Author
|
Topic: To expand or shrink, who will take over your hobby?
|
Tom Photiou
Film God
Posts: 4837
From: Plymouth U.K
Registered: Dec 2003
|
posted August 13, 2018 03:02 PM
First of all, please excuse me for this cross over thread, I try not to do this normally but i think this is quite a reasonable thread to get your opinions on please,
I know we are all avid collectors in this great hobby of ours. But I just wondered, we all talk about our latest additions to our collections, But, while we, in this household, are not old men just yet, we have recently taken a step back and sold off a few films, some were titles i always said i would never sell (Jaws, Assault on precinct 13 to name just two). These were sold because my last viewings were disappointed, an almost red jaws, and assault on the turn, red hue everywhere on the dark scenes. Seriously, how can you enjoy an all one colour movie, and then see it on a shinny disc in full glorious colours on the same size screen when projected?
I decided to make a list of all the titles I sold over the years and it makes a collection all of its own. Now in my mid 50s and Brother in his early 60s, we often discuss this and decided, if we never sell anything, all that will happen one day is that everything would either get sold off for bugger all or binned. I don’t want either of that to happen as we have taken 40 years to get here. If there was no family left behind me then I would say sod it and let whoever finds it do what they want. With so many films now starting to fade, we have made a conscientious decision to start to sell them over a slow period of time, (faded & / or scratched), I am fully aware that lots of people are happy to view faded prints, I myself am not, slight fade is one thing but mostly red or pink is another, so if we can raise some cash to replace a dozen films for one or two good colour or b/w prints then this seems to me to be a good option. At the end of the day the prices won’t stay at there loony high levels on flea bay forever. Once people dabbling in the hobby “to be retro and trendy”, begin to realise that projectors are either breaking down and no longer repairable or later in time, unavailable at all, then the prices of films will drop if there’s nothing decent around to show them on. I am also aware that dealer prices are still very much as they should be but, (I know some of you wont like this), while we can get good prices for some films on ebay, this seems a good way to have this hobby of ours self funding. This has been what we have done for a few years now with only one or two poor experiences in over 650 items sold. I have, over the years, had poor experiences with some dealers as well, including Derann, so it isn’t restricted to ebay. Admittedly, dealers are happy to help when things do go wrong.
So I was wondering, how will you manage your collections over the coming years? Will you simply continue to buy everything, for the sake of it, select a few top titles as and when they appear, or will you down size as we will in order to make it more manageable and end up with more quality and less quantity? Or, (dare I say this), do other forms of projecting look very welcoming to you? For those of you with thousands of films I have to ask, surly you rarely get to watch the same title twice? That makes every movie viewing very expensive. We now have 586 titles; this includes everything from trailers to full length 16mm films and everything in between. It sounds a lot but it has taken us 40 years to get here. We have only sold over the last 5 years around 75 titles, again from trailers to 16mm features and everything between. Being realistic, to view all of these and keep an eye on them is unrealistic unless you view every evening. I do actually use my projectors 5 days a week, every week. My aim over the coming years will be to half it and end up with only top titles, rare titles and non faded titles. Your views please?
Since going into 16mm, we have just about got it right now on this gauge. I've been a good boy and kept it to well below 30, (25 to be exact) and the films we have are all but two, excellent in print, colour and sound. Quality not quantity. This low amount in numbers allows me to rotate them and look after them with ease. There are just a few more i want with one possibly coming my way once the current owner checks it through. Having said that, if good titles come up on 16 and they are theatrical prints i will gladly add these to my collection.
It will definatly be a shrinking of the collection for us, BUT, i wont stop buying decent new ones, as i said, perhaps for every 5 to 10 we sell we may hopefully add a quality product back into the collection
| IP: Logged
|
|
Dominique De Bast
Film God
Posts: 4486
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Jun 2013
|
posted August 13, 2018 04:22 PM
Tom, I got your point. I have no children or nephews to make a legacy si who knows what will happen to my films and material ? I have not so far consider resell anything and don't think I will do it in a foreseable future (except maybe films of which I have two copies) but, again, who knows what life can make you do against your will. I cannot say that I'm "happy" with fadded prints but I do with them and yes, I prefer to watch a scratches/pinkish film than digital (I understand other people don't). Although, I would not buy a fadded film or a copy in too poor condition if it's advertised so. Derann low faded prints are out of my budget so, except if I can make a bargain I wil probably stick with the Derann's features I was able to buy years ago (the six months scheme payement facility, for those who remember that helped). About the prices, I insist on the fact that you can find good films at reasonnable prices at conventions, especially in the Uk. I will go at Harpenden in October and at Blackpool in November and can only advise everyone who can to do the same.But don't buy the films I want 😀
-------------------- Dominique
| IP: Logged
|
|
Graham Ritchie
Film God
Posts: 4001
From: New Zealand
Registered: Feb 2006
|
posted August 13, 2018 07:55 PM
Tom... you mention to down size in order to make it more manageable and end up with more quality less quantity, well that's how I feel also.
There comes a day when you look at all this stuff, and think, this is "NUTS" its going way overboard, time to get reel
Getting rid of some and freeing up those reels to compile the better quality films onto them, for me can bring back the enjoyement of films and film projecting, than just having heaps of stuff, that over the years I have really lost track of.
When I started going through them of late, I was shocked to find that so many prints, that have by now faded, just about anything from the 70s era on Eastman, seems to gave gone, either on 8mm/16mm and 35mm which is a shame.
As to who will take over from me is a tough one, that I dont really have an answer if anyone is interested enough. I think its best to enjoy it for the day... forget tomorrow as that will come soon enough....let it be someone else problem.
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tom Photiou
Film God
Posts: 4837
From: Plymouth U.K
Registered: Dec 2003
|
posted August 14, 2018 06:42 AM
Thanks for the replies, (so far), It's funny really, one of my Daughters now shows a big interest in all things 80s. She now has a record player, and loves to collect vinyl. She said she would like to keep some films and projector but is worried about looking after it all, especially if the projectors go wrong. That's now up to me to teach. However, more to the point, was the amount we have amassed over the years with many of our reels of film only going through a projector once in a blue moon. Some not at all for over 5 years. That to me, seems a waste, it will just slowly fade unless its on decent stock. There is still some great stuff out there, especially on 16mm so we move over to the idea of slowly looking to sell off the less desirable films in order to 1/ downsize and 2/replace 10 for one quality product. Isn't it funny what your kids talk about. They make me feel like im 90 sometimes. At the end of the day, we are not leaving the hobby, we just feel its time to get a bit reel and have a dam good sort out and get rid of quantity in order to have more quality to some of the excellent films we already have
| IP: Logged
|
|
Osi Osgood
Film God
Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005
|
posted August 14, 2018 11:11 AM
I'm with Shorty on a lot of my collection, but if I was ever to let this stuff go, (like, if I was dying), I would educate my wife on the prints values, and, so that I could give the family some more financial help after I'm gone ... have the wife sell the big dollar titles.
However, if i have kids that really want to hold onto the collection, I'd just give it to them, with dollar amounts, just in case.
-------------------- "All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Winbert Hutahaean
Film God
Posts: 5468
From: Nouméa, New Caledonia
Registered: Jun 2003
|
posted August 15, 2018 12:01 AM
Good topic Tom.
Something we always think what will be the destiny of our collection after we are gone.
I have three main collections, i.e Record/vinyls, 8mm films and Train models. My 2 sons have claimed who is going to take care films and trains, left vinyls only for me
I am now getting into the stage of stop buying films with the thought that what I have now is enough for the entire of my life. I still occasionally buy print if the price is tempting or something to complete my eternal Tom & Jerry collection (which still needs about 8 titles more). However, on the other hand, I am not going to sell any prints (unless they are double) although they have faded. I enjoy my prints as they are and there is no any intention to upgrade.
Now regarding how to track the price of my three collections above (so my sons or wife can resell for the correct price), I have made a note in Excel sheet and save it now into cloud server (Google Drive). I can access this file from where ever I am, so my sons and my wife.
Here is the link of my note mentioned above. This is not the actual note but a copy which I will delete it later on:
My transaction note
I started writing this note since about 30 years ago. Before I just wrote in a book, now have adapted the new technology by writing with a gadget. In that note I gave the information:
- Detail of purchased item - The bought price - When and where did I buy it - Who sold that to me - Where the transaction was made (Ebay, Physical store, Fleamarket, etc) - Contact of the seller - Method of payment - How the item(s) were shipped
The above note also provides the info about items that I have sold:
- When, where was sold - How much - Who bought the item - How did I ship - How did I get paid, etc
So any members of this forum who has ever had a transactions with me can check and find your name (or Ebay ID) in the above link
With that note was stored in a cloud server, as I am travelling a lot, although they are not phisically close to me but I have a felling that my collection is always with me
cheers,
-------------------- Winbert
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|