Boss Bought Cheap 'Printer' From a Catalog and Was Left Without a Leg to Stand On
The Register, Monday, September 21st, 2026
A reader recalls a boss who ordered discount 'printers' from a catalog that turned out to be just the stands.
In this Register 'On Call' style reader story, an Italian tech worker named Marco recalls his boss's obsession with a 1990s equipment catalog, poring over it daily like 'a kid waiting for Christmas' in search of bargains.
The boss eventually ordered what he thought were discounted laser printers, only for the delivery to reveal he had bought just the printer stands shown in the catalog photos, not the machines themselves.
The two useless stands were quietly hidden away with other failed bargains, and the boss's hopes of a promotion evaporated along with the budget he had wasted.