Sad day!
Just have to talk to someone. I had a chance to purchase two Kluges at a fair price this week. But, the timing in my life never goes my way.
I work two full time jobs and a part time one every week. Saved for a year to purchase a press. Last week I mailed off my tax payment for 2011, leaving me short in my savings.
The next day a Kluge comes up for sale at the price I budget for, but, with the TAX payment, no extra money for the moving and set up.
Letterpress life is fun and hard at the same time. But, getting what you want in life is very hard.
So what will it take for you to get what you want at this moment? Be specific …
To once again have a nice small letterpress shop.
I would love to have a shop that people could see running front the front window and see how real letterpress was once done.
A shop where a person could see type getting set on a Intertype or Linotype and one or two presses running jobs. to show people that printing wasn’t once just push a button on a computer and a laser print comes out. The smell of real ink and paper filling the air in the shop.
That at the end of the work day, you could look back and recall the make ready that took longer than it should, but the job come up perfect. A day of knowing that you really did something only a few could do, and you did it.
So, what happened to the Kluges?
that doesn’t sound specific at all. Perhaps you need a better understanding of what it takes to Make your vision happen.
I need two white Rhinos and a unicorn. That’s specific!
So start with the generic picture…
1. Open studio space with large retail-esque window
2. Type and cabinets to hold cataloged type
3. Complete pilot press with spare parts and optional flux capacitor
4. winning lottery ticket and a unicorn
The Kluges was on ebay. Item number: 320809399607
Thank you woweber for reminding me that I am a dreamer.
I had this dream shop in the 70s. My X-wife, (but wife at the time) wanted me to sell it, and told me if I really loved her I would sell it.
I did, she still hated me. And, am the total support of my daughter who doesn’t have a job.
Just old and tried and just want to talk.
I work two full time jobs and one part time job just to pay the bills each month.
$1000 for barn quality seems steep. That looks more like a scrap value offer to me, which is I’ll move it for free!
Our shop is kind of like what you’re talking about, but the reality is that it is extremely deadline-driven and stressful. So you have to do the extremely good makeready AND get it done and wrapped up in time to ship it out AND have time to respond to customers.
We’re pretty good at breaking even, but profit can be difficult to chase down. On the plus side, your tax check will be a lot easier to write.
I know a fellow who is trying to reconstruct a small newspaper plant he worked at when he was young. Has the machinery (and some) but putting it all into play is another problem altogether.
Still, depending on where you are at, there may well be some machinery. I know of a fair bit in the Northwest and Kluges in ‘barn’ condition (probably needing new rollers) for $500 or so.
The stuff is out there, but keying into a network that knows where things are is difficult. Of course once you are in such a network, well pretty soon you will find more equipment than you ever dreamt of.
If you are in my neck of the woods (Montana) drop a line and I can find lots of stuff (no Vandercook’s folks) for a fair price. No, not even my own stuff either.
Ask among the motorcycle restoration community as they get to look in lots of sheds and barns looking for the restoration projects long forgotten heaps of rust ,.
Those kluges did not sell. Why don’t you contact the seller and try to work out a deal with him? ryanhowell has offered to move them for free.
I will move them for free, to my shop.