| One item which often appears in our Washington, DC | | | | African-American president. For Obama fans, history |
| benefit auctions is a printer's plate. | | | | buffs, or new junkies, the plates were a unique piece |
| What is a printer's plate? It's a metal plate traditionally | | | | of history, regardless of whether the plates were |
| used in offset printing. The raised areas of the plate | | | | those actually used to print The Wall Street Journal. |
| carried ink, which was transferred to a rubber blanket | | | | According to my clients, these plates are relatively |
| and onto the printing surface, such as paper. | | | | easy to obtain. Several non-profits have procured a |
| That said, the plates donated to these auctions do not | | | | printer's plate from The Washington Post or The Wall |
| appear to be the actual plates used in the process of | | | | Street Journal. |
| making the papers of today. The plates for sale are | | | | How to Procure a Printer's Plate |
| smaller, lighter versions of what would traditionally be | | | | If you have a contact at your local paper, call him or |
| used in the offset printing process. Furthermore - in | | | | her first. For groups lacking a contact, call the paper |
| addition to the size difference - the other factor | | | | and ask for the Community Relations or Marketing |
| suggesting these plates are not the actual ones used | | | | departments. These internal teams traditionally handle |
| to print today's headlines is that oftentimes the paper | | | | donations to organizations and can inform you as to |
| donates multiple plates to each organization. | | | | the availability of a plate. Multiple plates are often made |
| For instance, one client had been given two printer's | | | | of each front page, so perhaps you can secure two |
| plates from November 5, 2008 - the day the world | | | | of them! |
| learned that the United States had elected its first | | | | |