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Author
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Topic: Super slow film sales ...
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Osi Osgood
Film God
Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted March 19, 2019 12:12 PM
I have never ran into such slow film sales on ebay. Maybe one or two items selling in a whole month, instead of 10 to 15 items.
Fortunately, we aren't dependent on film sales, but I must admit, it has slowed my buying of films as I only buy when i have sold something.
My personal theory (which only holds water for us "Yanks"), is that with the changes to the tax laws in the U.S. a lot of people, (myself included), who were thinking that they would have a "resevior of cash" after tax time, actually find that for the first time, they are owing money. We were lucky, we got back a good deal, not as much as last year, but we did much better than a lot of other folks out there.
I have heard horror stories of folks having got back, last year, 10,000 and with the changes to the tax laws this year, when they thought they'd be getting back money, they actually OWE 10,000. EEK!
Anyway, that's my theory.
You're thoughts?
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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
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posted March 20, 2019 04:54 AM
I feel Lee's remarks about the bidding "frenzy" on Ebay here in the UK as being "ludicrous," are probably aimed at the higher end of the film market. Certainly the direct reference to Derann would indicate this.
However, for us Ebay sellers offering our generally bog standard but nevertheless decent copies of films, I have to agree with Osi that there is a noticeable slowdown in sales... even over here.
I pride myself in offering prints at a sensible starting price (usually around £5/200' or 8 to £10/ 400') to attract buyers, not the, in my opinion, inflated starting prices of around £16/200' or even £35+ for a 400' which many do .
Even with my "attractive" prices, I am still noticing a slow down of purchases over the last year or so.
For Osi , he puts it down to their re-vamped tax system. For us, could it be that people are hesitating due to a certain nameless event that is expected to take place soon?
[ March 20, 2019, 07:09 AM: Message edited by: Melvin England ]
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"My name is for my friends!"
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Tom Photiou
Film God
Posts: 4837
From: Plymouth U.K
Registered: Dec 2003
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posted March 21, 2019 04:34 PM
Nigel, you ask a good question, it is a difficult one to answer though. Generally speaking, if i never bought another 8 or 16mm film ever again i would be forever happy with all that we have. There is still a hoard of films out there for sale that are still very good with great colours. Unfortunatly, but obviously, most serious collectors will hold onto there finest prints while sadly, many are coming along from collectors who are simply selling all or passing away.
I myself am only selling to buy at present but still buy the odd little reel of something. To be honest the 16mm items thats come our way has put a big brake on 8mm due to superior image quality of 16.Something else new to us is the fact we have bought more from friends on here or via the forum. Prices are better but also the fact that the three i buy from,(including Nigel), view the films all the way through before selling and to date have not had any disappointments from any of them. Descriptions are always spot on. Kevin Clark has sourced me some fantastic 16mm movies and a few accessories, the man is exceptionally generous and also very knowledgeable and has shared a lot of advice and help.
As for what i'd like to see, one or two of my wants on 16 and on super 8, maybe a couple of good trailers and Platoon, Predator and a decent copy of a tale of two cities. 8 or 16.
There are probably many more but i cant think of them at present but here is a reminder of my 16mm wants
A Bridge too Far
The Untouchables, (K Costner)
Trading Places, (theatrical only)
The Usual suspects,
Scrooged, (Bill Murray), but theatrical release as the TV version is always cut,
Full Metal Jacket,Dirty Dancing,The Thing, (Carpenter version),
Seven,Home Alone Home alone 2 Lock stock and two smoking barrels, A Fish called Wanda Batman 1989 (M Keaton)
Plains Trains and Automobiles.
It still makes me feel like theirs something weird about all of this, we can all have virtually any movie we want on blu ray for a few quid with today's excellent digital projectors, yet we still want our cine films with of there problems, projectors that require expensive maintenance with parts being virtually impossible to buy new, (& i have also received some second hand parts that P****** me right off as i only found out this week when i went to have one fitted a year after purchasing). Films that are often way over priced and not always up to scratch, no pun intended. For me cine is just something i always wanted from a very young age at primary school after watching the teachers operating the 16mm machines. When i view films on my own i still turn around a look at my projectors going and smile to myself. ![[Wink]](wink.gif)
Despite everything, i for one will never ever pay the ridiculous prices for any titles no matter what. On the other hand, (typical human), i will be happy to sell and if my films fetch the cash then i will be happy to take, however, i start my sales at sensible prices, not the half wit prices some people list for, and very sadly, some of the greedy lister's are forum members and i see the same film go up time and time again, some people just dont learn and THEY are the ones who will ultimately change films sales from slow to dead still as no one will want to pay for a film that last for 30 minutes and starts on ebay at £300.
For me, as long as these reels,(& my my Brother four),continue to turn i will be happy to keep our cine. but unless the films i can buy are reasonable then we will be a lot more choosy. As time goes on films sales will no doubt become slower as they become harder to get. The one thing i think everyone must notice is how much utter crap there is for sale on 16mm in particular. For every decent title there must be hundreds of trash titles. (in my opinion)
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Adrian Winchester
Film God
Posts: 2941
From: Croydon, London, UK
Registered: Aug 2004
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posted March 22, 2019 06:39 AM
The ridiculous prices sought for some films clearly displays ignorance of the market - and what genuinely has considerable value - on the part of sellers, but I'd suggest viewing this as a bit of light relief, so long as such listings are a futile waste of time and not occasionally rewarded.
At least some of the high prices paid seem to reflect a lack of awareness regarding new releases, but that's understandable. Even as a keen collector who has been seeking out new product for decades, I'm hazy regarding what has become available in the last two or three years. E.g. if ANY new trailers have actually been printed on Super 8 in this period, other than the 'Back to the Future' promo, please let us know, because they haven't (e.g.) appeared in the Super 8 Film Review section of Film Collector. I've always considered this Forum to be one of the best sources of information.
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Adrian Winchester
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Osi Osgood
Film God
Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted March 22, 2019 11:49 AM
... and then, of course, there are those wonderful deals, not everything is outrageously priced.
I just bought a 400ft reel with both Fox and the Hound extracts, which were printed on low fade stock, for 8.50, and they even come with the original reels and boxes, so I not only have the two digests spliced onto one 400ft reel, i could always place them back on they're original reels and in they're original boxes ...
So, deals to certainly be had out there at incredible prices! ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
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"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "
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