The hits keep coming

Apr 23, 2008 at 11:10

Wow! How lucky can one girl get? I can tell you right now, that I am one lucky lady.

After buying my first Gocco last year, I have made a few small runs of gocco'd cards, etc.

Mainly robots. I love robots.

However, I was always scared to 'flash' too many screens. Mainly because the bulbs are so expensive and hard to find. Well, I started doing a little research and found out that in the early 1990's Riso (Gocco's parent company) produced a series of machines that would flash a screen without the use of disposable bulbs. Yep. You heard me correctly. This crazy contraption does not require the toxic, costly, earth hating bulbs!

It does however, take a xenon lamp (like you would find in a thermal imager). Those are a little costly (about $70 beans) in and of themselves, but you can produce over 200 screens with the use of a single (okay dual) bulbs. Well worth it in my opinion.

Okay, okay... so back to the luck factor!

I have been all over the internet in search of this Riso screenfax (that is what they are technically called). I placed ads in Craigslist.com in the cities where I had friends or family who would ship it to me. I even went as far as placing an ad on Ebay's 'want it now' forum.

Well as you know, luck would have it and I found one for sale on Craigslist in Atlanta and the man wanted $150 bucks for it. Eureka! I struck gold!!! Roadtrip here I come. Well the day I am getting ready to drive and pick it up and the man emails me back and said, "Nevermind." What?!? Nevermind?!? How can that be...? I will tell you how that can be. Someone offered him more money and he decided to sell it to the highest bidder, but this is America and he has that right. All I can say is, "JACKA$$!"

After months and months, I had finally given up hope that I would ever see or own one of these beautiful machines.



Then one day, my birthday of all days, I get an email from an Angel. This Angel's name is Andrea. Her email says, "I have a Riso. Are you still looking for one?"

Yes! Yes! I am still looking for one!

I emailed her back immediately. She responded just as quickly. And a deal was made.

She sold it to me for her purchase price from 10+ years ago + shipping. She was just glad to be rid of it as it was taking up space in her studio apartment and she never used it. Her husband was also glad to be rid of it as he has moved it to 4 different states. I guess we will see how my dear hunny bunny feels about it when we have to move it to Florida (if we ever sell this house in NC.)

Today, well today the 'beast' arrived (as Andrea so lovingly called it). I unwrapped it, blew off a little (okay alot) of dust and plugged it in and by George she works! She does need a new pad, but NEHOC has them in stock and one is on its way to me as I type this post.

So, drum roll please....

Here she is... my RISO SP-265! I will call her... I will call her... oh shoot. I do not know what I will call her.

Any suggestions?









Yeah. Now once my new pad arrives, watch out Gocco world. I may just have to brave up and show you what I can do with this bad girl!

Okay. Time for bed. I know what I will be dreaming of tonight.

Gocco, gocco, gocco.... zzzzzzz.... zzzzzzz..... zzzzzzz.....