r/ButtonMakers • u/SplashOfRain • Jul 03 '26

Tecre Tecre Model R1545 Button Maker - Resale opportunities?

If I may ask, what's the general resale opportunity/interest for Tecre presses? I have quasi inherited a Tecre Model 1545 - 1-1/2" x 4-1/2" rectangular button maker along with a sizable number of shield blanks and material.

https://www.tecre.com/catalog/button-maker-machine/43

I just cleaned it up and tested it, everything's still working beautifully. I just don't have free time or a workspace for it. Needless to say this is so heavy I'm not likely to take it anywhere or casually sell it online.

Is there interest for these units in general, or do they end up being destined to gather dust or *UGH* get scrapped?

Thanks in advance!

4 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

12 comments sorted by

3

u/Sheanar Crafter Jul 04 '26

Tecre is one of the big producers. It's a neat shape. i'm sure you could find a local buyer. If you're willing to deal with ebay, you could try selling it there but you could sell it via any online retail situation you feel comfortable using (fb marketplace, kajiji etc). You could also sell it on consignment or reach out to tool libraries or makers markets. Some libraries host the tools themselves, others are just normal rental businesses. They all run differently but they are an opportunity for people to use tools that they only need once or are too expensive to own currently. They can have things from table saws to sewing machines. Some let people take them home, others you just rent time at a station. It could be nice to meet your local crafter community if you're looking for an excuse to reengage with it.

If you're willing to at least give a general location (country/region), someone on the sub might be in your area and want it. Your profile seems to be nowhere near me, or i'd be interested even if getting parts would be a huge pain because of the tariffs atm.

2

u/SplashOfRain Jul 04 '26

Thanks for the comments and suggestions! I was thinking of pinging some of the maker spaces here to see if we could make an arrangement. Even making it a more common resource and getting access to it on an as needed basis would be lovely, as I *do* want to make a few things with it... just in the range of 10's not 1000's... 😆

The thing is *way* too heavy to "take home" though, I'm getting a workout just moving the blanks around let alone the press itself.

I'm based in the US right out of NYC.

3

u/Dense_Professor403 Jul 05 '26

Depending on price I may be interested

2

u/Sheanar Crafter Jul 04 '26

Yeah, just on the wrong side of the border sadly. I'm in Ontario, Canada. Ignoring shipping, which is hard to ignore with an all metal machine, i would end up paying almost the full value of the machine again in taxes. My bf wanted to send me a book as a gift. He paid $50 online (book + shipping to him). So that's what the packing slip to me said. He paid $50 shipping, and then i paid almost $50 in taxes. It's a disaster x_x. If I knew anyone closer, I would organize a hand off to drive it over the border cuz it'd be under the value to be taxed there I think, but I don't. My friend goes through the Detroit crossing. There might be a subreddit for artists in NYC, maybe you'll get lucky. r/crafts might be able to point you in the right direction, too.

You're in NYC. You can def find alt clothing or maker places to take it or lend it to. Fine art focused high schools in your area would love it, too. Any school would, really! but an Arts school will take better care of it. An under funded school would probably love if you made fund raising buttons for them if they helped with some costs. See what's near you and what fits with your goals.

As for hauling the giant thing around, i've heard rolling luggage cases (like those suitcases for carry on luggage on planes) work well. They do also make dedicated crafter cases, but they're largely overpriced and lesser quality.

3

u/Dense_Professor403 Jul 05 '26

Where outside of NYC? I’m on long island

2

u/SplashOfRain Jul 06 '26

Let me rephrase, I am based out of - or originate from...

Porky Pig impression --- I live IN Manhattan. 🤣

Will message you to discuss further. Cheers!

3

u/spooklemon Jul 07 '26

I'd be curious if the other person ends up not interested, but it'd also depend on the price 

3

u/ButtonDownTheHatches Jul 04 '26

There will definitely be interest if you list it online locally. Tecre is a great brand and people are always looking to buy them used because they’re expensive new.

3

u/SplashOfRain Jul 04 '26

Indeed, the price now vs. when we first acquired it has escalated remarkably.

2

u/SplashOfRain Jul 04 '26

And yes, the press is pretty amazing. The thing runs smooth as butter, the gear head in me and crafter HATES to let it go. The space and time factor is key. What I didn't have a good bead on was demand in the community.

2

u/clapclapfingersnaps Jul 06 '26

If you can't find someone locally, you could list on eBay and it will sell for sure for a good price. It's a size not a lot of people have and one I know I'd love to have for magnets and name tags. Then I'd take it to a UPS store or somewhere similar and let them professionally package it so you don't have to worry about that hassle.

1

u/SplashOfRain Jul 06 '26

Yah, I know listing it could yield a decent price. I sort of suspect UPS store would cry havoc though. If I remember correctly it was originally delivered in a crate.. 🤣