Author
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Topic: 8mm Prices,HELP ME!!!
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Tom Photiou
Film God
Posts: 4837
From: Plymouth U.K
Registered: Dec 2003
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posted July 12, 2004 03:25 PM
I'm begining to question my sanity. i often read that 8 & 16mm films are dying out,(im not so sure with all the recent releases)and on another topic right here someone said that films are coming down in price now as its allegedly being knocked out by digital formats. I took delivery of the recent jagger and bowie pop promo and after viewing had to sit there and pinch myself asking,"what the hell am i paying £17 for 3minuites of film for"? Here something of interest that made me think, i visited a retired projectionist freind in Tavistock,i discussed what film dealers are charging for 16 and 8mm prints, he was gobsmacked as "a" Mr Foster had not long collected many dozen 16mm prints from him just weeks before, i told him a Sargent Bilko episode goes for around £40-£60, and L & Hardys for 59.95. He sells them for £20-£25 max, and my point is this, not for the first time ive mentioned it but i truely believe that if some dealers arnt carefull they will price Cine film out the market full stop, looking at 4 sales list from the last three months i see many of the same titles coming up, all apparantly in A condition and they varied from £15 to £39.95. I have a few Tex avery cartoons one i paid £15 and the same from another dealer for £9.99. Now there are those with stacks of dosh in which case it doesnt matter what the price is, and there is the average punter on the street of which i suspect many collectors fit into. Taking a look at 16mm, when i first started collecting,(when dealers wern't meant to be selling them,) i bought a mint copy of a muppet show for £15, now on the lists these are a massive £50, Derann had a copy of Ghostbusters in scope for £80(8 years ago) now a recent list comes up with £200????? can you see what im saying, the last thing cine needs is to price itselve out of the market before any other format does it. Can any of you nice blokes out there convince me i should continue to buy rather than stay with what i got, why so much difference between delaers, and why, now 16 is so widley availible are the prices creeping upward. And lastly, how the hell can a print be described "faded colour otherwise a perfect print", thats the biggest bollocks description of a con as i could ever wish to lay eyes on.Just makes me think is the price worth it, its a wonderful hobby with lots of nice people and many frinds but looking at what i'm paying for "some" (not all) of my films which can sometimes be a struggle to return to a few companys without loosing lots on P+P. I hear sighs of "he's telling us film cant be compared to dvd so why moan"? It's when i read the arguments of digital, which isn't the same as good old cine, but when you get a second hand film on Disc its not suddenly leapt to 10 x the original price, it doesn't have, faded but otherwise good, or one green scratch through the middle,or first two minuites missing, last point for me, keep second hand films in proportion to what they are worth, i know how little we get if we PX, ive had £15 offered and seen it on the list for £59, i think thats what they call a P*** take, . Whats your view chaps? am i out of order or am i a little unrealistic? . But i do love my films tho Good hunting, good show, jolly good fun,jolly jolly good,(who said that then and what film)?
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Paul Adsett
Film God
Posts: 5003
From: USA
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted July 12, 2004 10:11 PM
Tom, I could not agree with you more. The prices that dealers are asking for good used prints is not too much lower than the price they list for brand new ones of the same title. I don't think ANY used print, no matter how good, should cost more than 50% of the cost of a brand new one. As for new prints, Derann seem to be holding their prices pretty well on their existing feature titles, but their new 200ft and 400ft titles seem very expensive indeed. As you say 17 pound for 3 minutes of film is ridiculous. ( It seems you get more bang for your buck by buying 400 or 600 footers). From this side of the Atlantic, where the dollar is now very weak against the pound , buying super 8 films has reached the point of being quite painful. So you get to the point where you are very selective in what you buy, hang around for the sales, or resort to buying used prints from the dealers, or cross your fingers and buy off eBay. Like you I love super 8 and have no intention of quitting the hobby , I just get so much enjoyment out of it, but I just wish the dealers would get real with their pricing
-------------------- The best of all worlds- 8mm, super 8mm, 9.5mm, and HD Digital Projection, Elmo GS1200 f1.0 2-blade Eumig S938 Stereo f1.0 Ektar Panasonic PT-AE4000U digital pj
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Tom Photiou
Film God
Posts: 4837
From: Plymouth U.K
Registered: Dec 2003
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posted July 13, 2004 01:15 PM
Yep, Ian has good points their, and Tony your also correct, so i shall weed out the dealers and pick up the bargins, Did that this evening, . I'm not saying that dealers shouldnt make good profits, heaven forbid, if i was in buisness thats what i'd want, but there is profit and there is profit!! Anyone who has traded films to dealers will know exactly what i mean, and i take my hat off to the big Chiefs who still release film, Derek is looking down with thumbs up,on the previous point of the Polterguist experience that is a classic, Rare my ass, that film can still be purchased Brand new from Derann so it aint rare, and no way would any dealer have trouble selling it unless it was a duff one. So from this point i say, I support 8mm but will be carefull what i but from this point on, theres a market in the us as our friends point out but with a weak Doller we dont want to loose those friends for the sake of the hobby becoming tooooo pricey, anyway, lets have a laugh, Whats the difference between a magic wand and a policemans Truncheon? Ones for cunning stunts and ones stunning !!!!!!!!!!!!!! Next approach please! Happy viewing all, and dont fall off those high horses.
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