When printing small cards (it gets difficult to print things shorter than 6" on the Vandercooks), try to work-and-turn. A few days ago, letterpress regular Carina Herman was printing A2-sized reply cards (4.25" x 5.5"). When printing cards that small, you have to make sure you grab the card quickly after it's been printed so it doesn't go too far around the cylinder. This can be a bit tricky and result in injury - I admit I've gotten a bad scrape doing this! So instead of printing them individually, try printing on paper that is double the size! As you can see below, Carina printed the reply card at the top half of the card, then turned the paper 180 degrees and printed on the bottom half. All she needs to do is cut down the middle and she has 2 cards!
This technique can also be helpful if you are printing something but do not want the half inch margin that is built into the press. You can set your plate up to print the bottom half first, then turn 180 degrees to print the top half.
And just for fun, here's a shot of the invitation that goes along with those reply cards:
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