8mm Forum: During the 8mm era, what is the lowest sale price for a 400' on Black Friday?

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Posted by Winbert Hutahaean (Member # 58) on November 24, 2012, 09:46 AM:

Hi all (especially old people from 1970s... [Big Grin]

)

Today people are hunting for bargain stuff during black Friday (actively yesterday in the USA) or boxing day (Dec 26 in the UK) which some stuff are priced really really low.

I understand the retail price for a 400' (color and sound) was $52 - $55 at that time, so during that discount season how much was the lowest price for this film that you can remember?.

Posted by Bill Brandenstein (Member # 892) on November 24, 2012, 12:05 PM:

Interesting question. When I was a kid, I don't think the Black Friday mania was like what it is now. But we also didn't have a lot of money to buy prints, and K-Mart's photo department is where we typically saw them. I can't remember them being on sale, ever.

Posted by David Ollerearnshaw (Member # 3296) on November 24, 2012, 12:45 PM:

I really thought you had made a mistake with your black Friday. I got Barbara Steel's Black Sunday in my head. Bet black friday's started to peak in the mid 80's. The UK had black Wednesday though.

Boxing day sales in UK had people queueing for sale bargains, most of which probably weren't.

Derann and other companies did/do have summer sales though, Classic have one in August, Independent 8 have one on now, if you think about the collector most would not buy many during the summer months. Winter and the dark nights were the peak for film shows. Every Saturday night for me. Both my own films and hired ones. Wish I could still hire films.

Derann had a sale at the low point for 8mm in the 80's their old 4x400ft were £39.99. I bought To Catch A Thief from them at that price (3x400ft) and quite a few more.

Posted by Kevin Meyer (Member # 2268) on November 24, 2012, 02:43 PM:

Here is a page from the December, 1977 Blackhawk catalog that lists a selection of 400' color digests from Ken that sell for $49.95 on sale for $39.88.

Posted by Winbert Hutahaean (Member # 58) on November 24, 2012, 10:38 PM:

Hi Kevin,

Thanks a lot...that's great!.

So long time ago people were rich...! they could spend $39 easily for a 16 minutes show hence they said it was CHEAP! [Big Grin]

Posted by Hugh Thompson Scott (Member # 2922) on November 25, 2012, 07:19 PM:

There was no such thing as "black friday" Winbert back in the day,
it hadn't happened yet.The digests ( 400') were outlandishly priced at £59.95 for the U/8 Dbl albums films,but could be picked up cheaper by shopping around,the Columbia digests could be
picked up for £24.00 from Portland Films, the Paramounts were
£70.00 for the 3x400's, Derann 8 reelers at the same price.
The Walton T&Js were priced at £16.00, Disney's at £19.00 200's all these were col/snd, the MGMs were £32.00 each.
This was at the start of the Eighties, It paid to buy some of
these titles from the used lists for a fraction of what they were new. See young Winbert,us old fogies have our uses, and I'm
a 50's baby.
Just as a post script,when I bought features in 1970, my first
feature was the schlock horror "The Flesh Eaters" 10 reels for
£30.00 new, which was a bit of money then, as I was earning
about £7.00 per week.

Posted by Larry Arpin (Member # 744) on November 25, 2012, 10:15 PM:

I definitely remember receiving a letter from Ken Films, possibly from late 70's or very early 80's that Kodak had raised their prices due to the cost of silver and the 400 footers went from retail $49.99 to $54.99 and dealer discount was 40% off that. I don't remember any Black Friday's until much later.

Posted by Jeff Missinne (Member # 3373) on November 27, 2012, 09:14 AM:

You're right, "Black Friday" hadn't been invented yet, but as a kid in the 60's I can remember the Target discount stores offering those little 50-foot 8mm Atlas/Coast/Carnival Films toy-projector movies at two for a dollar during the Christmas shopping season. I think they were 79 or 89 cents each the rest of the year. They were usually crummy quality, but those little reels of Laurel and Hardy and Popeye got me hooked! [Big Grin]

Posted by Hugh Thompson Scott (Member # 2922) on November 27, 2012, 09:37 AM:

Coming in on the getting hooked thing Jeff, I always wanted a
"Thunderbird" cine projector, the one advertised in "Famous Monsters" etc, it always looked the business, God knows how many little film collections it destroyed.

Posted by James N. Savage 3 (Member # 83) on November 28, 2012, 06:34 PM:

In reference to the Blackhawk sale page Kevin posted-

I purchased "Sky Riders" from that very sale!!!

I even remember it being in the bottom-right hand corner of the page [Smile]

....Don't ask me why I remember these little things- I don't KNOW!

Excellent digest by the way.

James.

Posted by Laksmi Breathwaite (Member # 2320) on November 29, 2012, 11:07 AM:

Hugh and Larry check this out , Winbert here is a selection of old ads collection of some sales during the day from an old fogie, another 50's kid. As you can see the prices used to go up and down from Red Fox to Ken films.

You may need a magnifying glass to view this?

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