The ribbons aren't impossible to obtain but not everyone carries them. Usual quantity is at least a box of five. I think I already posted this (check the archives), but I'll recap briefly for those interested: Last year I bought a nice 43 in a transit case. Print was very light. So I ordered a box of five ribbons ($40+ with shipping) and promptly discovered that they had been made incorrectly (ribbon loop too long, so the ribbon was too slack and would not move across the re-ink roller during carriage return). After taking one apart, having a dialogue with the design engineer at Dataprint(?) and sending them for his inspection, he agreed that they were incorrectly made and sent me a new box with the proper length loop. They worked, but were so dried out drilling a small hole above the inkpad roller and squirting in some X- stamper (handheld stamp) ink, but that didn't help much. So I've about given up on my 43, unless someone can tell me where to get a ribbon that actually works! -Charles