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gocco news updates
know more info? please share!
may 30, 2008
this just in from japan corporate news: "Riso Kagaku Corp. said Friday that it will discontinue shipments of its Print Gocco home-use greeting card printer in June because increasing use of personal computers has shrunk its demand sharply.
Cumulative sales of the Print Gocco topped 10 million units since its launch in September 1977. Sales of the product and related supplies reached 15.2 billion yen in the year to March 1994.
But sales sank to less than one pct of the company's group sales of 92.6 billion yen in the year to March 2008, as home-use PCs and ink-jet printers have been popular since the late 1990s.
Riso Kagaku said it will continue sales of related supplies, such as inks, for the time being.
The company mainly sells digital printers to schools and public institutions and high-speed ink-jet printers to companies."
...here we go again!
october 26, 2007
this just in from wet paint art: "Congratulations on the article in Sunday's New York Times! This article has sent many folks to the Wet Paint website, where we've successfully been offering the PG-5 set for months now and all accessories continually since RISO's announcement. It's been very encouraging, and we can assure you that there is only growing interest out there, across the country and worldwide. We have plenty of PG-5 sets in stock and plenty more on the way!"
october 24, 2007
a source in japan reports that "due to increased domestic sales Riso has
returned to 100% production on the gocco Arts/PG-11 and gocco PG-5.
This decision was made in April and notices were send out in July
with the announcement of repackaging.
There was a price increase and repackaging of japanese supplies in August: 4 bulbs instead of 10, and 2 screens instead of 5."
great news! hopefully this means an announcement of better worldwide distribution is not far behind!
october 23, 2007
this just in from arch drafting supply in san francisco: "we've just received a shipment of Print Gocco sets!!!!
We are not an online store, but Orders will be filled by phone call or fax
with credit card; shipping will take place same or next day. All accessories are also
available. Please see our website, www.archsupplies.com for more information."
october 20, 2007
the save gocco campaign is mentioned in the new york times magazine today. let's hope it helps the cause! although our own signature collection here at savegocco has ended, you can still help save gocco! we suggest sending a gocco'd postcard to the president of the company, explaining why you feel they should continue and expand worldwide production of gocco:
Akira Hayama
President & CEO
Riso Corporation
5-34-7 Shiba,
Minato-ku,
Tokyo 108-8385,
Japan
july 30, 2007
sources in japan report that riso is raising the prices of domestic gocco lightbulb packs and screens come august. is a price increase stateside far behind?
june 16, 2007
the wait is over?! after yesterday's confusion on the paper source site and order center, they now has this to say on the website: "In our excitement about getting the Gocco machines and supplies in at Paper Source, we sorta jumped the gun with our announcement that the machines are available to order from us immediately.
We're delighted that on June 22nd Gocco machines and supplies will be offered for sale online. We'll be happy to take your pre-order over the phone. Please call us at 888.727.3711 to pre-order any of the Gocco items listed below..."
other gocco sources on the save gocco resources page are also re-stocking. more news as it develops!
june 15, 2007
the wait is over?! paper source has this to say on it's website: "Gocco machines are back at Paper Source, though they aren't online yet. Order by phone: 1-888-PAPER-11." other gocco sources on the save gocco resources page are also re-stocking.
march 29, 2007
i've spoken to a reliable source at the certain u.s. retail chain mentioned below, who has confirmed they have worked out a deal with riso japan to import b-6 or b-6 compatable machines and supplies to the u.s. for their own stores. some of the supplies have already arrived at their warehouse, and they hope to roll out the complete system, classes and a media campaign this summer. until everything is in place, they prefer not to be identified.
march 3, 2007
more news from my source at a certain u.s. retail chain: the chain is planning to import the machines directly from japan to the u.s. market beginning this summer. i've yet to have these reports confirmed or denied by anyone in management from the retail chain, however. we'll all have to wait this summer and see!
january 19, 2007
here at savegocco.com we've just received unconfirmed news that a u.s. retail chain will be restocking gocco products on a regular basis by early summer. has gocco been saved? has the retail chain partnered with gocco's parent company to manufacture gocco stateside? we're not sure yet, but will let you know as soon as we get more details!!!
november 25 2006
save gocco update for 2006: we know of two u.s. companies that have tried contacting riso, gocco's parent company, about manufacturing their technology stateside. both never received a response. any company out there interested in reverse-engineering the screen technology, manufacturing it, and then dealing with riso if/when they sue? sadly, it's begining to seem that's our only option.
another option for gocco screens: photo-ez. haven't tried it yet, but a package is on the way!
november 17 2006
craft magazine finally hits newsstands today - see jill bliss's article on the plight of gocco on page 50, written 10 months ago. this will certainly kick off renewed interest in the save gocco campaign!
september 22 2006
a "save gocco" art show in boston has just come to our attention! see the campaigns page for more info!
august 19 2006
still working on that press kit... slow going. there will be a gocco demo on hgtv in october. see the campaigns page for more info! also in october: an article on gocco in the new craft magazine.
june 8 2006
we'll be putting together the save gocco press kit in the next few months, and will have it available for download on this site when it's finished.
june 6 2006
a few large u.s.-based companies have expressed interest in acquiring the rights to gocco technology, and are contacting the japanese office now. will keep you updated on the progress as it develops!
may 12 2006
we've migrated the entire site and updated the guestbook/ petition so there's less spam getting through. not having to clean the guestbook of spam everyday will free up more time to contact and work with large u.s.-based companies interested in acquiring the rights to gocco technology.
feb 13 2006
the first gocco art show to come to savegocco.com's attention, we ♥ gocco group art show, has been added to the resources section. anyone else have any art shows they're putting together?
feb 1 2006
suggestions keep pouring in on the guestbook/ petition. thanks everyone! our goal: at least 1000 sign-ins of current gocco users. what we'll do once that goal is achieved: with guestbook in hand, we'll contact other companies likely to carry on the gocco line of products. save gocco!
jan 23 2006
a new heading added in the resources section, "gocco group projects," featuring links to a magazine devoted to testing out gocco's capabilities and a limited edition box set of gocco art prints.
jan 11 2006
an article on the demise of gocco and savegocco.com was featured in detroit's metrotimes on december 21! thanks to sean bieri for helping spread the word!
jan 6 2006
happy new year! now that the holidays are over, we can all get back to work saving gocco! thanks to vane b. for sharing this link to the last place in the u.s. with gocco kits in stock: etchworld (note it's been modified for etching, so you'll have to buy inks elsewhere).
dec 17 2005
new guestbook and campaign areas added today! "we ♥ gocco" art shows are in the planning stages.
dec 15 2005
still working on a campaign area and a bboard/petition area - should be up and available by the end of the weekend! a tokyo-based friend has contacted the main riso offices, and received a speedy reply that seems to indicate the gocco system will still be sold and distributed, but no longer exported out of japan. this contradicts the earlier letter from riso usa to a u.s. vendor. what's really going on? stay tuned!
dec 13 2005
so many people have contacted us about this, it's great to hear all your suggestions and offers for help from around the world! from friends in tokyo contacting riso corp. directly to get the scoop for all of us, to friends in the sf bay area willing to invest in a new gocco-like venture, and friends in the advertising industry interested in working on the marketing campaign for a possible new company. here at savegocco.com, we'll be working on a campaign area and a bboard/petition area in the next few days to share everyone's ideas. stay tuned!
dec 10 2005
it was announced this week that riso, the parent company of gocco, will eventually discontinue all "print gocco" products in it's home japanese market due to a 40% decline in domestic sales. riso will pursue other product lines not related to gocco.
additionally, riso will cease importing "print gocco" systems and supplies to north america. while gocco exposure units are scarce, dealers have been assured there is a 3 year supply of all other gocco products.
while the certainty of riso's decision to cease gocco production is certain, it's uncertain whether riso would be interested to pass on it's technology to another u.s.- or european-based company to continue production.
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