gocco destash

Woah, no posts for so long, then 2 in one day, maybe more...wait and see. I've decided to unload a few of my Gocco printers and some supplies. I'm doing some spring cleaning around the house and trying to destash. I bought these printers to be able to hold classes on Gocco, but the cost of supplies is too cost prohibitive for classes so they're up for grabs with more to be added soon.

Recycled Gocco Bulb Ornaments

Marlene Watson of Northwoods Studios offered me this image of her recycled Gocco bulbs. She creates these adorable Christmas and Easter ornaments in crafty classes she instructs. When I learned to Gocco, the teacher showed us how to crush the still-warm bulbs in bare hands. If you think that's scary, I've heard another printer claim to crunch them in his teeth, yikes! What do you do with your spent lamps?

Loaded Question: Is it Worth It?

I came across a loaded question as a comment to this post. I'm sorry, I usually answer questions right away but unfortunately, this one was way too heavy for a quick response. I've got some time this morning so here goes:

Question:

Hello!
I've just recently discovered Goccos, and obviously am lusting after one. I was thinking of purchasing a used one somewhere, or having a friend in Japan search one out, but now I'm worried... what is the future of supplies? Will I just get addicted only to find myself unable to obtain screens and bulbs before too long, and I regret spending money on ebay or on the cost of shipping from Japan? In short, given the cost of these machines at this point, is this a bad investment?
Thanks! -Anon.

Answer:

Dear Anon-

I think it depends on your definition of the word "investment." For one person, paying a couple-hundred dollars for art supplies is part of a business. They might stamp out 100 prints in their first go and sell each one for $50. Investment recouped. Even if it's simply for the sake of learning or a creative hobby, there is inherent value in that. How much is too much can only be answered by you. A few years ago, my husband spent several hundred dollars on bicycle repair parts and lessons. In the end it would have been much cheaper to simply "pay the pros" to fix his 10-year-old bike, but he found enjoyment in that learning process, rolling up his sleeves and getting his hands dirty, literally. If you are someone who tends to buy gadgets that aren't ever used, then no, buying a Gocco is surely not a good investment for you, BUT it's people like that (in my opinion) who will keep Gocco alive for quite some time. I'm guessing that supplies will long be available on sites like Ebay and Craig's list because of those gadget-getters, people who decide to jump in on a whim, never to open that box for reasons of fear or time-constraints or maybe pure laziness. Who knows? I'm not sure how many households currently have shelved Gocco supplies but judging from the masses of Japanese families who used Gocco over the past 30 years, I'd venture to guess that supplies will be around for a while.

So, as you can tell, there is no real answer to your question I can hand to you. You have to decide for yourself. If you take the plunge, and regret your decision, there's always Ebay :)

Fondly,

-Katie

New Resources on Save Gocco Site

I sound like a Jr. High counselor: "NEW RESOURCES, kids. Stop by the student center..." Really, it's just that I updated the Save Gocco site with a few new resources. Mint design blog has a nice Gocco FAQ's page on her blog I thought I'd pass on. I also added the previously mentioned Gocco comparison article that Jamie Pulley authored after laboring over it for who-knows-how-long. His pocket pal Gocco charts are also a new listed resource. Unfortunately, I had to delete a few of the suppliers who were listed. They're cold out of supplies, boo. Please pay no attention to the extra spaces between the new links. Wordpress, you really get my goat sometimes, you know that? Grrrrrr. Also, if anyone has any info on classes being offered, I'd love to update that list as well. Thanks, and enjoy.

The One Flash Wonders

Okay, this is something I never thought I'd say:  "step right up and get your toys made from used Gocco bulbs."  What the?  I just love people sometimes.   These illuminoid "toys" are made with cast resin bodies around hand-painted bulbs.  They come in sets with fun packaging and no two are alike.  The men behind the madness are Paul Burke and Jon Paul of Porlzilla.com.  It looks like the crazy things these guys make sell out pronto so if you want your own personal pair of illuminoids, you'd better add to cart.  

Update: they're gone :(

DYI: Masters from Cereal Boxes

Not only are these recycled and inexpensive, they're also cute too. Check out Amy from Craft Chi's tutorial about how she makes her own screens for her Gocco.  Looks like someone has a taste for the sugar cereals. Amy has her own thermal imager but you could buddy-up with a local tattoo artist and see if he (or she) wouldn't mind imaging your screen for a small fee.  Amy sells the screens in her etsy shop, alongside some darling printed tea towels and rubber stamps.  Amy also offers a screen-imaging service for just $2.00.  Looks like someone has a taste for the sugar cereals.  

Do Yudu?

So do you?  There has been a lot of talk about the Yudu replacing Print Gocco.  I have not done a lot of research on the Yudu but it has come up in a few conversations I've had and been witness to.  Handmade Detroit did a great little tutorial vid. on it, if you're not familiar.

Someone left a comment about it in another post today so I thought now would be a good time to address it.  Honestly, I was not-so-secretly hoping Mr. Yudu would go ahead and send me a complimentary printer to test out beforehand but it has not happened yet so let's dive in.  The truth is, I think it looks like a fantastical contraption.  It will definitely have it's place in the indie arts/crafts world but I'm not sure its place is to take over where Gocco is leaving off.  There are certainly some advantages that Yudu has over print Gocco, the most obvious being that it is, well, currently being manufactured and distributed.  It also has a much bigger print area at 11X14".  The price seems fair at $279.99 when you consider the prices of large Goccos.  I would say the cost per print is similar to what we are seeing now with Gocco.  Roughly $10 per print once you have purchased the machine and inks.  You can re-use the screens but that is a little misleading because when you "reuse" them you have to use new emulsion sheets every time-so you lose your image.  With Gocco you can keep the imaged screens and print them again and again.  You could do that with Yudu, but each separate screen costs $27.99 plus the $9 emulsion.  The Yudu is not as quick as Gocco.  There is about an hour needed to wait for stuff to dry.  Those things being said, I think the Yudu is a great replacement for trickier drawing fluid/screen filler type silkscreening.  I want one, I really do.  But I also want my endless supply of screens and bulbs for Gocco.  What can I say I'm a Gen-X girl, I want it all.  

Price Per Gocco Print, Broken Down

I ordered supplies a few weeks ago and kicked myself the next day when I realized I had not gotten the best deal out there.  With so many different package sizes and shipping fees, it can be a headache figuring out how much it costs to actually make one print.  Here is a break down of each supplier and their cost per print.  I included the sold-out shops for good measure.  

For the SMALL size Gocco printers:

Dick Blick- currently out of Gocco supplies.

Ebay- prices vary but seem to be hovering around $25 for either a package of 5 screens or 10 bulbs plus shipping.  Very general cost per print would be $11.60 or so.  

Northwoods Studios- only does 2 packs of screens and 4 packs of bulbs (2 prints).  With 2 packs of each in my cart (4 prints) the shipping came to $8.50.   Price per print came to $17.02. 

Marlene Watson- screens and bulbs are currently out of stock.

Nehoc- It is my understanding that Nehoc is not able to ship Gocco to the U.S. 

Print Addict- the prices listed include shipping to every country except Africa and South America.  Products come in "packs" and choices are somewhat confusing because the descriptions are not quite consistent but as I read it, each pack of 5 screens/10 bulbs inclusive of shipping is $46.50, so $9.30 per print.

Print Addict Japan on Etsy- packages of 4 screens and 8 bulbs are $50 plus $12.50 shipping.  That is $15.62 per print.   

Thinkink-website is currently disabled.  Rumor has it they are all sold out of supplies. 

Welsh Products- $24.75 is the price for 5 screens.  It is also the price for 10 bulbs.  Shipping is extra.  Price per print excluding shipping is $9.90.  Orders can't be placed online.  

Wet Paint- screens and bulbs are out of stock.

For the LARGE size Gocco printers:

Letters & Print currently has 5 screens for $31 and 10 bulbs for $15.  You can only buy the bulbs if you are also buying the screens.  Shipping for the set is around $13.00.  That comes to $14.80 per print considering that 4 bulbs are needed for each large print.

Paper Source currently has 5 screens available for $38.00  They are out of stock in the bulb department.  Shipping for just the screens would be $8.00.  Price per print  is $9.20 plus bulbs.

So, there you have it folks.  If you have a small Gocco, Print Addict is currently the least expensive.  If you have a large Gocco, Letters & Print is probably the best way to go.  If you see any misinformation here or have any suppliers to add, please leave a comment.  Happy shopping!

Tips and Tricks, Non-Riso Pens

This flickr find nearly got me misty-eyed.  Sometimes I can't believe how helpful the internet community is.  Candice Kimchee posted this fantastic test to flickr.  The image shows which non-Riso drug store pens work with Print Gocco.   I cherish my screens and bulbs too much to attempt this test, and now I don't have to!  Cheers to you, Candice Kimchee, my cyber-friend.

How Much is Too Much?

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?

I won, I won. G.E. #5 bulbs (on Ebay)

Uh, no Katie.  The correct term is actually: "purchased."  

I'm taking one for the team here and trying out these old school G.E. #5 flash bulbs.   I won them on ebay today.  The box contains 12 and with shipping came to $15.00.  It's going to be a sad day if my screen gets ruined but I couldn't find anyone who had actually done this test yet.  I know it might not seem to make a lot of sense to try some old bulbs that are probably harder to come by than the Riso bulbs.  I was thinking that G.E. might find a way to resurrect these from the dead if there is enough interest.  New petition anyone? I'll let everyone know how it goes as soon as I try them.  

I apologize if I ever "give away" anyone's Gocco secrets.  I really think the more information we have to work with, the better the chance that a non-Riso supplier will come along.  

For an update on how these worked, see this post.