The low down on gocco's future...(it's not good news)
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Original Post
I spoke to someone from Australia's gocco supplier, Nehoc, the other day & asked lots of questions about what's going on with gocco.
As we know, production of the machines ceased in June - but since so many have been produced, stocks are plentiful, especially from online sellers, ebay, etc.
As for the consumables, Riso is apparently no longer supplying US-based retailers. The supply agreement with the US is totally different to Australia - apparently the machines & consumables supplied to the US were produced specifically for the US market, & Riso doesn't find that profitable anymore.
Luckily for we Australians, our supplies are directly from Japan (the same as those made for the Japanese market) so as long as they're being sold in Japan, they will hopefully be available in Aus too (& Nehoc has stock to last at least the next 5 years).
Unfortunately, even in Japan, the packs of 5 screens are no longer being made (you can only buy packs of 2 screens & 2 bulbs) & many of the ink colours are no longer being made...so you just have to get what you can until the stocks run dry.
As for another manufacturer picking up where Riso left off, apparently the bulbs are the main problem. Only two manufacturers in the entire world make them & they're not cost effective to make unless in massive quantities. There is a (very expensive) machine Riso made to flash the screens, but they no longer make that either! They still make a machine to flash their coarser mesh...nowhere near as fine as the gocco master screens though, so only suitable for cloth, not paper.
So it looks like the American market may run dry of supplies quite soon & US-based people will need to buy online from Japanese sellers. Unfortunately Nehoc doesn't ship to the US.
So very sad...
Posted at 9:46am Aug 10, 2008 EDT
Responses
i don't gocco but WTH? is this for real?
i see gocco printing everywhere... not profitable??!!!
Posted at 9:48am Aug 10, 2008 EDT
this is sad...
the end of an era.
*sure wish some other company would buy out the rights and keep it going.
Posted at 9:48am Aug 10, 2008 EDT
oooo... so it looks like we'll all be back to cutting rubylith eventually!
Thank you for all the information...
Posted at 9:51am Aug 10, 2008 EDT
It's a really dumb move. In its heyday, millions of people in Japan had goccos - it was HUGE - but when PCs & printers became common household items, the demand dropped. Of course, we all know gocco has become hugely popular with artists, but that is still a relatively small market. It does seem ironic though doesn't it? Just as popularity picks up, they cease production.
Posted at 9:51am Aug 10, 2008 EDT
its easier than you think to just use traditional silkscreens. i expose mine in my mom's powder room. the supplies are cheaper and more readily available...so if anyone who is going to really miss making things with Gocco, you can easily switch over to tradition screen printing.
Posted at 9:58am Aug 10, 2008 EDT
i know, magic... re: the irony.
that's why i was thinking if a major corp. that supplies the crafting industry would buy them out, then i think they'd be making $$$ out the rafters just on the consummables alone.
*the timing is terrible and believe me, i have more than once looked at getting a Gocco just to play with it and try it out.
*i love the work that can be done.
Posted at 9:59am Aug 10, 2008 EDT
sourkitten...Gocco has unique qualities that traditional screen printing just doesn't have, so it's not really a substitute. Both have their place, but it's sad that gocco won't be around much longer.
Posted at 10:09am Aug 10, 2008 EDT