8mm Forum: Collector or Hoarder.

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Posted by David Hardy (Member # 4628) on August 06, 2016, 04:37 AM:

During a recent house move to a smaller sized property I had to dispose of a lot of things including films 8mm/16mm/9.5mm/35mmm.
I have been collecting for 50 years or so since I was a kid in the mid to late 1960s.
It occurred to me that I had not watched a lot of prints in years
and some of them I had forgotten I had.
I had merely been hoarding them for whatever reason.
Not having the time to sell them all I sadly threw the majority in the bin. I realised I did not have enough years left in me to watch them all again as I have other interests.
I have therefore a much slimmer/smaller collection which I hope I can watch again sometime.
Has anyone else had to confront this dilemma and problem ?

Posted by Maurice Leakey (Member # 916) on August 06, 2016, 05:14 AM:

What a shame. You could have thrown them my way.

Posted by Andrew Woodcock (Member # 3260) on August 06, 2016, 05:29 AM:

Anyone's way rather than just binnng such things

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on August 06, 2016, 07:03 AM:

A couple of years ago a film dealer here (I think it was Steve Osborne) went to this woman's house to size up her deceased husband's collection.

He bought it...

-he had a hire a tractor-trailer, but he bought it!

I have to believe that passed the point where not only were there prints he rarely watched, but there were ones he'd never watched.

I'd actually have to rent space for it to go that way: maybe that's for the best!

Posted by Mike Newell (Member # 23) on August 06, 2016, 09:42 AM:

Never had the issue with films as I kept a fairly decent filing and storage system and anything I wasn't watching was moved on quickly. Also, I never ventured much beyond the 8mm gauge but I would say lifting moving and storing 16mm or 35mm for collectors beyond a certain age is a serious issue. David you are quite right to clear out the way you have and now you have a collection that is manageable which you know and can enjoy.

Posted by Steven J Kirk (Member # 1135) on August 06, 2016, 09:43 AM:

Hope nothing really good was thrown away. [Eek!]

I think the difference between a hoard and a collection is that a collection has been thought about, edited and planned to 'tell a story'. It features the best examples and attempts to complete a series of like things, etc. Like trying to get all the Walton Tom and Jerrys. A hoard is just a pile that doesn't make sense. My buying mantra is 'no bodges, no bargains and no job lots.' No bodges, so no films without cases and artwork, no damaged film. No bargains means I don't want to buy just because it is cheap if it is not a title I want and no job lots for the same reason because I don't want to be left with titles I didn't really plan to get.

Posted by Maurice Leakey (Member # 916) on August 06, 2016, 10:14 AM:

The advantage in buying a complete collection is that the seller may accept a price just to clear the films making the price per film very cheap.
Any films not to your liking can then be sold on if you do not wish to keep them.

Posted by Andrew Woodcock (Member # 3260) on August 06, 2016, 11:14 AM:

I think in the early days of collecting this applies Maurice, by the time you have plenty already, I am with the Steven outlook on these things.

Life's too short for checking through countless reels of unwanted worthless junk. It takes far too much time and effort trying to move some of this kind of stuff unless you're giving it away and offering the postage on mailing it for free.

Posted by Tom Photiou (Member # 130) on August 06, 2016, 11:24 AM:

i am more careful now but i was once a hoarder and aside my cine collection my garage is in a state of a massive clear out required. I will one boot sale and the rest will be binned.
There comes a time when you just have to be ruthless but human nature seems to be that of a hoarder. [Wink]

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on August 06, 2016, 11:37 AM:

I'm a hoarder ... guilty as charged, when it comes to film!! [Smile]

Posted by Melvin England (Member # 5270) on August 06, 2016, 12:25 PM:

Collector - Buys films and every so often whittles them down to the "Must keep" department, disposing via E**y or this forum, his "surplus to requirements."

Hoarder - The films just keep coming... and coming...

.

Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on August 06, 2016, 02:41 PM:

I would like to think of myself as more of a... "Film Archivist" [Wink]

Posted by Clyde Miles (Member # 4032) on August 06, 2016, 04:47 PM:

me to graham.

Posted by Kevin Clark (Member # 211) on August 06, 2016, 05:44 PM:

I confess guilty as charged on both counts!

However there is some method and order in the madness here - in the case of as yet unwatched prints they are all manually checked on arrival and stored correctly and will when time permits be viewed with enjoyment - it is just a lack of free time that currently prevents me watching more real film.

I think the same goes for many these days - yes I have bought job lots over the years and wanted most of the films or serviced and used the equipment in the purchased lot, then passed the rest on but now I try to be more selective unless a really tempting deal comes along.

The situation became worse when we moved to a larger house 12 years ago - it is far easier to accommodate incoming parcels when you have room to store (hide) them in.

At least unlike some collector friends I don't have thousands of unwatched 'must have' still sealed DVDs or Blurays which seems sadder considering the relatively easy availability of digital media formats when compared to 8/16/35mm prints.

Kevin

Posted by Clinton Hunt (Member # 2072) on August 06, 2016, 06:17 PM:

I agree with Melvin
"Collector - Buys films and every so often whittles them down to the "Must keep" department"
That's what I do,when I first started collecting films and projectors I bought anything,but now I pick and choose and when I want to buy something I really wanted I sell of some of my films :-)

Posted by Mike Newell (Member # 23) on August 06, 2016, 06:31 PM:

Tragically it is a trait I have seen with a lot of departed collectors that films are still sealed or the cellophane is slit at the top where the film has been examined on an editor then placed back in the box. I remember cataloguing one collection and whilst the features had definitely been shown rows upon row of cartoons and shorts where as new. I always made it a point to watch everything that I bought on film although I am guilty now with sealed DVDs. When I am finished with my revamp of the cinema I am planning a big run of showings to warm up my new projector.

Posted by Melvin England (Member # 5270) on August 06, 2016, 06:35 PM:

Graham - So now we are divided into THREE categories.... Collectors....Hoarders...... and Film Archivists.(I like that one,it sounds good). Does anyone else want to expand on this?

Clinton - How true.In the early days when attending the special Derann open days in Dudley, or the Blackpool Film Convention here in the UK,I would grab virtually everything I could that was going cheap. Quantity was the word.These would be 200'and 400'digests. Nowadays, with several more years worth of pay packets under my belt, this expanded to 4x 400' and full features.Then going through everything,and storage space becoming stretched,the mighty axe came down and most of the "can do without" titles were resold, so your thread above rings so true in my case.

Mike - Another thread that rings true in my case. I estimate I have yet to watch approx.10% of my super 8mm collection, whereas with dvd...probably 25%.

Posted by Mike Newell (Member # 23) on August 06, 2016, 06:40 PM:

I used to think of myself as a film preserver considering the gallons of 2.22 and Thermofilm I used on my films. There are a lot of clean protected films of mine are out there.

Posted by Melvin England (Member # 5270) on August 06, 2016, 06:47 PM:

.......That's FOUR....!

Posted by Andrew Woodcock (Member # 3260) on August 06, 2016, 07:15 PM:

If by slitting the cellophane on a new feature film, this means the original owner was only ever comfortable watching it on an editor, how very very sad!

I have received quite a few films in this state and admittedly they are always as new.
But it would never for one minute stop me using them for their intended purpose up on the big screen. Otherwise, I see no point in ever owning these things personally.

[ August 06, 2016, 09:51 PM: Message edited by: Andrew Woodcock ]

Posted by Winbert Hutahaean (Member # 58) on August 07, 2016, 03:03 AM:

David, as soon as I read your thread, I remember my exact same post back to 2014 here: Collector or Hoarder....? [Big Grin]

I believe many of us are hoarding films/projectors for the sake of cheap price... [Razz]

But I never bin films/projector, the worst I did was to give them away.

In preparation for my next move to my new assignment, I sold some of the surplus and it still gave me quite sum of money. I now live with few projectors and films that I like. [Wink]

Posted by Dave Groves (Member # 4685) on August 07, 2016, 07:05 AM:

I wonder if a lot of us were hoarders in the 60s/70's. 16mm wasn't as easily come by as now so we jumped at anything going just to have something to show. Then, when the format declined and film was more available/affordable some of us got rid of the surplus and replaced them with titles we really wanted supplemented by new Super 8 titles from the numerous dealers. Others hung on to everything. The sad thing is that time and health catches up eventually and lifting heavy screens and projectors for public shows (as all mine are) becomes a chore. The enjoyment doesn't diminish but the strength does.

Posted by Joe Caruso (Member # 11) on August 07, 2016, 07:32 AM:

David, I take your point - Many years I've bought, sold and traded, so haven't been a "hoarder", rather a serious collector who enjoys interaction with others - I keep certain films, mostly I trade and barter - Had I known you had a collection to dispose of, would have asked what titles you had - Seems a shame to merely trash them, but as you please - Cheers, Shorty

Posted by David Hardy (Member # 4628) on August 08, 2016, 03:20 AM:

Thanks for those replies guys. It appears I am not alone with this problem.
I like the idea of collecting of particular genres of film.
For example Comedies , Animated , Westerns , Horror or whatever.
It does seem to give more purpose and focus to collecting habits.
I too like to buy a print if its 8mm in its original box.

Joe...I am sorry I had to throw out a lot of films but I had to move quickly so never had much time to cherry pick titles or give them away.
I did offer on another forum for anyone to come and take my 35mm films for free provided they come and pick them up or arrange for
a courier to do so.
Sadly no response so in the local tip they went. I should have let collectors on this one know. I think they would have probably
went to a good home. Hindsight eh !

Graham I used to think I was some kind of archivist until I realized most of my films were pretty common place and of no real rarity value on any format.
If I had a print of say the silent "LONDON AFTER MIDNIGHT" starring Lon Chaney now that would have been a different matter.
As this is a " lost film" and if a print ever does appear I think it would be priceless and need to be archived.

I agree with the point that a collector would indeed make use of his films or dvd's / Blu-ray's on a regular basis and not have them just sitting in storage still sealed or unwatched.
Yes its easy to buy something just because its cheap or at sale price. I am with that one its quality not quantity that counts.

Have you ever tried whittling your choice down to around 20 or so titles you know you will happily watch over and over ?
Try it sometime its fun and kind of lets you know the films you
cant do without in a sense.

Winbert ...now that is a coincidence is it not ?

[Smile]

Posted by Andrew Woodcock (Member # 3260) on August 08, 2016, 03:48 AM:

It was a shame David that you didn't advertise the offer of your disposed films on a broader scale.

I am certain you would have had many appreciative takers.

Posted by Winbert Hutahaean (Member # 58) on August 08, 2016, 04:38 AM:

quote:
Winbert ...now that is a coincidence is it not ?

David...believe me we are not alone.

In fact, I could see when I was reducing my collections (ps: I collect films, trains, LP/vinyls, old radios/electronics) those who bought from me was doing just the same, i.e in the phase of being a hoarder.... [Big Grin]

But since they bring money for me, I just let them.... I am happy, they are happy...everybody is happy... [Wink]

For example, Vinyls just make a comeback while I have been collecting for years. So I am more a cherry picker now in buying, but those new collectors just grab everything, and this is a big opportunity for me.

The same case with train stuffs, it is not easy to get this kind in Indonesia, so they just bought whatever is available.

Films is not some kind popular item here, so mostly I am selling overseas through Ebay. But there are alo new film collectors there.

Overall, by selling those stuffs from my small collection, I could roughly make US$12g (eqv £9,000) only for this year. More I made last year.

So my advise is not to throw anything, but sell it.

I know I am still rather young so have that energy to browse, advertise, do packing, and shipping, something that not everyone can do especially those on retirement age.

Posted by Andrew Woodcock (Member # 3260) on August 08, 2016, 05:15 AM:

The packaging and posting is the easy bit.
It's putting up with the ridiculous excuses for non payment and returns that would do my head in, at any age!

There are many time wasters in this hobby just as there are for many other non essential leisure hobby items.
Plenty of chancers and dreamers too!

I went through it all once selling all but one or two select items I kept back of my DJing kit.... Never again, and it was all Like new!

Another time,I put a brand new lovely bathroom suite on e bay once. Buyer MUST collect I stated.
I had people bidding from London who couldn't speak a word of English, Kids screaming in the background when I phoned them to say I hope you're collecting it all the way from London!

They didn't even have a bloody car! They were expecting me to deliver it free!!

No Thanks, the names Hunt not ....!

I can fully understand why collectors at times hand their entire collections over to dealers for a song.
They'd rather take buttons than a cardiac arrest no doubt!

David was giving his stuff away and from the limited numbers where he posted the advertisement, even that wasn't enough to tempt anyone, as they needed to collect it. [Confused]

Posted by Gary Crawford (Member # 67) on August 08, 2016, 06:50 AM:

Of course, people like Steve Osborne of the Reel Image do buy entire collections. I know it will take him many months to go through one particular collection, but he is performing a service. Those films will be sold to living collectors who will appreciate them and keep them in good shape and,hopefully, share them with others by screening them. Otherwise, those collections might just end up sadly in the bin or the city dump.

Posted by Alan Rik (Member # 73) on August 08, 2016, 06:55 AM:

And to think...somewhere in a bin in a galaxy far far away could lie a non faded Super 8 mint condition print of Grizzy Adams! Or Enter the Dragon Scope! [Embarrassed]

Posted by David Hardy (Member # 4628) on August 08, 2016, 07:22 AM:

I am sure you are correct there Andrew.
However the time factor involved was very tight indeed.
I never want to repeat that experience.
I think this is my final house move in my lifetime.
Short of winning Millions via the National Lottery I
think I shall be moving out of this one in my " wooden overcoat".
[Wink]

Winbert that is even more of a coincidence as I too collected Vinyls which I still have.
Also into model railways and vintage hi-fi equipment , comic books , books and vintage magazines.
There are times when I think I have been burning to much candles at the same time.

Posted by Joe Caruso (Member # 11) on August 08, 2016, 08:43 AM:

Now, there are many who haphazardly will collect every single title a partcular outfit manufactured, and in any condition - For me, being eclectic and of the unusual, my directive is to find key titles in a nice box (I term them "darn-near mint") - For instance, Castle Films had twenty westerns, well, it took a long time and I located all of them, but with some sport-reels, cartoons and such, I'm not as eager - As for the older companies; Mountain, BreakSpear, Regent, Walton and such, those I will search for in earnest as they have varying degrees of rarity, offer the collector a choice of seldom-seen items in other gauges usually and bring a contrast to the similar titles released by other companies in pre-print materials - Archival, many of the earliest and first Single-8 releases were struck away from good 16s and 35 materials, which is why many of them stull are bright and have sharp density - Since 1932, we have enjoyed Std 8 and many rare films were fortunately printed in this gauge for home-use - Take most any Blackhawk, even earlier (BreakSpear as example), had the earliest Vitagraphs which I've never seen - Britain had a treasure of offerings, so God Bless it I always will say - Many choice films in Std 8 were not always made available in Super8, as by 1965 new films made more money and so forth - Well, not to ramble on and on - My nickel on it, Shorty

Posted by Panayotis A. Carayannis (Member # 1220) on August 08, 2016, 10:34 AM:

I was never a hoarder,unless I found the films in a dustbin or they were given to me for free! Even if I was offered big collections,I managed to buy only the titles that interested me.I always buy what I want and nothing more.The (big) exception was last year when I was offered two collections for free (Well,I did pay the postage!).One was for a lot of a hundred +plus cartoons and the other for several hundred (yes!) original silent features and shorts.And these are the only ones I haven't yet finished watching and cataloguing.
If I will buy a complete collection,I will at least ask for a title list and see if the majority,and in regard to the asking price,are to my liking.
Tom,why don't you just make a list of the things you want to throw out,before the boot sale?

Posted by David Hardy (Member # 4628) on August 09, 2016, 04:24 AM:

Hi Panayotis...Good to here from you on here.
Sorry I deleted some of your stuff by mistake on that other forum. Hey the guy did over react though considering it was done at the request of the former members who did own the copyright on
the stuff they posted. I then get booted off my admin position.
Not fair or just considering I helped set up the forum and was a
founder member. However I digress.

Several hundred films to watch eh !
I am struggling to think of 20 films I actually think are worthwhile keeping in my collection these days.
I don't think I have enough life left in me to watch hundreds of
films ever again due to the time I have to give to my other interests.
For me to even consider keeping hundreds or thousands of films it
would merely be hoarding them which is another reason why I have had to dispose of most of my large collection.
I just don't have the time anymore.

[Smile]

Posted by Andrew Woodcock (Member # 3260) on August 09, 2016, 05:41 AM:

Panayotis can of course, upload his own personal photographs again should he so wish David.

I am certain this was a genuine oversight on your behalf David while deleting upon their own request, other people's uploads.

I hope Panayotis views it this way also David. [Wink]

Posted by David Hardy (Member # 4628) on August 09, 2016, 07:30 AM:

Hi Andrew
I don't want to get off topic but it was unforgivable the way I
have been treated. A genuine error and I am booted out.

Never mind I am now giving my collection some real attention now that I have slightly more time and have made up my mind which way I am heading now. No need for me to have hundreds of films most of which I now consider run of the mill dross and fodder.

I will be keeping only those which I consider Classics Of Cinema.
Most will be from the Silent Era and Early Sound periods 20s/30s/40s I think. Maybe a couple of 1950s or 1960s or 1970s but that will be it.
So no films from 1980s upwards >>>>.
That's me sorted after all this time.
So no stuff like Airplane and Die Hard or any of that period will be on my shelf.
[Smile]

Posted by Andrew Woodcock (Member # 3260) on August 09, 2016, 07:39 AM:

Good for you David, and if you have many of those later type low fade colour films for sale in the future, like the titles you mentioned there,I am certain these will fetch very good prices indeed for you to further enhance any new purchases and supplements you may be thinking of for your new pursuits ahead.

I wish you well David in your clear out and subsequent new ventures. [Smile]

Posted by Panayotis A. Carayannis (Member # 1220) on August 09, 2016, 11:50 AM:

David,I don't have hundreds of titles to watch as the collection came in monthly parcels so,I had time to watch the films,more or less. There remain about ten features and a few shorts I haven't watched yet. And of course there are quite a few titles I already have so,there will be a sale after I finish going through them all.

Posted by David Hardy (Member # 4628) on August 10, 2016, 03:40 AM:

Panayotis...I must have misread that you still had that amount to watch yet.
It is a good way to watch them by breaking your viewing down into
blocks whether monthly or weekly.

I don't even have the time for that these days.
Are you a dealer or just a collector who buys job lots of films then sells on the titles you don't want ?

[Smile]

Posted by Panayotis A. Carayannis (Member # 1220) on August 10, 2016, 01:56 PM:

I think I stated that clearly,a few posts above,and in the other forum. I am not a dealer and I do not buy joblots.With the two exceptions that I mentioned above,which were offered to me.They did send me their lists.Since they came from the US and Canada I had to pay the postage,of course.For the 122 cartoons,the postage was 103 euros.That comes to 0,84 per reel.Even if I threw the films and kept just the reels and boxes,I wouldn't be at loss either! For the other collection, postage was an average of $ 150 per 25 kg parcel,by USPS,that came to me in less than a week's time. There were about 10 to 12 parcels sent in the course of 14 months. Of course there are many duplicats that I already have. So, I will upgrade mine if they are better copies,and sell the rest,to offset the expence.Now,I;ve said it all!
P.S. ...and I didn't pay any customs charges,either!

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on August 11, 2016, 11:37 AM:

OK, I guess i have to consider myself a collector, as I continue to collect by selling prints that I no longer desire. [Smile]

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