A Bargain? Probably Not!

[Maurice Leakey]

Here is a link to a 16mm feature of "In Like Flint" being sold on US eBay for $49.99. The seller says there is a vinegar smell to the film and all reels show warping. He adds "Sold as is for restoration".
Take a look at the photos. In my opinion it's far too gone to restore, except perhaps being thrown in the trash.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1967-James-...fX8mK&LH_BIN=1


Maurice

[Brian Fretwell]

Buy for the spools only, but be prepared to deep clean them. I've just noticed the link ends with BIN=1 so maybe they think that's where it should be!

[Dominique De Bast]

How do you call in English the case shown on the picture ? In French, it's called "marmotte", which is also an animal 😁

[Maurice Leakey]

Dominique
It's called a transit case. Once used by film libraries. In the fifties the U.K. libraries insisted that hirers used registered post for return of hire, this way a paper receipt was obtained. This could, if necessary, confirm that the film was returned the day after the arranged show date. The case had to be sealed with red sealing wax, the straps were tied with string and the wax dropped on the knots. Nowadays the British post will not accept these cases as they say the straps would upset the mechanical sorting equipment.

Brian
With the film is that awful state I would think it would be quite difficult to actually remove it from the spools.


Maurice

[Evan Samaras]

Yikes! Looks way far gone for restoration look at those dents!

[Dominique De Bast]

Thanks, Maurice !

I have some 16mm transit cases, like this one :


And super 8 models, probably less common, like this :

[David Baker]

How typical of people who sell film on eBay that do not have a projector or way to screen what they sell .
This film is from an estate sale so they are trying to make something off this piece of junk .
OK , I can handle a RED faded print BUT NOT one that's RED , FADED and WARPED with VS !
I'll give you 2.00 for it , final offer .

[Brian Stearns]

antique dealers who know nothing about film get them at an estate sale and think they are worth a lot

[Nantawat Kittiwarakul]

Once unspooled from the reel, it will be next to impossible to spool the film back due to its warped shape.

But that would be OK since it should be unspooled into the trash can anyway.