The Ink Runnith Over

One of the things I love about living near Austin is the easy assess to free, or greatly discounted, office sup lies and equipment.

Since I've been in business, I have gotten for free 3 different HUGE black and white copiers -- chimerical cast offs after an upgrade. I used them religiously for my first year or so as my patterns were all copies of my patterns.

Then I purchased a commercial color printer ($10,000 value) for $100. I used that for about a year to copy my instructions, as they contain color photos in them. Eventually, I converted to digital every pattern I had and no longer needed the copiers so I got rid of them.

In their place I picked up 2 HP 4550 Laser printers; one worked one didn't. I scavenged parts from one and ended up with a working HP 4550 color laser printer with a 500 page reservoir and a duplexer (about a $5000 value) for under $200. I LOVE this printer and already dread the day it will go to printer heaven.

I also managed to pick up a 36-inch wide plotter for $250; about a $1200 value.

Between the plotter and laser printer I am able to print out my own full-size patterns and instructions at an amazing rate and fill orders as needed.

Now, supplies . . .

The laser printer uses 4 different toners; that if purchased at Office Depot or through HP would run about $60-80 each. It also has a Drum and a Transfer Kit that have to be replaced about once year; between $200-$300 each for these parts.

At least twice I have been able to purchase lots of these products locally from businesses closing down pretty cheap. If not, I've had a lot of luck on Ebay. The printer is older and most businesses no longer use it. On average, I've only paid around $20 an item for my printer since I purchased it over year ago.

Last week I noticed I was almost out of toners; only one black and a transfer kit in my "extra" stash. I searched my local places and nothing was available so I watched ebay and was able to win a 4-pack of the toners, shipping an all, for under $65.

The very next day a free post came up on craigslist; a company bought a new printer and had new toners for the Hp 4550 if anyone wanted them. I replied and went to pick them up the next day. They gave me 2 black, 2 cyan, 2 magenta, and 1 ye allow toner and a brand new DRUM -- all name brand, all new. I'm sure they paid close to $1000 for the supplied originally. So then my purchased toners come in and I have so much toner it will probably be a year or better before I need anything else.

I've also picked up cases of insainly discounted copier paper, relatively cheap plotter paper, and reduced ink cartridges for my plotter.

Some days you're the window.