How Much is Too Much?
Monday, March 2, 2009
I saw a recent flickr discussion post about supplies that made me chuckle. Someone mentioned that printaddictjapan had replinishment sets for $25. Didn't sound too bad until you figured out that the set was only for two screens and four bulbs! That's roughly $12.50 per print. When I started using Print Gocco in 2002, the standard cost per print was $6. Part of the draw of Print Gocco was that relatively low price. So, I ask you: as supplies begin to get more and more costly, how much is too much? I don't think I would ever spend more than $10.00 per set to make a print, myself. If I pay any more than that, it's better to just make my own stencil and screenprint. It's messy and more time consuming but that's the related "price." It's a classic case of this-for-that. Gocco is easier, but more costly than stencil screenprinting. At what point does that high cost drawback outweigh the ease-of-use benefit? I suppose it's different for each person. Thoughts?
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5 comments:
I think printaddict's Etsy store is a bit expensive (and her ebay one too) but you can buy direct from her at http://www.printaddict.net/id12.html - I get her 5 screen/10 bulb pack for $46 (including shipping) which works out at $9.30 each. I guess she has to charge extra at the other sites to cover the fees. I agree though, $10 is kind of a psychological barrier for me!
I've only had my Gocco printer for less than a year, so for me the price of burning a screen has always hovered around $10.
I've only used my Gocco a couple of times, as I've watched, drop-jawed, as prices climb and supplies become more scarce. I keep thinking that I should "stock up" some, but haven't been able to bring myself to drop the dough that would entail.
I don't think $10 is too much to make a screen, if it's something that will be used a lot, like business cards, or stationary for selling. But that price does preclude experimenting and playing around, which is sad. I find myself spending so much time considering my image, that I never get around to printing!
I'll probably spend up to $15 to make a screen, just to feel like I can get SOME use out of my Gocco.
It's always going to be expensive from Print Addict as you are buying form a reatil custoemr who buys at full price from a retal store, then on sells to you (they are not buying wholesale) so it's always going to be expensive.
So you pay much more for the service of simply beign able to get the stock from someone.
Search the net for a 'real' supplier who has a lower price and stock on the shelf. They are still out there but dwindling :(
Anonymous, would you care to share your wholesale supplier with us?! The only wholesale supplier I know is nehoc and their shipping costs are so high that it makes them just as expensive, if not a bit more, than printaddict...
The least expensive I've found is welsh (when Paper Source is out). $17.50 for 5 small screens. Bulbs are $20 a box. That's $7.50/print plus shipping. You have to call or email (can't order online) http://www.welshproducts.com/process/category.php?cat1ID=G
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