I entered the copier business in 1981. I started as a tech and was quickly offered a sales job when the owner of the dealership realized that I had some issues putting copiers back together.
For the next ten weeks, I’ll list all ten of my top copy machines of all time.
The first copier that stole my heart was the Minolta EP300. The Minolta EP 300 was the first copier that was launched when I started my copier sales career. Customers would ask me what the EP stood for and I’d give them a funny answer with “Eny Paper.” The EP actually stood for Electrostatic Process.
The EP 300 back in the early eighties was “state of the art technology,” funny that when we refer to copiers now I can’t remember the last time I pitched a copier as having “state of the art technology.”
In the eighties, Minolta was a known as a fantastic brand for camera’s; we also used that in our pitch as the Minolta EP-300 had the best lens in the business. Back then the paper that you put on the glass was illuminated with a light, bounced the image off of two mirrors and the image was then captured by the lens. Having the best lens in the business meant that you were going to have the best image quality. Back then it was all about image quality!
I believe the copier retailed for about $2,500, had only one paper tray, which stuck out on one side of the unit. The top (platen glass) moving back and forth for each copy and the speed was a blazing 10 pages per minute (I think). When you had to add toner, you would pour it into the toner hopper. When you had to add paper, you would have to take the paper tray out of the copier.
There was another consumable that was required and that was fuser oil. How many of us remember that? We found many other uses for fuser oil. It was great for cleaning the covers, the power cord, awesome for getting a shine on black rubber (tires on the car), and if you just used a tiny bit, it would give your black shoes an unbelievable shine!
Other than making up to 99 copies at a time, the Minolta 300 was much like its predecessor the Minolta EP-310. I think I remember the Minolta EP-300 best because it was the system that paved the way for all of the other copiers that I sold.
By the way, if anyone has an old Minolta EP-300 please scan one and e-mail it to me.
Good selling!
