8mm Forum: Bonum Spools from The Widescreen Centre In London

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Topic: Bonum Spools from The Widescreen Centre In London

Andrew Woodcock
Film God

Posts: 7477
From: Manchester Uk
Registered: Aug 2012

posted September 29, 2012 07:23 PM

Hi everyone, I recently purchased some brand new 600ft Bonum cases from the Widescreen Centre In London. They had 5 in stock so I took them all to make good of my Tatty old Derann boxes that were looking tired and structurally not up to the job after 20yrs of pulling the films in and out of them. What I don't understand given the amount of people I see on here still collecting film, is why I am (apparantly) the only person buying these or the reels from them as they can and will buy more of these brand new! (though God knows where from!) from their suppliers so long as demand is there. They have told me over the phone that I am the only person who has purchased any of these in the last twelve months and therefore cannot tell me exactly when they will be obtaining more stock though obviously if demand was there they would get them in a jiffy! Considering how much these spools and boxes go for on e bay I am really supprised that they havn't received far more enquiries and sales on these as I know plenty of collectors are actively seeking 600ft spools, cases or both. The cases cost me just £3 each brand new!! Surely I can't be the only collector putting their precious Derann prints into more substantial cases and transferring the artwork laminated onto these?

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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 September 29, 2012 08:41 PM

Andrew, I am not a fans of Bonum case (as well as Gepe and Posso) because they are heavy and take up space.

For Bonum 600' spool + case, Widescreen selling GBP 18.50 (US$29.9) thats why people buying from Ebay which sometime less.

http://www.widescreen-centre.co.uk/Catalogue/Reels.html

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Winbert

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Maurice Leakey
Film God

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

posted September 30, 2012 03:28 AM

GBP £18.50 is probably the going rate for a 600' spool and case, but GBP £3.00 for an empty case is surely a bargain.

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Maurice

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Hugh Thompson Scott
Film God

Posts: 3063
From: Gt. Clifton,Cumbria,England
Registered: Jan 2012

posted September 30, 2012 04:50 AM

Paying £18.OO for a simple 600' spool & can is crazy,when postage is added we're talking over £20.00, no wonder the
users of film are not falling over themselves to buy them.Sheer
highway robbery!When last i looked at the Widescreen website
it was up for sale, and all their items were telescopes.

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Rob Young.
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1633
From: Cheshire, U.K.
Registered: Dec 2003

posted September 30, 2012 12:30 PM

Supply & Demand... [Frown]

Last Bonum spools I bought were direct from Bonum...very good to deal with, but still expensive, and that was several years back.

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Hugh Thompson Scott
Film God

Posts: 3063
From: Gt. Clifton,Cumbria,England
Registered: Jan 2012

posted September 30, 2012 03:33 PM

Rob, I don't accept the supply and demand argument, these
items I'm quite sure can be obtained much cheaper from some
of our dealers over here.It's a case of profiteering, even on ebay
800'-1200' spools can be obtained at half that price.I suppose it's
a case of shop around as there must be thousands of these things
in existence.

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Rob Young.
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1633
From: Cheshire, U.K.
Registered: Dec 2003

posted September 30, 2012 03:52 PM

Well, Hugh, whilst I am on your side, I don't think there are many of these things available "new". [Frown]

I'll try to find my last dealings direct with Bonum in my files...see how prices compared.

Film is a dying breed; sad but true.

I would once have considered TWC a true cine dealer...is this no longer the case?

I wonder which remaining dealer can get us 600ft cased Bonum spools, and at what price?

EDIT:

http://www.gepe.com/website/index.asp?pageID=259&showProdID=195

So, fair enough, Hugh, quite a bit cheaper, even if not Bonum! [Smile]

Oh, just thought...not including P&P though... [Roll Eyes]

FURTHER EDIT: Hang on a sec... do Bonum actually make these anymore???

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Hugh Thompson Scott
Film God

Posts: 3063
From: Gt. Clifton,Cumbria,England
Registered: Jan 2012

posted September 30, 2012 05:06 PM

I very much doubt if any of these firms produce them in the numbers they used to Rob, if at all, but for someone wanting to
put a feature on new spools & cans would equate to ovet £80.00
which I would certainly think twice on.Regarding the Widescreen
Centre,I think they may just handle Astronomical stuff these days.
As you rightly say,getting them new is getting difficult, but
secondhand is surely the way to go,after all we are talking of a
piece of pressed plastic.

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Winbert Hutahaean
Film God

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

posted September 30, 2012 05:34 PM

[COMMERCIAL BREAK]: "and I am selling those Bonum 600 feet reels on Ebay now for $4.99 or GBP 3.00...that is for reel + case...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/160892658061?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l26 49

(there are currently 4 of them).

cheers

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Winbert

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Hugh Thompson Scott
Film God

Posts: 3063
From: Gt. Clifton,Cumbria,England
Registered: Jan 2012

posted September 30, 2012 07:27 PM

That is a bargain Winbert,it's just that in the UK, by the time
postage and import charges have been paid,it would be uneconomical for us,but a steal for US buyers.

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Andrew Woodcock
Film God

Posts: 7477
From: Manchester Uk
Registered: Aug 2012

posted October 01, 2012 01:50 PM

I agree with Hugh and co with the price of spool and case being really steep but these are brand new and my initial point was more in reference to the cases sold seperately at £3 each which personally I think is a bargain! I would far prefer for any features that I buy to turn up on my doorstep in these with the original artwork transfered as oposed to an old tatty cardboard box set not fit for protectng anything after 5yrs let alone a precious derann feature which may well have cost in excess £400 when purchased new from them. I hoped that more people thought alike, then no doubt the Widescreen Centre probably would get more in stock regularly if they were receiving plenty of enquiries for these.

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

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Adrian Winchester
Film God

Posts: 2941
From: Croydon, London, UK
Registered: Aug 2004

posted October 01, 2012 07:13 PM

I agree that £3 for new cans is good in this day and age but I also think it's outrageous to charge £16 for a 400' reel without a can, although perhaps that reflects what the WS is charged by Bonum. As the 600' can is the only can they offer without a reel, I suspect that Bonum somehow ended up with a large excess of these, and they don't plan to produce reels to fill them. So, it's probably worth getting any you want while you still can.

The sort of prices we see charged for reels on eBay is also crazy - I really hope people don't encourage this exploitation by buying them. As many forum members will know, it's hard to beat conventions for bargains when buying reels; I bought several 200/400' reels in cans/boxes at Blackpool last year and I think the total I paid worked out at an average of about 60p a set!

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Adrian Winchester

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Andrew Woodcock
Film God

Posts: 7477
From: Manchester Uk
Registered: Aug 2012

posted October 02, 2012 08:57 AM

Great prices Aidrian, must visit one of the conventions soon but always seem to be working weekends when they're on especially the nearest to me which is the Blackpool convention. Still it would be nice if I could find at least one UK stock holder of all sizes of new quality reels and plastic containers up to 800ft!

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

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