8mm Forum: Anyone live in San Jose, CA, USA

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Posted by Winbert Hutahaean (Member # 58) on March 02, 2011, 06:06 PM:

As per title, anyone live in this area, especially who lives near Walmart store at:

777 Story Rd, San Jose, CA

thanks

Posted by Roy Neil (Member # 913) on March 03, 2011, 01:02 PM:

Im almost afraid to reply ...

Im not that far away from there - why ?

Posted by Winbert Hutahaean (Member # 58) on March 03, 2011, 03:40 PM:

Thanks Roy,

I need a person really close to that Walmart, because this is the only store that has been proven to process Super 8mm films.

It cost $6.8 (no shipping) compared to Dwayne $12 (+ shipping v.v). While the film from Walmart is going to end up at Dwayne anyway.

It is Walmart, who has a contract with Dwayne.

I don't know if other Walmart will do the same, but a filmshooting member has tried this particular store without a problem.

The way is so easy:

- fill up the envelope,
- take the stub,
- drop the cartridge in that envelope to the bin,
- bring the stub back in 7 days,

and you get your film processed.

Can someone check if other Walmart-USA (PhotoStore) provide the white envelope for process in their counter?

If yes, it means you can also do the same there.

thanks

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on March 03, 2011, 03:53 PM:

I don't live in San Jose, but I know the way...

I'm not so sure this is a good idea Winbert. Walmarts have kind of a spotty reputation for handling Super-8 cartridges: sometimes they come back unprocessed, occasionally they just don't come back at all.

It's the luck of the draw of getting somebody who can tell you are giving them a roll of film and not some weird rectangular hockey puck. For the majority of 'em, it will be the first time they have even heard of such a thing. ("It's totally like a camcorder, but it has all these tiny photos printed on a really long piece of some kind of plastic! No, really Dude: I'm serious!")

I have a couple of films that will never see a screen because something nasty happened to one of the cartridges involved and because the footage is irreplaceable the other cartridges became useless no matter how nicely they came out.

Is it worth it for a couple of bucks?

Posted by Winbert Hutahaean (Member # 58) on March 03, 2011, 05:45 PM:

Steve thanks for informing this.

But was that your experience during the heyday of 8mm or just recently.

What I was thinking that with less numbers of films they handled, they will not get mixed at all.

Secondly, the guy at filmshooting.com reminds me not to ask anything unless you want to get some weird responses (like you said above). He said to just simply fill out the envelope, check the box "Special Instructions" and write " Super 8mm Film, Process E-6", and drop it in the same box where the envelopes are.

He said the film returned with no problem.

Since it will go to Dwayne, I don't see any big deal with that, and Krystal from Dwyane has confirmed about this Walmart contract.

Can you check your local Walmart if they have this kind an envelope and why not to try one cart?

(ps: I can send mine if you want to give a try, and I will pay)

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on March 03, 2011, 06:16 PM:

Hey Winbert,

My stories about WallyWorld and Super-8 are what I've heard on the various Forums.

My (most) local Walmart is about 10 miles away and I don't go there very often. I do volunteer the next time my wife drags me there, I will check it out though.

I would think the less film they see the more undefined it is what needs to be done with it. (The difference between "Another one o'these" and "You ever saw one o'these?")

I remember somebody on the Filmshooting Forum telling a story about walking into a photo shop and asking for an adapter ring to put a filter in front of his lens. The guy behind the counter decided to slip into expert mode and asked "What are you trying to do?" (-always the opening notes of the "You should get a camcorder" speech.)

He answered him "I am trying to buy an adapter ring."

(-nuff said!)

Posted by Wayne Tuell (Member # 1689) on March 03, 2011, 09:05 PM:

quote:
Im almost afraid to reply ...

Im not that far away from there - why ?

I thought you hated that town Roy? I like how you big city boys call 25 - 30 miles not far. If you were a farmer you would say it is next door. [Razz]

Winbert, honestly you would be much better off paying a little more to get your film developed. The only thing Walmart is good for is undermining the small businesses of America and anywhere else the branch out to.

Posted by Winbert Hutahaean (Member # 58) on March 03, 2011, 09:11 PM:

quote:
The only thing Walmart is good for is undermining the small businesses of America and anywhere else the branch out to.

The same opinion was also expressed in filmshooting.com. This is a opinion doesn't make sense to me.

If Dwayne will be killed by Walmart's deal....why Dwyane make a contract with Walmart??

Dwayne is free to say "no" if it, like you say, will undermine their business. But as Krystal tells us, it is Dwyane who is signing contract with Walmart, meaning Dwayne gets benefit from that.

Can someone explain?

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on March 03, 2011, 11:03 PM:

What it means is that Walmart has a history of moving into areas and pricing competitors out of business. This may just be free enterprise, but the other part of it is they also have a reputation of deciding after a while the business in an area isn't worth their being there and closing up shop and leaving an area storeless and jobless.

This has given them the nickname "The Merchant of Death" and caused more then a little resistance when they plant a "Coming Soon" sign near a town. In an area like I live in there is too much business for any one merchant to dominate, but in rural areas Walmart has been accused of making more than one ghost town.

They really push hard on their suppliers for absolute minimum cost. After all, imagine the deal they are getting from Dwayne's in exchange for the volume of sales they must be offering them. Unfortunately this tends to cause their suppliers to really squeeze their labor force.

Posted by Winbert Hutahaean (Member # 58) on March 04, 2011, 10:20 AM:

Hi Steve, I fully understand what you are saying. This is the so-called capitalism.

Let us avoid to discuss it.

But, I think some members here and at filmshooting forum forgot that the original contract is between Walmart and Fuji Film. You can check to any PhotoCenter that Walmart is working with Fuji for all type of films.

Now, it is mentioned at filmshooting that Fuji will forward that to Dwayne.

I can see here that Dwayne will receive the same amount ($12) per cartridge they processed from Fuji. It is Fuji subsidizing the consumers to keep its reputation of processing all type of films.

I believe, this is similar to PK59 when Kodak gave Dwayne the authority to process film with PK59 for Kodak's efficiency.

I remember the latest PK59 was sold in the middle of 2000 for price around $10/envelop. Yet Dwayne process it and sent to me (in Canada by a Priority Mail, costing $11), making up the total cost became $23.

Kodak obviously paid whatever Dwayne asked rather than to process by themselves. This means Kodak subsidized us for its reputation.

So I don;t see using Walmart will undermine Dwayne, because Dwyane still get what they want. It is us benefited from the situation because we are subsidized by Fuji.

Do you think so?

Posted by Wayne Tuell (Member # 1689) on March 04, 2011, 11:00 AM:

Walmart is an unethical giant who care nothing about quality. Instead of me telling second hand stories, get it first hand and call Steve Osborne sometime and simply ask him how is Walmart for business. HE can tell you the facts because he lives it. If Dwayne got in bed with Walmart well then all I can say is the may deserve what they get in the end.

If you still chose to use them, the best of luck to ya. Don't forget to factor in if Roy makes the trip over to San Jose, it is about 60 miles round trip not to mention how slow the traffic is there...That is at least $15.00 in fuel out of his pocket.

Posted by Kirkamus Anderson (Member # 2441) on March 04, 2011, 12:17 PM:

alright so I agree with everyone else.
It's not that much more to have it done right.

I like dwaynes as much as the next guy, but I put alot of faith in Pro8mm and spectra. I also live in LA so i go in person.
I think it's $15 a roll processing there.
http://www.spectrafilmandvideo.com/
www.pro8mm.com

If you wanna get cheap I used this place a LOT before I moved to LA! and I think it's $12.
http://filmvideoservices.net/

Posted by Winbert Hutahaean (Member # 58) on March 04, 2011, 01:30 PM:

quote:
Don't forget to factor in if Roy makes the trip over to San Jose, it is about 60 miles round trip not to mention how slow the traffic is there...That is at least $15.00 in fuel out of his pocket.

Wayne, thanks but who will ask Roy??, read my text:

quote:
Thanks Roy,

I need a person really close to that Walmart,

So, certainly, I will not ask Roy's favor, but someone lives very close there, who is regularly shopping there. I will risk my cart for trial at my cost to see what will be the result.

The reason because there are so many discussions over filmshooting forum and now also here, about this matter, and it ended up with sentimental relations with Dwayne. Many people forget about the important business norm, i.e Dwayne will not deal with Walmart (or Fuji) if they don't get benefit from it.

I just got again email from Krystal of Dwayne confirming their deal with Walmart is positive.

[ March 04, 2011, 03:49 PM: Message edited by: Winbert Hutahaean ]

Posted by Wayne Tuell (Member # 1689) on March 06, 2011, 04:04 PM:

Gotcha Winbert, the way I read it as you were thanking Roy and taking him up on his offer...where I live 30 miles is actually close to big stores. [Smile]

To be clear, it isn't the so-called capitalism that irritates us, it is Walmart's dis-regard for business ethics. It is too long, detailed, and to off topic to put everything in this post. Making it short, my main complaint is Walmart WILL take patented items from one company to competitors and ask them to have it made in China cheaper...that is fact, not fiction.

Bottom line is, where ever you send your film to be developed, I hope you get a quality job in return. [Smile]

Posted by David Kilderry (Member # 549) on March 08, 2011, 05:00 AM:

The worst thing that Walmart has done to the film industry is building on top of drive-in theatres!

Posted by Winbert Hutahaean (Member # 58) on March 08, 2011, 04:53 PM:

It is Walmart in North America, Woolworth and Coles in Australia, Carrefour in France and Indonesia.....etc. They are all there.

@ Wayne and Steve, just because you are dealing with super 8mm in a small quantity and not every week, you can say that. But, if our wives were asked to shop at "mom and pop" store every week, they will say "NO, THANKS".... [Big Grin]

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