Printer Decision time...

Both my Epson 3880 and 2400 have run out of ink, Now in these times I am faced with a dilemma, whether just to give up home printing altogether and flog em, (3880 still has it's original cartridges in it, maintenance tank needs replacing but ink will soon go too! Over £400 to change the lot :shockor to fit them with Continuous systems? Firstly I've no idea where or how best to flog a Printer which weighs a ton and although now out of guarantee is still current and still on it's first ink set/cost me over a thousand quid! I can't see me be happy with the re-sale value to be honest!
So on to continuous or cartridge replacement systems, I'm always looking at Lyson but it ties you into their ink and paper chain, are they all the same in this respect?
There are some good looking replacement cartridge system out there and it would be my preferred option over ink lines and trays all over the place!
If I go down this route I'll probably flog the 2400 off cheap to help with the costs but has anyone got any recommendations for these kind of systems?
I can get prints done via my Zenfolio Website (My reason for joining them to be honest!) but I like the bespoke option to be there too but is it really necessary?

Thanks John/CMW for the swift replies, I didn't expect any really!
Ink costs are waay prohibitive to me I think and rationally I'm thinking I should sell the 3880 with a new maintanence tank and bung the 2400 in as a freebie and release funds for something else, like the hole in my lens line up between 135 and 300mmm?

I'll be loath to let em go however as I really do like having the nth degree over my output when it is required but they arn't much use to me if I can't afford to fill em up...

While my printer is still working I've toyed with the idea of printing a photo myself and sending the image file off to a "specialist" to see what the difference is. I know home printing is expensive but when a print has come out too dark for some reason I can "lighten" it in software and try again. I've got the xrite colormunki (display) for calibrating the monitor I use so that should help? To save a little ink I usually have the image A4 size printed onto an A3 sheet then mount accordingly.

If your printer is still on it's first cartridges after a year then it probably makes more sense to use a reliable Print Lab, you can get a lot of top quality large prints fully mounted and framed for £1000.

http://www.peak-imaging.com/htmls/prints_from_digital_media.htm

My only printer decisions have been whether to hit it with a lump hammer or wrap it in C4 and blow it up.

Try inkflow.co.uk they provide continuous ink systems as well as 100ml bottles with replacement cartridges and syringes. Very cheap way to print yourself.

I feel the same way Smeggy! Millstone round my neck and a potential money pit to boot!

After years of printers and CIS systems I can still remember the pleasure of that last day when I got rid of them. No more ....

I haven't sent an image of to be printed as I haven't the full confidence of what I'm seeing on the screen will come back to me as a print. Maybe it is time to bite the bullet

Sending a single image off to be printed isn't a very large or expensive bullet to bite

Provided you have your monitor correctly profiled and you send it off to any decent printer provided a profiled non-correcting service the colours should match very well. They certainly do for me with prints I send off to DSC and they aren't at all expensive.