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Topic: What should I aim 2 collect?
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Claus Harding
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1149
From: Washington DC
Registered: Oct 2006
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posted October 06, 2009 09:22 PM
Vangelis,
It is personal taste and decisions.
One of the things about collecting film is that in a certain sense, the 'selection process' of what to buy can be a bit upside down:
With DVDs, you can pick exactly the titles you want and know the quality will generally be decent across the board; with film you sometimes wind up looking at what titles are available in a good print at a reasonable price.
So sometimes one may buy a film because the print is good, not because it necessarily is your absolute 'first choice' of film, but one you are ok with having because it is fun to screen a nice print.
If there is a film you can't live without, sometimes a worn print can be acceptable, but that is where your own quality standards come in. What can you live with? How many scratches, how much sprocket damage?
Do not willingly buy anything with Vinegar Syndrome; that's my opinion.
Red prints are very common. They vary from a little fade to hideously red. Thank Eastman stock for that. I hate them and do not buy them at all, but if you really want a film badly enough, that might be the only print you find. Again, what can you live with?
READ VERY CAREFULLY when you read film descriptions. Some sellers will bury major flaws in the middle of the film description, such as 'reddish' or similar. If in doubt, send questions to the seller and get very explicit about the condition of the film.
Finally, if a print is advertized as a 'TV print' keep in mind that with B/W films, the contrast (black levels) will be lighter than on a theater print, since these prints were made to look good on older TVs. The prints can be very nice, but with somewhat "milky" blacks.
These are just a few thoughts from me; I am sure you will hear from the veterans here too.
Claus.
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"Why are there shots of deserts in a scene that's supposed to take place in Belgium during the winter?" (Review of 'Battle of the Bulge'.)
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Claus Harding
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1149
From: Washington DC
Registered: Oct 2006
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posted October 06, 2009 10:20 PM
Vangelis,
Some sellers are dishonest; others are ignorant of what they are selling.
A good seller should tell you everything he knows regarding the condition of the print he is selling, but that's unfortunately not always the case.
Many sellers hide behind "I don't have a projector, so I have no idea about how the film looks." Getting your money back is not always easy either. Even if a film has vinegar syndrome, the seller can plead ignorance, and it may take quite an effort to get some money back.
Some sellers simply put "no returns, no refunds" on their E-Bay listings, at which point it's up to you to ask everything you can before bidding, or simply cross your fingers and hope that the cheap price you got the film for is worth it. It can be a gamble.
Most pricing in collecting is set by what the seller thinks he can get, and what people ultimately are willing to pay.
The great Technicolor prints in 16mm increasingly go for small fortunes, to collectors with that kind of spare cash (of which I am not one ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif) )
There are ways of ID-ing duplicate film stocks (edge numbers and such) so you know if it is a dupe (and I know very little about that) but things like excessive grain and excessive contrast can be visual clues that most likely you have a 'dupe.'
Is it important to have an original? If you like the dupe you have, then no.
You will find, by interacting here, and also at:
http://www.16mmfilmtalk.com/
that you will find out who the good reputable dealers are (as well as some of the shady ones.)
Good luck with it all, and welcome aboard.
Claus.
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"Why are there shots of deserts in a scene that's supposed to take place in Belgium during the winter?" (Review of 'Battle of the Bulge'.)
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