Mark E. Sackett's The Pressroom and Mercantile at 1073 Howard Street offers a unique collection of antique printed matter and ephemera, representing a deeply personal passion amidst the subtle shifts of the SoMa neighborhood.

On the 1000 block of Howard Street, a nondescript storefront at 1073 serves as the gateway to Mark E. Sackett's vibrant world of printed ephemera, a collection so vast it counts more than 15 million pieces. The Pressroom and Mercantile, both a showroom and a letterpress shop, has been a fixture since 2018, its meticulously curated interiors offering a stark contrast to the rapidly evolving SoMa landscape.

Sackett, an erstwhile graphic designer and art director, acquired the building at 1069-1073 Howard Street in 2004 for a reported $1.6 million. The structure itself carries history, having once housed a printing plant that produced the San Francisco Examiner in the 1920s. Sackett has preserved elements like the original 1920s windows, transforming the space into a personal "castle," as he thought at the time, leasing out upper floors for private events and dedicating the ground floor to his passion.

His journey as a collector began in childhood, fueled by miniature beer bottle salt-and-pepper shakers and later by dumpster diving for full-sized bottles. Supported by his parents through what he, in a recent interview with Mission Local, affectionately called 'every dumb thing I ever did,' Sackett's passion escalated. As he told Mission Local, Sackett muses, 'I really am careful about what I buy,' before adding, without irony, 'And now, it's out of control.' Each piece, from 1888 cabinets to 1950s movie posters, tells a story, making the Pressroom and Mercantile a living museum of graphic history. Operating Monday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the shop has drawn a notable clientele, including rapper Snoop Dogg.

While The Pressroom and Mercantile maintains its steady presence, the larger rhythms of Howard Street continue. Recent permits on the street indicate ongoing activity, with projects like a $65,000 OTC alterations permit at 1350 Howard St. (permit number 202607104824, filed July 10, 2026) and a sizable $1,714,000 OTC alterations permit at 405 Howard St. (permit number 202607064544, filed July 6, 2026). However, the immediate neighborhood surrounding Sackett's unique establishment shows little in the way of distress; SoMa recorded no eviction notices in the last 90 days and no 311 requests in the last seven days, painting a picture of a block that, for now, remains relatively stable in its daily texture. Tomorrow, passersby will still find the soft glow from within Sackett's windows, a testament to a personal passion preserved on a block that continues to subtly shift around it.