Printer for Short Run Postcards and Envelopes - Help Newbie!

I currently have a small business where I design and mail postcards. I use 4over.com to print my postcards and have a local mailhouse do the variable printing on the cards and envelopes when it's a letter.

This is very effective when I have large orders, however on short runs of 500 or less it kills me and I either I lose money or break even as I can't compete with competitors.

I'm looking for an affordable laser printer that can handle 14pt postcards to do the overprint which would be on both sides of the cards, which is generally just a few lines of text and the address, as well as envelopes, and standard letterhead. I was considering OKI Data C911dn which is by far at the upper end of my budget as I'd like to stay around $1000 to $1500 range.

Any ideas are greatly appreciated. At max I would run 30k - 50k jobs a month.

 

The oki engine or the xante version of it is probably your only option in that price range that will handle 14 pt postcards. Given the light coverage you intend, it will probably work out. Getting a pair would be good to handle that volume without a breakdown causing you delay.

 

I appreciate the response. What do you think of Ricoh SP C430DN if I were to print 100lb cover? Are you familiar of any variable print/mailhouses that are very reasonable on short runs?

 

I've never used a C430DN. A quick look at the picture and brochure tells me it will never handle 30k postcards though and I doubt it will feed a 14 pt gloss postcard at all. Even if you went light enough for it to feed, the small bypass tray would drive you crazy trying to run any volume of heavy stock on it.