you know how. Two ways: 1) If the press gets jammed up, move the handle so the ram goes UP. That disengages the ratchet from the notches. Then turn the turret so it clicks into the spring detents and try it again. 2) If the press gets jammed up, just grab the turret and rotate it in the counter-clockwise direction of normal turret travel while gently moving the ram DOWN (operating arm going up). This may take more than two hands, though.
Lee makes a hand press for $25 that is handy for loading if you don't have a loading bench. But for quantity loading it is inconvenient. It is aluminum.
Lee's Reloader press also costs $25 but mounts on a bench (there will be three bolt holes cast in the aluminum base). It is open in the front (called a "C" press) and not very strong. But will do for smaller cartridges. When you get to the big belted magnum rifle cartridges you may find it wanting.
Lee's Challenger press is aluminum also and the lightest duty press I would recommend. $40 - $46.
Lee's Classic Cast is cast iron and very good. Almost as good as your friend's RockChucker.
Especially on the aluminum presses, check the ram for any wobble. If the ram is not in perfect alignment while reloading, you ammo will suffer.
If the single hole presses (Single Stage is the proper term) have a small button and slightly larger threaded hole than the holes in the turrets, that is so they will accept bushings. That also means they are fairly new and very handy. You mount a die in the bushing and the bushing just snaps in with a twist of the wrist (and the button locks it). If the hole is the same as the holes in the turret, that is no big deal. Changing dies (and adjusting them) is not that difficult. Bushings are a $3.24 each, sold in pairs for $6.48).
one with multiply bottles I’m assuming shotgun.
I am not familiar with shotgun loading presses, but dollars to doughnuts, you are correct.
The dies I’m not really worried about because I bought all I need already.
Different die makers have a few details different. For example, the Lee pistol dies for case mouth expansion allow charging gunpowder right through the (hollow center) die. You can even mount the Lee Auto-Disk powder measure on the die and it operates automatically. Lee's FCD (Factory Crimp Die) is right handy.
Spare sets of dies make good trading goods, too.
I’m thinking I can get the whole pile for around two hundred and I’m looking at it all Monday night.
Loading manuals run around $25 to $40 each and if they are of recent publication, a good source of both load data and instruction. If older that 5-10 years, their value as load data information my be limited by the absence of new powders and new cartridges. If they are the "One Book, One Caliber", their price new is about $9 each and have little instructional value, but loads of load data.
If older, offer 1/4 to 1/3 the cover price. If newer, offer 1/2 to 3/4.
I’m thinking I can get the whole pile for around two hundred and I’m looking at it all Monday night.
Most probably, there is a scale in there, too. The Lee scale sells new for $25 or so and is worth that. Any other balance beam scale will be at least twice that or more. The Lee only measures powder or lighter bullets (100 grain maximum) but is the euql in accuracy to any other scale. Many people find it hard to read, though. Be sure to get the instruction shee (available on the web).
Probably there is an Auto-Disk powder measure or maybe more than one. worth at least $20 to $30 if you will use it. It is about the ultimate in convenient powder dropping, but only works on Lee dies. You will want to use the swivel adapter and a riser with it, but those are almost certain to be in the miscellaneous parts.
So far, the parts I am sure of add up to (wild guess on pricing, and what I would expect from a stranger at a gun show, but I would be merciless in bargaining. (Translated, that means these guesses are higher than I would expect to ultimately pay). Taking the whole lot (even the pieces I don't need or want) usually results in a big discount. Required cleaning or coming up with missing parts usually results in a big discount, too.
$30 Turret Press
$25 Single Stage press
$25 Shotgun Press
$50 Manuals (assuming 3 of recent publication. Add $7 for each additional one)
$20 to $150 Scale
$20 Autodisk powder measure (multiply times the number of them)
$25 to $40 each for die sets.
$10 each for extra turrets
If someone offered the 3 presses in good working order, a scale, 3 older manuals and 3 sets of dies all mounted in turrets and one or two Auto-Disk powder measures, I would offer $140 to $150 and let him bargain me up to $200 and walk away happy. If there is brass, powder, bullets and primers involved, add $2 per hundred primers. Factory sealed powder, $20 per pound. Opened powder containers makes good fertilizer (high in nitrogen), but iffy for use in ammunition as you don't know if the powder in the container is actually what the label says (unless you know and trust the guy who had it). Brass varies in value a lot. Price for bullets you should research on the web for your area.
Good luck.
Lost Sheep
P.S. I didn't mean to go on for so long and I know reading this without ever having had hands on the gear (especially the Turret press and Shotgun press) is like trying to breathe in a vaccuum, but I hope it helps more than it hurts.
Send pictures when you get the stuff.
