8mm Forum: What's the most MONEY you've lost on Super 8?

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Topic: What's the most MONEY you've lost on Super 8?

Osi Osgood
Film God

Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005

posted July 20, 2007 10:07 AM

I tend to have the "odd bend" on topics, so here I go again ...

What is the most money you've LOST on a print? This can be either something you bought from a collector, (that never arrived) or something you bought, that arrived, but was far from what was promised.

I just think of this as a way for all of us on the forum to kind of pat each other on the back and say, "Hey, sport, your not the only one who got screwed."

My film for discussion is "STAR WARS".

Right whenn I got back into collecting super 8, I have won two auctions from a U.K. ebay collector. One of them was "Popeye vs. Sinbad the sailor" . The ebay seller said that he had a number of features for sale, one of them being STAR WARS. He was selling STAR WARS for 300.00 dollars. I jumped at the chance. he wasn't selling them on ebay, but I thought, "Hey, if i got my ebay auctions OK, this is a good risk!"

Big Mistake!!

It never arrived. I wrote the indivisdual time and time again. he said he'd send a list from the post saying that it had been sent, but he just sent a list a people he mailed to,
which could have had one persons name on an official list and just wrote in a bunch more after the fact, (a common fraudulent action, I have heard). At one point, after waiting three month's, i asked if the seller would at least be willing to send back half the money and he was unwilling to do so. I wish I remember this son of a gun's name, as I really can't be sure if I have dealt with him before, if I should ever deal with him again. It was at that point that i did decide to go only with official sellers in the U.K..

Which did lead me eventually to Paul Foster, who I bought a stunning scope STAR WARS from.

What are your stories?

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"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "

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Stewart McSporran
Master Film Handler

Posts: 272
From: Glasgow, Scotland
Registered: Nov 2003

posted July 20, 2007 03:42 PM

Ouch!

I've not really lost a lot of money; more pride!

My mistake is assuming people describe things accurately. I've had a couple of things turn up that have been silent / wrong gauge / etc. simply by not asking the bleeding obvious.

Stewart

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Frank Picaro
Film Handler

Posts: 63
From: Pine Beach, NJ,USA
Registered: Apr 2007

posted July 20, 2007 07:36 PM

I agree with you Stewart. I've always trusted people to be honest, and sometimes it turns out I played the fool, but I must say that MOST of the films I've purchased have been accurately described. I guess the one that sticks out as a mis-representation is Darby O'Gill. It said there was color left, but it was all ORANGE. IT was a bargain, though as it was( I believe) $95.00 U.S. Still, color would have made the viewing more enjoyable.

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Seems? I know not seems!!

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Osi Osgood
Film God

Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005

posted July 20, 2007 09:23 PM

Frank ...

Was "Darby O Gill" an optical sound feature? I've never seen it on magnetic sound.

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"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "

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Frank Picaro
Film Handler

Posts: 63
From: Pine Beach, NJ,USA
Registered: Apr 2007

posted July 21, 2007 08:02 AM

Osi,
Iwas referring to a 16mm print. I know we're on an 8mm forum, but I thought the question was in general terms, hence my 16mm answer. Sorry for any confusion. [Embarrassed]

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Seems? I know not seems!!

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Gary Crawford
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 979
From: Manassas, VA. USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted July 23, 2007 08:02 AM

I've never lost money on a super 8 or 8mm film , but I did have an almost two year situation . This was around 1969 or 70. Many of you may remember Entertainment Films in NY. They sold a lot of silents and public domain material and at one time advertised an 8mm sound print of a Laurel and Hardy film...I believe it was Pack Up your Troubles....I saved my money. I was about17 or 18 years old...and ordered it. ..and waited...and waited...and waited....months....I wrote letters that went unanswered....months ... and in the meantime noticed I had not been getting any new flyers or catalogs from the company. After about 18 months I wrote another letter and lo and behold, I got a response. Seems the company had basically gone under and been revived ....and the said they no longer had that film in their offerings, but they did give me more than full credit to order other films...and with their generous credit...far more than the original cost of the Laurel and Hardy film....I was able to buy three features, including The Lost World..... That one I still have and it's the best print of all the variouis ones I've seen. It took almost two years, but I ended up losing nothing.

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Osi Osgood
Film God

Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005

posted July 23, 2007 10:10 AM

Great Story Gary.

I had forgotten. One of the very first buys I had made having come back to collecting was from an austrailian guy. I don't remember his name, but his e-mail address had "big pond" in it, which I always found amusing.

Anyhow, I ordered from him two Laurel and Hardy comedies features, "Pack Up your Troubles" and "Blockheads" and Creature from the Black Lagoon, (the 3D 400ft. version). Including shipping at that time, it came to 150.00 dollars.

and ... you guessed it!

They never arrived. The seller did write back and said that they had returned to him and I wrote back with the address again, but they never were sent back to me. I wonder what happened to them?

Hey, if that person is a part of this forum, write me and let me know if you still have them, but need my address again, (that's not in sarcasm, I'd really like those films!)

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"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "

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