Printer Dilemma

A few years ago, we bought a color printer that still works well. Photographs come out beautifully. We can even print remotely through our WiFi.

One small problem emerged a while back: We have to prop a book against the door of the compartment where the ink cartridges go, to get it to work. (Without that pressure, the door pops open and an error message appears.) 

Now we have a second problem: Locally they've stopped selling ink cartridges for our printer. (I can only assume that they want us to buy a newer model... Built-in obsolescence rearing its ugly head!)

So I've been hunting online for ink cartridges that might work...

I could get a box of ten compatible cartridges for a few dollars more than one of the "official" HP cartridges.

So I've ordered them. I hope they work. If they do, there's another potential glitch. What to do when these run out?!

Both the vendor and the official HP site claim that there's a limited number in stock! I don't want to stock up on expensive cartridges in case the printer does break down. At the same time, I don't want to get rid of a perfectly good printer simply because the manufacturer decides to make it obsolete...

To think that my mother had two typewriters her whole life long - one manual, one second electric. And she ran those same typewriter ribbons back and forth dozens of times!!