8mm Forum: Film Collecting

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Posted by David Hardy (Member # 4628) on January 25, 2018, 04:09 AM:

Okay so we are all in one way or another Film Collectors otherwise we would not be active in the hobby.

My question is : Do you just collect about anything on film from any genre or are you like me a bit more selective and discriminating in what you collect ?
[Smile]

Posted by Clinton Hunt (Member # 2072) on January 25, 2018, 04:38 AM:

When I first started collecting films I would almost buy any subject if it was cheap.
But now I’m selective about the subjects I want to own,and if I screen it and realise I’m not bothered owning it then I resell it.
That’s how this hobby works,it might not be my thing but it will be another collectors thing [Smile]

Posted by Martin Dew (Member # 5748) on January 25, 2018, 04:43 AM:

I only collect very specific titles (same as my Blu-ray collection), and I won't buy unless I find those particular films for sale at a reasonable price. This policy saves on space, money and regret!

Posted by Mathew James (Member # 4581) on January 25, 2018, 06:53 AM:

I am extremely picky these days.
I collect what I like, which actually isn't much any more... and only if it meets my buyers criteria, which includes a number of factors, price being the first entry point.
When I first started, knowing nothing, I found about 8 to 10 S8Soundies at a local fleamarket which set me off collecting because of the nostalgia and also because it had sound which I never knew about. This was about Fall 2014 according to my avatar! Our family's S8's were all silent... These fleamarket films(mostly 400' LH's and Hal Roaches) were $5-$8 each. This has spoiled me. I now cannot buy a film unless the price is reasonable.
What is reasonable? Well, that is where most times this buyer and other sellers do not agree, and thus, my collection remains smaller than most [Smile]

I was able however to pick up approx 8 films in 2017 meeting the above criteria! All MINT(boxes included) or VG or nothing!

-The Picky Collector-

Posted by David Roberts (Member # 197) on January 25, 2018, 07:39 AM:

The features I collect mostly are the old British films from the 1950"s,Ealing comedies in particular,and David Lean subjects.
also,news reels,look at life, and Tom and Jerry.

Posted by Melvin England (Member # 5270) on January 25, 2018, 02:08 PM:

I have followed a similar road to the one that Clinton has been down.....anything if it was cheap.....and more about quantity not quality.
These were in the days when I was using pocket money and then... hey presto! I got my first job. Finances were a push in those early years so anything I could pick up in Blackpool for virtually nothing was bought.
As was bound to happen, I then had a shed full of super 8 and realised I needed a gentle cull.
As time went on, the quality of the titles, and the number of pounds in my pocket,increased. Therefore nowadays I am a little more choosy about what I keep and what I sell.

Laurel and Hardy are a definite KEEP. As are the various versions of those wonderful Busby Berkeley dance films that we can get on super 8.... a far superior medium to view these routines than on some tiny 50" TV ! Also full length features are a keep together with any Disney extract or anything to do with a pop group from Merseyside...... and I am NOT talking Frankie Goes To Hollywood either! ( I would have said "Liverpool" but that would have made it easy...)

The type of stuff I would dispose of due to lack of space?

Most football films, a few of the "weaker" 3 and 4x 400' digests (please don't ask me to name them) that were okay before other better titles came along. 200' "Look At Life" that, good as they are, have subject matter that is of no interest. And also some of the condensed 400' films where the editing was particularly weak or was a lousy title or was only bought because it was cheap.

That's my philosophy.

Posted by Tom Photiou (Member # 130) on January 25, 2018, 02:47 PM:

For us it was always a case of skimming through the sales lists and thinking, "yeah fancy that one", but generally it was films we knew rather than hoping a title might be good, We also like the Laurel and Hardy's and if one came up on the list as "A" condition we would get it, always great to receive these, like the Tom and Jerry's and other cartoons, if the price was right and the condition was said to be good we would simply get it, we knew these would be keepers, we have 28 L & Hardy's which is enough, and 31 T & J's which is never enough so we we keep our eyes peeled for these.
Move on many years , (in the last 12 months in fact) and now i am looking at 16mm's which up until now have been impulse purchases, when a good title comes up you cant think too long, as you all know if you miss a title on this gauge the chance of it repeating again is slim. BUT, due to the size of these there will be a limit to the amount so i am trying to keep all the 16s to 80s and 90s titles for the benefit of the colour stock.
I know many titles i would like but i cant look for them, i will have to see what comes up, [Wink]

Posted by Daniel D. Teoli Jr. (Member # 6043) on January 25, 2018, 03:07 PM:

I started with old stag films 1920's to 1960's cause they were cheap. Then branched out to old documentary films of interest and just about any short reel subject that needs some archiving and interest me.

Not interested in trailers, commercials or big double reel movies. (Not saying I would not be interested if I hit the lotto. But space and $ is limited, so I can't do it all.)

Here are some samples of what I collect...

nsfw

https://filmarchivedanieldteolijrarchivalcollection.wordpress.com/

Now after a year of collecting I have over 200 films and hopefully will acquire more films as time goes on. The problem is getting the 16mm digitized as it is $ and not easy to buy an affordable 16mm sound scanner for home use.

Posted by Greg Perry (Member # 5177) on January 25, 2018, 03:59 PM:

Hello,

When I first started collecting 16mm and 8mm/Super 8 (just a few years back), I bought what I thought I would like or pretty much anything if it was cheap enough. My thought was to re-sell those dirt cheap films if after viewing, I didn't much enjoy them or if the condition was too poor. But selling is time consuming and selling the faded ones can often be more trouble than its worth.

Now, I am more deliberate in what I purchase---color quality and condition are much more important to me. I am trying NOT to add any more faded/fading films to the collection, wherever possible.

The good news is a sizable portion of what I like (L&H, Thelma Todd/Zasu Pitts, Little Rascals, B&W TV shows) is black and white so fading at least isn't an issue.

It is amazing how films pop up for sale and even if the title isn't on my current "wants list", I can all too easily convince myself that it would be good to own it. I completely agree with Tom P. that when a desired title pops up you really need to grab it because it could be a year or two or even more before you see that particular title for sale again.

Kind Regards,
Greg

Posted by Tom Photiou (Member # 130) on January 25, 2018, 04:38 PM:

Fade is also what i am trying to steer clear of now. The super 8s we have that are beginning to fade will be moved on later,
For 16mm we do have a couple of b/w's, two features and two shorts, but i do read about vinegar syndrome, i have no idea how this starts or why but i do know its a case of throw the film and get it away from the others, hence why from here on i want to stick to 80s and 90s films were possible, this will hopefully avoid the problem ever occurring.

Posted by Mark Todd (Member # 96) on January 25, 2018, 05:40 PM:

VS is quite rare in the UK Tom, I keep away from acetate for my own reasons ( issues if you like ).

If you look at older titles B+W try to get ones stored in card, they often are.

Of course as you say 80`s 90`s whether poly( mostly are ) or acetate you should be OK.

There are some lovely mid 80`s acetate LPP films from TV stations about for earlier stuff though worth checking out.

Just get them in to card if they come in cans and they will be fine.But you do need to let them breathe and some have the thick anti scratching coating can hinder that so the more air about the better.

Some of the TV stuff although 4/3 is amazing and really very sharp as acetate often tended to be sharper then than some polyester prints.

Best Mark.

Posted by David Hardy (Member # 4628) on January 26, 2018, 08:10 AM:

Thanks for the replies folks.

WOW ! Some of us do seem to be very selective and apply a lot of discretion when it comes to our collections. That for me is not a bad thing. It means that some of us don't just buy or collect any old crap just because it happens to be on film.

Mark a word of caution regarding long term storage of prints in card. It has been found that this can lead to a print drying out and becoming brittle over time.
Best to store in plastic chemical free cans or boxes with a couple of holes drilled in them to help the film breath.

[Smile]

Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on January 26, 2018, 04:37 PM:

I only buy films depending on the price and the subject I am interested in. I dont buy and never have done, bought for the sake of buying, just because just because its cheap, dont see the point......as so much film has faded I am more selective these days, as to what I hold onto more than ever.

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