8mm Forum: Is It Good-Bye To Dixons?

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Posted by Maurice Leakey (Member # 916) on November 11, 2012, 11:27 AM:

Just visited my local shopping mall today to find that Dixons has gone. A name loved by all camera and film lovers for many years.

In the nearby Industrial Park there is a massive Currys/PC World which stocks much more than Dixons ever did, so I suppose it's to cut costs as all, I believe, are owned by the same company.

I have beside me as I type some standard 8 sound films which were exclusively sold by Dixons under the name of Pyramid (Movies for Everyone.)

To quote a British televison show from yesteryear: "That's Life".

Posted by David Ollerearnshaw (Member # 3296) on November 13, 2012, 05:31 PM:

Thought they went a few years ago? Moved to the internet only Currys & PC World took over as the high street brand.

Bought my 35mm Chinon camera from the one on The Moor Sheffield P/X for Zenith got a very good deal from them. It seemed like a lower priced Canon. I still use it. Also my slide projector from them too.

Were the films on a four sided rotating stand? I seem to remember this.

Their brands I think were in the UK:
Chinon
Printz

The one near me closed long ago.

I have bought a few old film magazines over the last few months and almost everyone had an advertisement for Dixons. Think one said they had bought Wallace Heaton's Photo shops years ago.

Last time I saw a Dixon's was in Manchester Airport, where I bought 2 slide films.

Posted by Michael O'Regan (Member # 938) on November 14, 2012, 02:37 AM:

I thought Dixons had gone years ago.

Posted by Maurice Leakey (Member # 916) on November 14, 2012, 03:42 AM:

I must admit I haven't tried to shop there for quite a long time. Perhaps you kind gentlemen are correct.

Time really flies at my time of life. How marvelllous it would be if we could turn back the clock.

Posted by Lee Mannering (Member # 728) on November 14, 2012, 08:14 AM:

Ah the cine film carousel in Dixons which used to be full of Walton 8mm films and the Printz Review sound projector in the window I used to stare at as a young lad.
If I could turn back the clock to about 1973 I would love to go and chat to a really nice old guy in Dixons who used to encourage me with cine every time I went in store. Fond memories. [Cool]

Posted by Mal Brake (Member # 14) on November 14, 2012, 10:37 AM:

It was in a Dixon's that I first discovered 8mm sound films in 1972. I had gone in looking for some replacement audio bits and pieces when I saw rows of Walton and Castle one reelers. Being fascinated by them I bought 3 films instead - all I needed was a projector to screen them! Bought a secondhand dual gauge Eumig the next day.
From about 1960 to 70 I was using my dad's 9.5mm sound projector until it finally broke down, so I was pleased to get back into collecting after a 2 year gap.

Posted by Colin Robert Hunt (Member # 433) on November 15, 2012, 02:08 PM:

Worked for Dixons in 1971 - 72. Became the cine expert in the store I worked in South London. The projectors sold in store was Eumig's 712D and the better 709D sound. And ther Prinz range sold by Dixons. Plenty of choice with the cine camera then, along with editors and splicers. We had a couple of rotary stands that held Walton prints silent and sound, and yes the Walton rep was a reguler seller to the shop. We also had lots of Castle films silent and sound 50ft and 200ft reels.
I remember selling many of the dual gauge Eumig projectors and also the complaints when customers said there films would not run through the projector properly. Most of these problems was due to lack of knowledge, and maybe the salesperson not pointing out the differace between standard and super 8 because I found that they would be using the wrong set of sprockets and film gate. The other few problems was they did not set the red dot on the inching knob to the correct position, so damaging the claw. We had to send them back to Johnsons of Hendon who fixed them even though technically it was the customers fault. A great agent to deal with for Eumig. Just before leaving Dixons The new Eumig 710D came in on stock using the new A1/231 12volt 100 wat lamp. So bought this for around I beleive £80 and that was with staff discount. It was a good buy and still works to this day.

Posted by Patrick Walsh (Member # 637) on November 15, 2012, 02:43 PM:

I believe DIXONS where the agents for those Indian made versions of the RCA 400 16mm projector?
I remember seeing an ad for them somewhere in a mag.

Posted by Hugh Thompson Scott (Member # 2922) on November 15, 2012, 03:04 PM:

I well remember their ads in the newspapers advertising various
films and their Prinz run of projectors,remember having a catalogue of theirs that was most impressive, especially to me
who as a youngster could only dream of actually owning some
of this stuff.Time, as they say marches on, and nothing stays the same, I wonder if the youngsters of today will be waxing lyrical
over some of the modern equivalents in years to come, somehow
I don't think so, in those days you really appreciated the little
200' spools of B/W silent film that had to be saved up for,today
it's all too easy, films are not held in the same veneration as the
film collector holds them, watch 'em on Netflix, or Sky TV and
be done.It's sad for us because these companies provided a very special service and one by one they'll all disappear,part of
our common history of film collecting lost in the torrent of the
years, because that's the way life is.

Posted by Joe McAllister (Member # 825) on November 17, 2012, 01:41 PM:

One of my first jobs was working for a company called Wallace Heaton. When Dixons took them over they rebranded or closed all the WH stores and fired me. They say that what goes around comes around so I am glad they have gone despite the fact that I bought my first films from them when they still did cine.

Posted by Paul Adsett (Member # 25) on November 17, 2012, 02:46 PM:

Joe, as I remember, Wallace Heaton were the premiere retailer of cine equipment, you went to them if you wanted the best.

Colin, Johnsons of Hendon were also the best. They represented Eumig vey well in the UK, fully aware of the great cine products they were selling and servicing. In the mid 1970's Eumig actually had a stand at a photo show here in Florida. They had a theater room set up, and showed a 1 hour biography of Humphrey Bogart on a Eumig 800. Eumig swept the USA as well as Europe and the rest of the world. What a great company it was.

Posted by Hugh Thompson Scott (Member # 2922) on November 17, 2012, 03:05 PM:

You're right there Paul,Johnson's were a top company that did a
sterling job on representing Eumig. Another of the top shops
was Burlington Cameras in the Arcade, London.I remember
reading in Ivan Watson's article in Movie Maker, where he held
them in very high regard,saying that you paid a little extra, but
it was worth it for the wealth of information that the staff had
and would guide you in the right direction,together with great
after sales service.

Posted by David Ollerearnshaw (Member # 3296) on November 17, 2012, 04:19 PM:

Ah times gone by. Sure they were better in days gone by. Have looked at my old film magazines, plus bought a few 'new' ones too. Looking back Johnson's of Hendon, J.J. Silber, C.Z. Scientific Instruments, Paul Plus, great days. Once visited C.Z. to take my ELMO for a service, they were in a really large old building, on the Great West Road.

You don't get the same sort of service in Curry's that Dixon's used to offer. Although they still have the old Dixon's carousel with Walton Films on! Damm woke up. Computer games

Think we all need a Time And Relative Dimension In Space [Smile]

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