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Author Topic: Collector or Hoarder.
David Hardy
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 955
From: Johnshaven Village , Montrose, Scotland
Registered: Jan 2015


 - posted August 06, 2016 04:37 AM      Profile for David Hardy     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
During a recent house move to a smaller sized property I had to dispose of a lot of things including films 8mm/16mm/9.5mm/35mmm.
I have been collecting for 50 years or so since I was a kid in the mid to late 1960s.
It occurred to me that I had not watched a lot of prints in years
and some of them I had forgotten I had.
I had merely been hoarding them for whatever reason.
Not having the time to sell them all I sadly threw the majority in the bin. I realised I did not have enough years left in me to watch them all again as I have other interests.
I have therefore a much slimmer/smaller collection which I hope I can watch again sometime.
Has anyone else had to confront this dilemma and problem ?

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" My equipment's more important than your rats. "

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Maurice Leakey
Film God

Posts: 5895
From: Bristol. United Kingdom
Registered: Oct 2007


 - posted August 06, 2016 05:14 AM      Profile for Maurice Leakey   Email Maurice Leakey   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
What a shame. You could have thrown them my way.

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Maurice

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Andrew Woodcock
Film God

Posts: 7477
From: Manchester Uk
Registered: Aug 2012


 - posted August 06, 2016 05:29 AM      Profile for Andrew Woodcock         Edit/Delete Post 
Anyone's way rather than just binnng such things

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"C'mon Baggy..Get with the beat"

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Steve Klare
Film Guy

Posts: 7016
From: Long Island, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003


 - posted August 06, 2016 07:03 AM      Profile for Steve Klare   Email Steve Klare   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
A couple of years ago a film dealer here (I think it was Steve Osborne) went to this woman's house to size up her deceased husband's collection.

He bought it...

-he had a hire a tractor-trailer, but he bought it!

I have to believe that passed the point where not only were there prints he rarely watched, but there were ones he'd never watched.

I'd actually have to rent space for it to go that way: maybe that's for the best!

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All I ask is a wide screen and a projector to light her by...

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Mike Newell
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 826
From: United Kingdom
Registered: Jun 2003


 - posted August 06, 2016 09:42 AM      Profile for Mike Newell   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Never had the issue with films as I kept a fairly decent filing and storage system and anything I wasn't watching was moved on quickly. Also, I never ventured much beyond the 8mm gauge but I would say lifting moving and storing 16mm or 35mm for collectors beyond a certain age is a serious issue. David you are quite right to clear out the way you have and now you have a collection that is manageable which you know and can enjoy.

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Steven J Kirk
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 873
From: Southern England
Registered: Apr 2008


 - posted August 06, 2016 09:43 AM      Profile for Steven J Kirk   Email Steven J Kirk   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Hope nothing really good was thrown away. [Eek!]

I think the difference between a hoard and a collection is that a collection has been thought about, edited and planned to 'tell a story'. It features the best examples and attempts to complete a series of like things, etc. Like trying to get all the Walton Tom and Jerrys. A hoard is just a pile that doesn't make sense. My buying mantra is 'no bodges, no bargains and no job lots.' No bodges, so no films without cases and artwork, no damaged film. No bargains means I don't want to buy just because it is cheap if it is not a title I want and no job lots for the same reason because I don't want to be left with titles I didn't really plan to get.

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VistaVision
Motion Picture High-Fidelity

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Maurice Leakey
Film God

Posts: 5895
From: Bristol. United Kingdom
Registered: Oct 2007


 - posted August 06, 2016 10:14 AM      Profile for Maurice Leakey   Email Maurice Leakey   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
The advantage in buying a complete collection is that the seller may accept a price just to clear the films making the price per film very cheap.
Any films not to your liking can then be sold on if you do not wish to keep them.

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Maurice

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Andrew Woodcock
Film God

Posts: 7477
From: Manchester Uk
Registered: Aug 2012


 - posted August 06, 2016 11:14 AM      Profile for Andrew Woodcock         Edit/Delete Post 
I think in the early days of collecting this applies Maurice, by the time you have plenty already, I am with the Steven outlook on these things.

Life's too short for checking through countless reels of unwanted worthless junk. It takes far too much time and effort trying to move some of this kind of stuff unless you're giving it away and offering the postage on mailing it for free.

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"C'mon Baggy..Get with the beat"

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Tom Photiou
Film God

Posts: 4837
From: Plymouth U.K
Registered: Dec 2003


 - posted August 06, 2016 11:24 AM      Profile for Tom Photiou     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
i am more careful now but i was once a hoarder and aside my cine collection my garage is in a state of a massive clear out required. I will one boot sale and the rest will be binned.
There comes a time when you just have to be ruthless but human nature seems to be that of a hoarder. [Wink]

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Osi Osgood
Film God

Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005


 - posted August 06, 2016 11:37 AM      Profile for Osi Osgood   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I'm a hoarder ... guilty as charged, when it comes to film!! [Smile]

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"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "

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Melvin England
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 707
From: Hull, East Yorkshire, UK
Registered: Feb 2016


 - posted August 06, 2016 12:25 PM      Profile for Melvin England     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Collector - Buys films and every so often whittles them down to the "Must keep" department, disposing via E**y or this forum, his "surplus to requirements."

Hoarder - The films just keep coming... and coming...

.

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"My name is for my friends!"

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Graham Ritchie
Film God

Posts: 4001
From: New Zealand
Registered: Feb 2006


 - posted August 06, 2016 02:41 PM      Profile for Graham Ritchie   Email Graham Ritchie   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I would like to think of myself as more of a... "Film Archivist" [Wink]

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Clyde Miles
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 205
From: Bromsgrove, UK
Registered: Nov 2013


 - posted August 06, 2016 04:47 PM      Profile for Clyde Miles     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
me to graham.

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Kevin Clark
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 978
From: Bapchild, Kent, UK
Registered: May 2004


 - posted August 06, 2016 05:44 PM      Profile for Kevin Clark     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I confess guilty as charged on both counts!

However there is some method and order in the madness here - in the case of as yet unwatched prints they are all manually checked on arrival and stored correctly and will when time permits be viewed with enjoyment - it is just a lack of free time that currently prevents me watching more real film.

I think the same goes for many these days - yes I have bought job lots over the years and wanted most of the films or serviced and used the equipment in the purchased lot, then passed the rest on but now I try to be more selective unless a really tempting deal comes along.

The situation became worse when we moved to a larger house 12 years ago - it is far easier to accommodate incoming parcels when you have room to store (hide) them in.

At least unlike some collector friends I don't have thousands of unwatched 'must have' still sealed DVDs or Blurays which seems sadder considering the relatively easy availability of digital media formats when compared to 8/16/35mm prints.

Kevin

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Clinton Hunt
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 845
From: Waharoa,North Island,New Zealand
Registered: May 2010


 - posted August 06, 2016 06:17 PM      Profile for Clinton Hunt   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I agree with Melvin
"Collector - Buys films and every so often whittles them down to the "Must keep" department"
That's what I do,when I first started collecting films and projectors I bought anything,but now I pick and choose and when I want to buy something I really wanted I sell of some of my films :-)

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Cheers from me in New Zealand :-)

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Mike Newell
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 826
From: United Kingdom
Registered: Jun 2003


 - posted August 06, 2016 06:31 PM      Profile for Mike Newell   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Tragically it is a trait I have seen with a lot of departed collectors that films are still sealed or the cellophane is slit at the top where the film has been examined on an editor then placed back in the box. I remember cataloguing one collection and whilst the features had definitely been shown rows upon row of cartoons and shorts where as new. I always made it a point to watch everything that I bought on film although I am guilty now with sealed DVDs. When I am finished with my revamp of the cinema I am planning a big run of showings to warm up my new projector.

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Melvin England
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 707
From: Hull, East Yorkshire, UK
Registered: Feb 2016


 - posted August 06, 2016 06:35 PM      Profile for Melvin England     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Graham - So now we are divided into THREE categories.... Collectors....Hoarders...... and Film Archivists.(I like that one,it sounds good). Does anyone else want to expand on this?

Clinton - How true.In the early days when attending the special Derann open days in Dudley, or the Blackpool Film Convention here in the UK,I would grab virtually everything I could that was going cheap. Quantity was the word.These would be 200'and 400'digests. Nowadays, with several more years worth of pay packets under my belt, this expanded to 4x 400' and full features.Then going through everything,and storage space becoming stretched,the mighty axe came down and most of the "can do without" titles were resold, so your thread above rings so true in my case.

Mike - Another thread that rings true in my case. I estimate I have yet to watch approx.10% of my super 8mm collection, whereas with dvd...probably 25%.

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"My name is for my friends!"

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Mike Newell
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 826
From: United Kingdom
Registered: Jun 2003


 - posted August 06, 2016 06:40 PM      Profile for Mike Newell   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I used to think of myself as a film preserver considering the gallons of 2.22 and Thermofilm I used on my films. There are a lot of clean protected films of mine are out there.

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Melvin England
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 707
From: Hull, East Yorkshire, UK
Registered: Feb 2016


 - posted August 06, 2016 06:47 PM      Profile for Melvin England     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
.......That's FOUR....!

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"My name is for my friends!"

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Andrew Woodcock
Film God

Posts: 7477
From: Manchester Uk
Registered: Aug 2012


 - posted August 06, 2016 07:15 PM      Profile for Andrew Woodcock         Edit/Delete Post 
If by slitting the cellophane on a new feature film, this means the original owner was only ever comfortable watching it on an editor, how very very sad!

I have received quite a few films in this state and admittedly they are always as new.
But it would never for one minute stop me using them for their intended purpose up on the big screen. Otherwise, I see no point in ever owning these things personally.

[ August 06, 2016, 09:51 PM: Message edited by: Andrew Woodcock ]

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"C'mon Baggy..Get with the beat"

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Winbert Hutahaean
Film God

Posts: 5468
From: Nouméa, New Caledonia
Registered: Jun 2003


 - posted August 07, 2016 03:03 AM      Profile for Winbert Hutahaean     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
David, as soon as I read your thread, I remember my exact same post back to 2014 here: Collector or Hoarder....? [Big Grin]

I believe many of us are hoarding films/projectors for the sake of cheap price... [Razz]

But I never bin films/projector, the worst I did was to give them away.

In preparation for my next move to my new assignment, I sold some of the surplus and it still gave me quite sum of money. I now live with few projectors and films that I like. [Wink]

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Winbert

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Dave Groves
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 508
From: Southend on Sea, Essex, UK
Registered: Feb 2015


 - posted August 07, 2016 07:05 AM      Profile for Dave Groves     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I wonder if a lot of us were hoarders in the 60s/70's. 16mm wasn't as easily come by as now so we jumped at anything going just to have something to show. Then, when the format declined and film was more available/affordable some of us got rid of the surplus and replaced them with titles we really wanted supplemented by new Super 8 titles from the numerous dealers. Others hung on to everything. The sad thing is that time and health catches up eventually and lifting heavy screens and projectors for public shows (as all mine are) becomes a chore. The enjoyment doesn't diminish but the strength does.

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Dave

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Joe Caruso
Film God

Posts: 4105
From: USA
Registered: Jun 2003


 - posted August 07, 2016 07:32 AM      Profile for Joe Caruso     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
David, I take your point - Many years I've bought, sold and traded, so haven't been a "hoarder", rather a serious collector who enjoys interaction with others - I keep certain films, mostly I trade and barter - Had I known you had a collection to dispose of, would have asked what titles you had - Seems a shame to merely trash them, but as you please - Cheers, Shorty

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David Hardy
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 955
From: Johnshaven Village , Montrose, Scotland
Registered: Jan 2015


 - posted August 08, 2016 03:20 AM      Profile for David Hardy     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Thanks for those replies guys. It appears I am not alone with this problem.
I like the idea of collecting of particular genres of film.
For example Comedies , Animated , Westerns , Horror or whatever.
It does seem to give more purpose and focus to collecting habits.
I too like to buy a print if its 8mm in its original box.

Joe...I am sorry I had to throw out a lot of films but I had to move quickly so never had much time to cherry pick titles or give them away.
I did offer on another forum for anyone to come and take my 35mm films for free provided they come and pick them up or arrange for
a courier to do so.
Sadly no response so in the local tip they went. I should have let collectors on this one know. I think they would have probably
went to a good home. Hindsight eh !

Graham I used to think I was some kind of archivist until I realized most of my films were pretty common place and of no real rarity value on any format.
If I had a print of say the silent "LONDON AFTER MIDNIGHT" starring Lon Chaney now that would have been a different matter.
As this is a " lost film" and if a print ever does appear I think it would be priceless and need to be archived.

I agree with the point that a collector would indeed make use of his films or dvd's / Blu-ray's on a regular basis and not have them just sitting in storage still sealed or unwatched.
Yes its easy to buy something just because its cheap or at sale price. I am with that one its quality not quantity that counts.

Have you ever tried whittling your choice down to around 20 or so titles you know you will happily watch over and over ?
Try it sometime its fun and kind of lets you know the films you
cant do without in a sense.

Winbert ...now that is a coincidence is it not ?

[Smile] [Smile] [Smile]

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" My equipment's more important than your rats. "

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Andrew Woodcock
Film God

Posts: 7477
From: Manchester Uk
Registered: Aug 2012


 - posted August 08, 2016 03:48 AM      Profile for Andrew Woodcock         Edit/Delete Post 
It was a shame David that you didn't advertise the offer of your disposed films on a broader scale.

I am certain you would have had many appreciative takers.

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"C'mon Baggy..Get with the beat"

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