From what I've been told, the problem with thle Crane's 90lb cover was due the to the shearing machine that cut the paper, nothing to do with multiple factories. In fact, the Weston Diploma Parchment is made on the same line and uses the same base cotton pulp as the Cover Stock, yet it suffers none of the same problems.
Over the years we've added new products to our catalog, sometimes when we discover something new and exciting (ziatype, the Na2 process), or we fill a void by offering something that our customers have been asking about (Pictorico OHP, Hake brushes, papers).The Weston Diploma Parchment perfect was the perfect example of this second scenario, in the way that it was discovered by a long-time Platinum printer, then spread virally through the internet. Finally, I had customers asking me when I was going to start carrying it!
I see no problem in selling a common paper, just as I do with the Crane's Kid Finish, which is availalable at many Hallmark shops and most stationery stores. I offer a value-added service, though, in the fact that I will guarantee the fitness of the papers I sell for a particular use. Your local art supply isn't going to have a clue about Alt-Processes.
I want B&S to become a one-stop shop for alt-process, and part of that means carrying a wide selection of papers. We're also going to start adding more dark room equipment like trays, tongs, plastic jugs and large graduates.
Also, in the past year and a half, we've seen orders from foreign countries rise from about 10 percent of our sales to around 30 percent. Many papers that we consider common, are quite rare or completely unavailable in many spots around the world. In fact, you'd be surprised at how much Bergger BPF-200 and COT-320 I ship back to customers in France.
I notice that it is available in 7 different locations just in Portland Oregon. Does that amount of availability have an impact on it's potential as a B&S product? Also we have seen that Cranes was or is using many different paper mills and the paper varied quite a lot from good to unusable. If this paper is being sold in 600 stores in the US can they be making it all in one mill to one standard?
Dennis