Wayzagoose?
Question to the group. What is the Wayzagoose event in Iowa in late June? Is it a Printers Fair where printers have a prints for sale or is there equipment for sale? I don’t know, is it all the above!! Or would the Printers Fair in late September be the event to attend. I’m looking for equipment/supplies.
Thanks
Winston
It’s the Amalgamated Printers Association wayzgoose - http://www.apa-letterpress.com/ASSOCIATION/aboutAPA.html
Membership is limited, but I believe they’ll let any old letterpress printer in to the Wayzgoose even if they’re not members.
Also see: http://sites.google.com/site/httpwwww2012iowayzgooseorg/
Winston:
Yes, all the above. You will find lots of “stuff” being sold at the swap meet session, from type and cuts to presses.
The greatest thing that is traded is stories and the ability to meet face-to-face with people of a similar interest.
I was going to hold off a little while more, but the subject has been broached.
The Amalgamated Printers’ Association Wayzgoose is open to all letterpress printers. There is just a slightly higher registration fee for non-members. This year there will be two days of workshops (Wednesday and Thursday) and the Printer’s Hall will be open at 5 p.m. each of those days after the workshops conclude. On Friday Printer’s Hall will be open all day and well into the evening as a “play day” where everyone is invited to come in and play with the equipment.
Saturday morning is the Swap Meet and there will be vast amounts of type, presses, and just about everything related to letterpress available from lots of different vendors. Almost all of it is from other printers (this is not a commercial trade show type of event). There will also be an auction on Saturday afternoon.
Printer’s Hall is also the site of the Annual Midwest & Great Northern Printer’s Fair on September 20 and 21. Friday will be a play day at Printer’s Hall and Saturday morning will be the swap meet. Again this is lots of printers set up with sales tables to peddle everything letterpress related. Last year we had around 25 tables full of “stuff”. The vendors for this come mainly from the midwest. The vendors that will be at the APA Wayzgoose will come from all over the United States.
It would not be a bad idea to attend BOTH events if possible.
Printer’s Hall is located in Mt. Pleasant, IA about a half hour drive straight south of Iowa City.
Rick
And for those to whom this might be of interest, Mt Pleasant is accessible by Amtrak…
Thank you all for the info. I will be attending both events. I’m trying to start a small letterpress print shop and I’m looking for equipment. It’s easy to find, but usually a good distance. The price of gas makes me want to look closer to home. The price may be higher but when you figure in the cost of gas!! I have a background in letterpress printing, so I’m not a newbie. I started in ‘63 in High School and worked in basement shops thru school. In ‘67 I started an Indentured Apprenticeship as a Compositor at the US Government Printing Office in DC. I quit (young and dumb) in early ‘72 and when to the Washington Post until I retired June 06. I worked as a printer (hot metal/cold type), worked the IT Department as an Operations Analyst and the last 13 years in the Advertising Production Department. The last 8 years I was the Digital Ad Services Night manager. So, I’ve gone from Hot Metal to Digital and now I want to get back to real printing.
I hope to meet some of you in Iowa.
Thanks
Winston
Speaking of events such as these….does anyone know of a comparable type of event in the west US or Canada?
The International Printing Museum in Los Angeles (http://www.printmuseum.org/) has a type and equipment sale every once in a while.
@Winston - where are you located?
BillWhitley,
I’m located in Southeastern Indiana in Friendship, Indiana.
Do you know about Dave Churchman, in Indianapolis? He is listed in the Briar Press directory, and is a reputable dealer in letterpress equipment - if I were you, I’d start talking with him.
I’ve talked to Dave late last year, he was heading to Florida. I just didn’t get back to him. I’ll give him a call soon.
Thanks
Winston
glossarry
Beginners may be interested in a glossary (unfortunately in Australian terms) at the following:
digital printing griffin press australia
but it may give someone a lead to understanding some of the words I did not know.
Alan.
Alan,
Are you referring to me? What words did I use that you didn’t know?
Winston
Winston
Apology, I was referring to some of the words in the glossary; perhaps I texted with too much brevity?
Alan.
Set me straight here, there was a long thread dealing with a woman who wanted to set up a proof press in a retail shop and sell some printing, with much back and forth about legality and responsibility, yet at the Wayzgoose any one may come in and “play” with the presses? Not saying that’s bad, just wonder who bears the burden of responsibility in case of accident or injury.
Since a retail shop is open to the public, it is reasonable to assume that the clientele is almost entirely comprised of people who are clueless about the process of printing.
At a Wayzgoose, the percentages should be a bit better…