Do I move a press cross-country?

Hi,

I have an SP-15 and am moving from Boston to San Francisco. Am I crazy to contemplate moving my press? I frankly have no concept of who would move it and what costs might be incurred.

When I purchased the press 5 years ago, I moved it from Maryland to Massachusetts. I put the press on a U-haul and hired local house movers at both ends of the trip to load/unload.

Any suggestions/comments out there?

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Hi Bethany,

You would be well advised to bring it out if you can. You will not be able to replace it on the West coast. There is a huge demand for presses out here, what with the book arts programs in San Francisco and LA, and all the college and university programs. I don’t know if you are planning to drive your belongings, but I personally would make space on the truck. I had a beautiful Universal 1 that I thought I could replace once I got here, but I’ve never been able to find one (the last one I heard of sold for $10,000). I moved out here 12 years ago, and the market is tighter now than it was then.

Paul

I would say most presses aren’t worth the cost of moving so far, but I’m sure Paul is right, these vadercooks bring big money and you rarely see them become available. However if you don’t want to bring it all the way cross country, I would be happy to baby sit it for you until you come back to massachusetts, just drop it off in hanson, ma. Good Luck Dick G.

Take it with you! Remove the feed board and handle, strap the carriage securely at the feed board end, bolt it down on a very sturdy pallet and wrap the heck out of it.

Daniel Morris
The Arm Letterpress
Brooklyn, NY

Hi Bethany- I am in Boston and would definitely be willing to put an offer on the press if you decide to sell it instead.