8mm Forum: Best Bargain Ever?

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Posted by Scott G. Bruce (Member # 384) on December 03, 2005, 09:20 AM:

OK, I'd like to know what you guys consider to be the best bargain you have ever found for a film that you wanted. Have you ever come across a "grail" item priced at next to nothing at a flea market or found an incredibly rare film just waiting for you because it was mislabeled and ignored?

Looking forward to hearing your inspiring tales of discovery! SGB

Posted by Chip Gelmini (Member # 44) on December 03, 2005, 10:11 AM:

Earlier this year I picked up a copy of Titanic in scope/stereo, and a print of ID4 that came in the same box. This was not from a flea market or yard sale, but privately from one collector to another. The price was very good, the prints exactly as described, and the seller very trustworty and exteremly patient.

And then there is last week.....a print of 2001 in scope with very good color and sound, and again a great price from yet another seller!!!!!

By the way, this was a very good question and I enjoyed posting!!!

And on that note, may I add HAPPY HOLIDAYS to all in this forum.

:-)

CG

[ December 03, 2005, 01:27 PM: Message edited by: Chip Gelmini ]

Posted by Jan Bister (Member # 332) on December 03, 2005, 02:07 PM:

I picked up a mint copy of L&H's Way Out West for about $30... and came upon Intolerance for less than $20, albeit a silent print of it. (One with sound just sold on eBay for close to $70).
The most I've ever paid for a feature film was about $200 for 7th Voyage of Sinbad... Yup, I do rather well at this... [Smile]

Posted by Mal Brake (Member # 14) on December 03, 2005, 03:11 PM:

At a BFCC about 12 years ago I bought a new 3 x 400ft version of 'TRUE GRIT' for £23.00. It is still in first-class condition and apart from the abrupt start is a good mini-feature.

Posted by Jan Bister (Member # 332) on December 03, 2005, 08:39 PM:

Speaking of best bargains - OK, this isn't a film but I swear it's making me sick (if it's true)... [Eek!]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7568707168

Posted by Andreas Eggeling (Member # 105) on December 04, 2005, 04:28 AM:

15 years ago I bought a collection of 120 m color sound reels in very good condition, each reel for 5 German Marks, was £ 1,66 (now about 2,5 EUR ) with some rare wanted marketing-films like all three parts of Star Trek. [Big Grin]

My worst deal was, when I was looking for the full length spanish version of Ruggero Deodatos "Holocausto Cannibal" in the spanish 8mm forum this year. I got an offer from Madrid for a print in very good conditions without splices (muy buen estado, no empalmes).
I bought and paid and
I got a print with over 40 splices, about 40% of the film is missing. 150 EUR for the fire. This case was discussed in the spanish forum, when different frauds was a topic there. I am sure nobody else will buy from him again.

Posted by Jean-Marc Toussaint (Member # 270) on December 04, 2005, 05:36 AM:

A few years ago, I purchased a big tote bag full of reels at a flea market for a mere 200 francs (20 GBP or 30 bucks). There was everything in there, package films from Ken, Soundies, cartoons, even porn. Most of my Disney shorts come from this bag.

But my biggest bargain ever was not films, it was a projector. My wife gave me my Beaulieu 708 as a gift, after we'd discovered this machine, in near mint condition, at an antique store (dealing mostly in old radio parts and lamps) for the equivalent of 150 dollars. The owner also gave me the cutdown of "The Rose" (as you can see not all reels come from Ian... ) in the process.
(Sorry, Jan, I guess you know your way to the bathroom, now... [Wink]

)

Posted by Winbert Hutahaean (Member # 58) on December 04, 2005, 07:11 AM:

My best bargain was quite new and even I posted it in this forum. It was from Ebay. The seller was unsure about the film and putting the "7th Voyage Sinbad" as the title. He was also unsure about the length and just mentioned 500", which was for colletors this length was unusual.

One buyer asked if this title was the 7th Voyage, then the seller revised it by saying that he had mistakenly written the title which supposed to be the Golden Voyage Sinbad. Having this unsure condition, no buyer placed a bid, while I came to his auction just a minute before it ended. (Luckly) I did not see that correspondce which was on the bottom page of the description. Otherwise, I would not also place a bid. Finally, I won this auction for US$11 only.

The parcel finally arrived at my home....and...it contained BOTH titles! The most joyfull one was they were mounted on very full 600" reels each, which both 7th Voyage and Golden Voyage were in compleat series.

But at the moment I am in the middle of purchasing a very bargain 8mm films. There are 108 titles (Disney, Ken, Castle, etc). The seller, an old lady English teacher, told me that all were color and sound, where 98 reels were 15 cm (should be 200") and 9 reels were 25 cm (should be 400"). I didn't want to cheat her with those 8mm films and therefore I left her to say the price. She said US$1 each...!...should I reject this?!

The problem is she is not staying in Fiji..but far away. I got her contact from Friend of friend. I have to assign someone to check the films on my behalf. I have a friend who can do that for me. But another problem arises, can he check according to the collector's standard, e.g color, sound, VS, etc.

Since this is 100 more stuff which means US$100 is going to be risked...I am now thingking what should I do? I willpost with the follow up later on.

cheers,

Posted by Jean-Marc Toussaint (Member # 270) on December 04, 2005, 07:21 AM:

Winbert, I think honestly that at 1$ each, it is worth risking, even without having someone checking the prints. There might be some true gem in there... who knows?

Posted by Tom Photiou (Member # 130) on December 04, 2005, 08:49 AM:

Mine was a projector. I got a mint condition Elmo St800 for £30, Like an idiot i sold it becoause i had only just moved into my first house and thought the money would be useful.Thats what happens when you get married, (divorce should be a sceam [Big Grin]

)

Posted by Jan Bister (Member # 332) on December 04, 2005, 08:56 AM:

Well, after reading about Jean-Marc's incredible luck digging up that Beaulieu for next to nothing... um... suddenly I'm not feeling so good... *runs to bathroom yet again*

[Big Grin]

Speaking of projector bargains, though - I picked up a somewhat beat-up but working Bell & Howell Filmosonic 600ZRX for maybe $13... just about their most advanced model, with all kinds of inputs and outputs, recording VU meter and manual level control, and even a fast (and massive!) f1.2 zoom lens instead of the usual f1.5 one.
[Smile]

Posted by Stuart Fyvie (Member # 38) on December 04, 2005, 04:02 PM:

About 15 years ago I purchased about 14 600 ft comp. spools of various
4x 200 ft cartoon reels. Tom and Jerry, techno Warners Disney etc.
All this for 60 quid.

Posted by Yanis Tzortzis (Member # 434) on December 04, 2005, 06:30 PM:

Two years ago my housemate found, wandering around a high street charity shop in Harborne, B'ham,an ELMO GS-1200 for the price of £175! Sounded unbelievable but the machine was in excellent condition apart from a noise it was making in the first couple of minutes after threading the film. Of course it was bought without delay and obviously has since been the flagship of my S-8 projectors both in the UK and in Greece.
Last November a mate working in the Uni of B'ham told me of another ELMO projector he had saved from a skip(!!)outside his Dept,and offered it to me for free.It turned out to be an ELMO 16-CL,which introduced me to the magic of...collecting 16mm!It was in very good condition and has been the major cause of my bank account going into the red in 2005 [Wink]

...It's such little unexpected things that make the difference in life-and in home movies;ever since I always pay attention to the contents of skips I see around-you never know what might lay in there.Shame though:such machines ending like that [Frown]

...

Posted by Alan Rik (Member # 73) on December 04, 2005, 08:39 PM:

Hmm...not many bargains in the way of films but equipment..
Elmo ST-180E listed on sale for $250. Perfect condition but it wasn't running when we tried it. She sold it to me for $35. (was the belts!)
Then an Elmo GS800 at a garage sale for $150. We tried it and it didn't work. Sold for $60. (It was the belts.)
Package deal for $200--Elmo ST1200HD with: Feature Length Grease, Feature length Saturday Night Fever, advertised Feature of The Warriors..but actually it was Murder on the Orient Express. And a bag full of Tom and Jerry cartoons on 1x1200ft reel. And 4x1200ft Steel Elmo Reels, 3x 800 ft Elmo Plastic reels.
That last one was a good one! [Smile]

Only problem? The color on Grease and Saturday Night Fever was fading, the Orient Express was RED and the machine? It sounded very loud and worse thing of all...there were little roach sacks inside of it. I cleaned it the best I could but still...ugh. I still have the reels though!
And about the Beaulieu 708.. you know it really probably didn't sell at the final price shown. The seller probably agreed to sell it for between $400-600. Most likely but you never know.

Posted by Trevor Adams (Member # 42) on December 04, 2005, 11:30 PM:

I recall getting the feature,"Happiest Days of Your Life" for $NZ39......once [Wink]

Posted by John Clancy (Member # 49) on December 05, 2005, 02:34 AM:

Master and Commander - £350 from Derann. Bargain.

Posted by Barry Johnson (Member # 84) on December 05, 2005, 12:36 PM:

An Elmo Standard8 projector (silent) for 99pence off ebay and a Toei Talkie for twenty quid from the same source!
Both in hardly used condition.

Posted by Winbert Hutahaean (Member # 58) on December 05, 2005, 02:32 PM:

This is a real bargain for the M&C which was sold GBP 274 http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6454838262

cheers,

Posted by Scott G. Bruce (Member # 384) on December 05, 2005, 10:49 PM:

Wow! Some very interesting replies.

My biggest bargain to date was picking up a complete feature-length version of MIGHTY JOE YOUNG on ebay for $13 US. It was part of a lot of odd reels and was listed as incomplete. I took a chance on it. Imagine my delight! Sometimes, just sometimes, ebay really does pay off.

SGB

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