Letterpress Things Must Move...

With a touch of sadness yet with great anticipation we announce that Letterpress Things must move from 55 North Chicopee Street

For 23 years here in Chicopee, MA the fourth floor of an old New England mill building has been the repository of “things” letterpress and the destination of 100’s of letterpress practitioners. For many beyond the area, the occasional “View from the 4th “ photos highlighted the scenery to the West, the vagaries of our seasons and offered a sense of being here.

Shortly before Christmas last December, new building owners informed us that our lease would not be renewed. Moreover, the premises would need to be vacated by February 29, 2024. Period! The entire fourth floor and one half the third floor; 10,000 square feet of equipment, cabinets, counters, shelving and “stuff”. All in less than three months!

Once the shock dissipated, and after some very serious discussion, a reprieve of three months may yield an extension until May 31, 2024. And thus, began planning for the next iteration of Letterpress Things – THE STORE!

First and foremost. . . we are not closing! Our intentions are to continue to be the unique resource the letterpress community has come to know and rely on. But. . . we do need to move, and soon! And it’s going to be an intense, physical, short-term effort!

It has started with the third floor being emptied with trash, unnecessary fixtures and scrap metal disposed of. Machines and equipment are now being moved to offsite space for evaluation and photography. An online auction is being established with Paul Brubaker’s “High Bids Win” to run in March. Initial search efforts have begun for an available, appropriate, affordable, and convenient-to-reach location. Once found and contracted for we’ll let you know where.

But business as usual? As best possible! Certainly through the website with supplies, kits, type, icons and other “things” as and when posting can be done. Please understand response time may be a bit longer, depending on day-to-day activities.

Open Dates? We will pick up again in March and April. Most likely none in May; we’ll be getting established in a new location.

Our thanks and appreciation to the letterpress community for all the decades of support, friendship and now going forward, your patience and understanding. This was an event never anticipated. . . frankly it does hurt a bit! We’re the third letterpress entity to experience the hammer of eviction in less than a year. Ken Kowalski, Mark E Sackett. . . we really feel your pain!

As corny as it sounds, with our last name, we will ‘grin and barrett’ and continue on!