8mm Forum: Classic Home Cinema

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Posted by Harrison Bradley (Member # 3080) on April 06, 2015, 09:02 AM:

So I posted this over on 16mmfilmtalk.com, but I figured I'd post here as well. Classichomecinema.co.uk has a print listed that I'm interested in, but I'm having a hard time getting a more detailed description of its condition. All that the owner Phil has told me has been that it is "nice" and said he "had no way of knowing" whether or not it was censored or not. Has anyone dealt with Phil recently, and is this typical of him? I understand he has been sick lately. I guess what I'm just seeing if anyone can tell me what his definition of "nice" is, since the print's a title I really want.

Posted by Andrew Woodcock (Member # 3260) on April 06, 2015, 10:29 AM:

Yes, all prints Phil ever sells are "nice" or in "good order" .This is generally how Phil describes the prints he gets.

I get the impression he relies heavily on whatever description the seller gives him when he purchases a collection as just like nearly all dealers I have ever known, he admits he hasn't watched the print all the way through.

He has always accepted my returns though to be fair, if a film has been badly defective and hasn't been a "bargain basement" purchase.

Hope this helps you in your decision making as I know from experience some time ago, how frustrating it can be having something shipped some 4500+ miles, only to find it is not necessarily what you were expecting.

All will most likely be good but if not, you have the option of returning if you can be bothered with the hassle of sending it back .

Posted by Harrison Bradley (Member # 3080) on April 06, 2015, 01:04 PM:

Well I've emailed him seeing if he can inspect the first five minutes at least as there is scene in there that would have been censored if the whole print is. So far no response but I think I'll try calling this week.

[ April 06, 2015, 02:39 PM: Message edited by: Harrison Bradley ]

Posted by Andrew Woodcock (Member # 3260) on April 06, 2015, 01:29 PM:

Yep, that'll work Harrison. [Wink]

Posted by Harrison Bradley (Member # 3080) on April 06, 2015, 02:41 PM:

I don't have much faith either, but no harm in trying. While it's a title I want, it's not worth the $140 it'd cost in shipping to here and back if it's a dud.

Posted by Andrew Woodcock (Member # 3260) on April 06, 2015, 04:32 PM:

With any print in this day and age, that is always the risk unfortunately Harrison.

If you don't want the possibility of having to return it should you be disappointed upon its arrival, I wouldn't bother if I were in your shoes Harrison.

Not because I don't have any confidence in Phil supplying you with A1 mint print because I have had some like this from Phil, but just because it is a long way for the film to to and fro should there be an issue.

At the end of the day, I do have quite a lot of sympathy at times with anyone trying to sell any film these days because unless you are part of the collecting scene with active knowledge and equipment up to the job of keeping all of the remaining preserved prints A1, what chance does anyone have of unearthing well cared for, well preserved gems with perfect colour and sound etc being sold by a collector to a third party at a price point which is condusive with running a business including premises that require monthly rent etc etc whilst still making profit?

Sounds impossible to me, especially since the advent of the internet and e bay.

Who knows, without the internet, maybe Derann would still have continued in business even if it was a home run cut down version just selling used quality prints?

Posted by Paul Adsett (Member # 25) on April 06, 2015, 06:40 PM:

quote:
Who knows, without the internet, maybe Derann would still have continued in business even if it was a home run cut down version just selling used quality prints?

....something that Gary would have been great at, and would have had an eager existing customer base.

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on April 06, 2015, 07:07 PM:

I've always imagined the Internet helped Derann stay in the film business longer because it increased their customer base. Right up to the end you had to pounce onto a used film list within minutes or miss out on what you wanted.

When I started to make and collect films again around 2001, I thought nobody was making new prints anymore at all. Finding out about this bunch making new sound prints was enough to push a silent collector to get a sound machine. (I did resist a while...maybe a month.)

There are a great many things we know about and do today we'd have no idea about without the Internet.

Two guys a half mile apart could both think they were the last film collector on the planet and be none the wiser.

Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on April 06, 2015, 11:18 PM:

The internet made it a lot easier to deal with Derann, than those days or should I say from here.. late night phone calls [Smile]

Also getting the latest newsletter with all those goodies as a e-mail was much better. I do miss that contact with Derann [Frown]

but have some stunning and never to be sold films, bought from them over those years that will last forever [Cool]

Posted by Alan Rik (Member # 73) on April 07, 2015, 01:19 AM:

My unhappiest Derann moments were these words:

"We sorry to inform you that xxxxx has been sold."
It happened to me SOOOO many times. Healthy for the hobby...and my pocketbook. But sad for my collection! I always assumed that the list was leaked 30 minutes before I received it!

Posted by Maurice Leakey (Member # 916) on April 07, 2015, 02:37 AM:

quote:
.....just like nearly all dealers I have ever known, he (Phil) admits he hasn't watched the print all the way through.....

There is one dealer who does run his prints all the way through on a projector and that is Barry Attwood of Independent 8.
A dealer whom I can thoroughly recommend.

Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on April 07, 2015, 03:21 AM:

Alan

This might sound weird, but if I missed out, I felt relieved and at least I would not have to bribe my daughter and son with extra pocket money when the films arrived in the letter box not to tell my better half the wife I had bought more films from Derann... [Big Grin]

Posted by Dave Groves (Member # 4685) on April 07, 2015, 03:30 AM:

Now I know who kept pipping me to the Derann post. I missed more than I secured but although Derann were pricey they usually came up with the goods.

Posted by Andrew Woodcock (Member # 3260) on April 07, 2015, 03:48 AM:

Alan, I don't recall Derann ever operating a two tier system, whereby if you subscribed to FFTC for example, they mailed the list out to you sooner by a day or so, let's say. Though I may be wrong on that one.

I know this is something that Phil now does if you are on his electronic e mailing list, then you get it earlier than the ordinary Classic website updates.

Maurice, you are absolutely correct about Barry at I.8.
He is one of the few that admits to watching the entire film before listing them. I suppose it depends on how many new prints per month you are handling as to whether or not this ought to be case for all the remaining dealers.

Paul, it does make you wonder why Gary didn't start a small home business selling perhaps used prints and equipment given his existing customer base and excellent reputation among the collector's out there.

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