8mm Forum: Let us introduce the rarity scale.

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Posted by Winbert Hutahaean (Member # 58) on September 16, 2017, 02:45 AM:

A grading system is commonly known, but nor a rarity scale.

Sometimes we see so much often a WDHM release such as Escape from Astragad, Cinderella or Jungle Book. So I can give a scale 1 for this.

But you are hardly seeing the second part of Astragad, which I can say this is sitting on scale 4.

So how about if we create a rarity scale scorring between 1-5.

1 = very often appears, you are almost sick and tired seeing them

2 = it sometimes you see it but not every day (e.g Tom & Jerry from Walton)

3 = we need to check Ebay very often to find such Universal 2 parters or Marketing 3 parters.

4 = we need to check with collectors, it is hardly seen, e.g Tom and Jerry release by Derann/Red Fox

5 = it is almost impossible to be obtained.

Please note, rarity scale is not directly related to the high price, e.g sitting in no. 4 for Astragad part 2 does not mean it is expensive.

Your input is appreciated please.

Posted by Andrew Woodcock (Member # 3260) on September 16, 2017, 05:10 AM:

I personally feel that anyone who collects would know these facts already just through the experience of seeing how often certain titles surface.

Rarity just like condition with film, is simply too subjective depending on geography and timing factors etc etc.

I have spoken many times of not hardly ever seeing certain titles on the open market, next news, two appear at once!

[ September 16, 2017, 09:44 AM: Message edited by: Andrew Woodcock ]

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on September 16, 2017, 10:51 AM:

I think that the best way for a film to suddenly "appear', whether on ebay or otherwise, is to mention that you're looking for a print of it, and then suddenly, someone, who is no doubt a member of this or that forum, decides to list in on thier selling site of choice and usually, due to someone wanting it, at a rather high price ...

... but hey, at least it is made available! [Smile]

By the way, my choice for the rarely seen but DO exist ...

Freaks super 8 feature
Duck Soup Super 8 feature
High Road to China Super 8 optical sound feature
The last Unicorn Super 8 optical sound feature ...

ect ect

Posted by Winbert Hutahaean (Member # 58) on September 16, 2017, 02:10 PM:

Osi, I believe your Grizzly f/l is sitting on no. 5 in my rarity scale. [Smile]

Posted by Dave Ruth (Member # 4596) on September 16, 2017, 02:14 PM:

Laurel and Hardy would seem to me to be the easiest films to come by.

As for features, I honestly wish I knew more about what was and wasn't available! I only started collecting super 8 at the tail end of 2015 and I am constantly on eBay looking for features. Seeing something like the Niles catalogue that was posted here a few months back made me wonder, which of these sold well? Which barely sold at all? And what constitutes as "well"? 1000? 500? Sometimes I see a film and I don't know if now is the time to strike or if I will see another pop up in the future!

Posted by Winbert Hutahaean (Member # 58) on September 16, 2017, 08:06 PM:

Dave,

If you go by general category, like L & H yes they are very often to pop up. But if we go by titls there are some titles are hardly seen.

So the scale might be different between title to title not to mention sound vs. silent version or B/W vs. Color version of the same title.

I can say the Griffith's "Birth of nation" the silent version will be on scale 2.

But I once had the sound naration version of this very title which has only be seen once in my life...so it will be on scale 4 or even 5.

Cheers,

Posted by Joe Caruso (Member # 11) on September 17, 2017, 08:40 AM:

3 and 4 sort of combined, say checking with EBAY and collectors - I'd say most of my early silent Std 8 film titles are 5 or higher - That is why I hound and search diligently - Shorty

Posted by Adrian Winchester (Member # 248) on September 18, 2017, 12:47 PM:

You occasionally find an ultra-rare film - perhaps without the original box or original leaders, so there are no clues regarding the source - that may have been privately printed to order, so it may not even have been a 'release' as such. E.g. there's one S8 trailer to 'Lifeforce' in circulation because in the mid-1980s I got a small company to print two reductions from a 35mm copy I had at the time. Similarly there were some S8 Disney trailers circulating years ago (I have one for 'Dragonslayer') that were certainly not releases but were believed to have been used 'in house'. So, unless you can establish the facts regarding certain items, you could potentially search for copies, when there's only one in existence! You could even look for a non-existent release that appeared in a catalogue but never appeared. That applies to certain Derann 'releases'. I recall a late Canterbury Films catalogue mentioning a promo reel for 'The Outer Limits' that I'd love to have, but I've yet to find someone who has seen a copy, so I suspect they went out of business before it appeared.

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on September 18, 2017, 01:05 PM:

Winbert ...

You just HAD to mention Grizzly ...didn'tcha? [Smile]

Posted by Brian Fretwell (Member # 4302) on September 18, 2017, 02:47 PM:

That Dragonslayer trailer is certainly an odd one. I have a copy too ,on a reel with Night Crossing, but I can't remember if I bought them together. The film is black between the perforations rather than clear. On an Eastman film, the printing is lighter for that, but I can't see the variety.

I've just checked and the second is tape sliced on with clear film between perforations. It is slightly pink where the Dragonslayer is perfect colour it has a "Coming next" day set printed in front of, it without splice. I wonder ow that happened. I know Derann did it with the British Film Year logo and possibly an Odeon promo

[ September 19, 2017, 03:04 AM: Message edited by: Brian Fretwell ]

Posted by David Ollerearnshaw (Member # 3296) on September 18, 2017, 04:03 PM:

Those second Disney releases. Managed to get the Flight Of The Hyperion, and A Most Befuddling Thing (I think) from Sword In The Stone. Sure I have another too.

Posted by Panayotis A. Carayannis (Member # 1220) on September 19, 2017, 02:09 AM:

From Osi's rarities I have DUCK SOUP !!! [Smile]

Posted by Adrian Winchester (Member # 248) on September 19, 2017, 06:27 AM:

Brian - I recall getting 'Night Passage' at the same time as the 'Dragonslayer' trailer and quite possibly with no splice in-between. I recall quite a few copies being sold by someone at he time, but they were clearly not produced for sale. There was a former Disney staff member who had a stall at some events around the late 1980s, so maybe he had got hold of some unwanted 'in house' material. It seemed questionable whether the prints were from Disney negatives as they were OK but not as sharp as (e.g.) typical Derann releases.

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on September 19, 2017, 11:46 AM:

PLEASE contact me if you ever want to duck the Duck Soup!!! [Smile]

Posted by Panayotis A. Carayannis (Member # 1220) on September 19, 2017, 03:47 PM:

[Razz]

Posted by Joe Caruso (Member # 11) on September 19, 2017, 04:04 PM:

Yeah, and that reel I want [Smile]

Shorty

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