Time for a new Alt Print Exchange?

Rolleiflexible · Jul 24, 2023

I organized an Alt Print Exchange at the beginning of the year and it worked well. The rules were: There are no rules. Print when you can. Sooner is better. Smaller prints are encouraged. Hybrid prints are okay. Photograms are okay. Lith prints are okay. If the print is not coming out of an inkjet, it probably qualifies as "Alt."

Last time we had nine participants. Everybody printed for everybody else -- send out eight prints, get back eight prints. (Well, almost everybody: We had one person who never reciprocated. But this is an honor system and that's okay. Life happens.)

I've been asked to poll the members to see if there is any interest in another exchange. If you all want to print, I am happy to organize the exchange. Leave a note here or DM me with your interest.

fgorga · Jul 24, 2023

Sanders,

I'm interested, willing and able!!!

Thanks,

--- Frank

koraks · Jul 25, 2023

Sanders, the concept worked and I received some very nice prints indeed. Just a heads-up to everyone if Europeans take part in the next one: do not use parcel mail to send your print from the US to Europe. Some European customs will intercept the 'parcel' and levy duties & taxes. This does not happen if the same print is sent in the same envelope as regular mail. It's weird, but it happens (and it's a costly affair if it does!) If the people at the post office ask if you want a track & trace code for the shipment, kindly decline, save yourself the $15 or so in additional fees and you'll also potentially save the recipient another $25.

Rolleiflexible · Jul 25, 2023

koraks said:
Sanders, the concept worked and I received some very nice prints indeed. Just a heads-up to everyone if Europeans take part in the next one: do not use parcel mail to send your print from the US to Europe. Some European customs will intercept the 'parcel' and levy duties & taxes. This does not happen if the same print is sent in the same envelope as regular mail. It's weird, but it happens (and it's a costly affair if it does!)

Good point. I used a cardboard envelope for mine, mailed as a regular envelope. Did it attract attention from Dutch customs before reaching you?

koraks · Jul 25, 2023

I don't think so. I've had some people send me virtually identical envelopes as 'registered mail' (costing around $23) or as a parcel ($19) and for those I had to pay over €20 (each!) to have them delivered. What doesn't help is that one of them also marked the parcel value as $50....if someone decides that a parcel is the way to go (and it isn't!!) the right thing to do is mark it as a gift.

Rolleiflexible · Jul 25, 2023

I recommended smaller prints in large part to avoid oversized envelopes and Customs issues. Ordinary post seems to work well in the United States.

mfohl · Jul 25, 2023

Hello Folks, I am willing, but not sure I want to make more than 5 prints. I might, particularly because I received some very nice prints in the last exchange. I'm probably in, but thinking about it.

Cheers,

-- Mark

nmp · Jul 25, 2023

I too am not sure if I will participate or not on account of not having enough to send to all in the group. That got me thinking: what if there was a way we can accommodate both the prolific among us and those who are not. That led me to an idea that may or may not work, but I will toss it out anyway.

It's based on a point system - every time you send a print, you get one point and every time you receive (or get sent) a print, you deduct a point. Senders send to whoever has the highest point first and then the next etc, arranged alphabetically. Anyone can join any time by sending a print to the top point-er. You also don't send to the same person twice, until you have cycled through the whole list once.

In essence, if you get the number of prints equal to how many you send out.

Haven't thought this thru completely and I am sure there are glaring holes in the "system" so go ahead and poke some.

:Niranjan.

scherbis · Jul 25, 2023

I'm in. I just printed a lot of photogravures. If the recipient list gets too big, I may have to send out a couple of different prints. I've lost access to the press for a couple of months. I hope that works for everyone.

mfohl · Jul 25, 2023

In the postcard exchange, you state early on how many you want to send. You can select any number, or ALL to send to all those who send to you, or MAX to send to everybody in the activity, whether they send to you or not. George Nova Scotia has a great system for figuring out who sends what to whom. That might go well in this activity also.

Rolleiflexible · Jul 25, 2023

Let’s see how many people express an interest. So far, it looks like a handful.

Rolleiflexible · Jul 28, 2023

Okay: So far I have

1. Rolleiflexible
2. mfohl
3. fgorga
4. scherbis
5. nmp
6. koraks

I will leave the group open through the weekend but this seems like a manageable number. If your name is not on this list and you want to participate, now is the time to speak up.

Patrick Robert James · Jul 30, 2023

I'm in. There might be one more....

Dwayne Martin · Jul 30, 2023

I’m in also.
D

Andrew O'Neill · Jul 30, 2023

I'd like to be in but currently in Japan. When I get back I have to focus on developing all the film I've shot over here. Perhaps next time!

ProfessorC1983 · Aug 1, 2023

I'd love to join this round too if the rolls are still open! My prints may be slower than most, but I'm good for 'em.

Rolleiflexible · Aug 5, 2023

Time to close the pool. Here are the people who want to participate:

1. @Rolleiflexible
2. @mfohl
3. @fgorga
4. @scherbis
5. @nmp
6. @koraks
7. @Patrick Robert James
8. @Dwayne Martin
9. @ProfessorC1983

I know this group may be too big for some. Message me to confirm that you are in the pool, send an address, and set any limit you have for volume. I will work something out that enables all to participate to the extent they are able.

MattKing · Aug 5, 2023

I'd suggest reaching out to @George Nova Scotia - I'm fairly sure he would be happy to share the small custom program that was passed on to him when he took over the Postcard Exchange. It apparently is great at dealing with the creation of mailing lists amongst participants with varying desires for participation.
I don't think it was programmed in DOS, but it might have been

Rolleiflexible · Aug 5, 2023

MattKing said:
I'd suggest reaching out to @George Nova Scotia - I'm fairly sure he would be happy to share the small custom program that was passed on to him when he took over the Postcard Exchange. It apparently is great at dealing with the creation of mailing lists amongst participants with varying desires for participation.
I don't think it was programmed in DOS, but it might have been

Matt, the group is small enough to juggle with pen and paper. I appreciate the thought, though.

vcolas · Aug 6, 2023

I know I'm late, but I would like to participate, if not in this round, then in the next one. I've been quite distant from the forums in general and just when I opened the day's posts a minute ago, I saw this one and my eyes lit up.

Rolleiflexible · Aug 7, 2023

vcolas said:
I know I'm late, but I would like to participate, if not in this round, then in the next one. I've been quite distant from the forums in general and just when I opened the day's posts a minute ago, I saw this one and my eyes lit up.

Victor, you're the last printer in! DM sent.

Once I have heard from you all, I will circulate another group DM with addresses.

vcolas · Aug 7, 2023

Rolleiflexible said:
Victor, you're the last printer in! DM sent.

Once I have heard from you all, I will circulate another group DM with addresses.

Done! Thanks for answering the last minute call!

koraks · Aug 7, 2023

Happy to have you on board

lpt10 · Sep 18, 2023

koraks said:
Sanders, the concept worked and I received some very nice prints indeed. Just a heads-up to everyone if Europeans take part in the next one: do not use parcel mail to send your print from the US to Europe. Some European customs will intercept the 'parcel' and levy duties & taxes. This does not happen if the same print is sent in the same envelope as regular mail. It's weird, but it happens (and it's a costly affair if it does!) If the people at the post office ask if you want a track & trace code for the shipment, kindly decline, save yourself the $15 or so in additional fees and you'll also potentially save the recipient another $25.

That sounds very DHL-ish. My mother sent some clothes to my newborn, she does crochet. When it arrived i had a huge discussion wtih DHL about customs values. What was i to declare? The value of the raw materials? Work hours? It doesn't matter when the other side is completely pig headed. I ended up having to pay whatever charges they were coming up with and swore that if i had to ship something to other country again, i would rather send it by home-made stratospheric baloons.

Don_ih · Sep 18, 2023

lpt10 said:
i would rather send it by home-made stratospheric baloons

They'll get shot down by the air force of the country next to yours.

They'll send you a bill for deployment.

Time for a new Alt Print Exchange?

Rolleiflexible

fgorga

koraks

Moderator

Rolleiflexible

koraks

Moderator

Rolleiflexible

mfohl

nmp

scherbis

mfohl

Rolleiflexible

Rolleiflexible

Patrick Robert James

Dwayne Martin

Andrew O'Neill

Moderator

ProfessorC1983

Rolleiflexible

MattKing

Moderator

Rolleiflexible

vcolas

Rolleiflexible

vcolas

koraks

Moderator

lpt10

Don_ih

Time for a new Alt Print Exchange?

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Moderator

Moderator

Moderator

Moderator

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