Films for SALE that are still SEALED - Question

[Philip Hamilton]

Occasionally I will see old store stock posted on eBay. These films are SEALED in original cellophane wrapping.

Being sealed that long is a concern but I think only depending on HOW it was stored.

I recently purchased a MOUNTAIN FILMS release DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS - was old store stock and only taken out of the wrapping to view and grade. I watched it and the color is still decent and sound great for a film that old. So I am the second person to run the film. Maybe it is the stock that Mountain Films used when producing these - I don't know.

What is everyone else's experience with purchasing SEALED films? What condition is the film in when you opened the package? Red? Pink? VS? Faded? Or just like new?

Thanks.

[Osi Osgood]

It all depends on what the film was printed on and of course, how it was stored. No matter how well it was stored, if it was printed on quick fade Eastman, theyit will be faded, regardless.

[Philip Hamilton]

So I am seeing titles that came from the UK but are still sealed. But they are titles that look like what would have been produced here. Is it possible that they were actually PRINTED across the pond on different stock - or were they printed in the US on Eastman and shipped to the UK?

[Douglas Meltzer]

Philip,

American distributors often used UK labs to print titles for overseas sales. Many of these prints have held their color better than the US prints, however I've found that grain can be more prominent also.

[Winbert Hutahaean]

I once open a sealed Ken Films and it has VS . So there is no guarantee you will have a quality like it used to be when new. Eastman stock will fade no matter sealed or open. This is something you need to expect too when buying sealed films.

Films printed in the US land pre-1980 will 99% be on Kodak SP or Eastman hence will fade. However, the same titles were printed in the Europe there will be many chances.

I would say if it is from German then 70-80% will be on Kodak SP or Eastman, the rest will be on AGFA or Fuji.

If it is French prints, 80% would be on AGFA

If it is Italian prints, 90% on Kodak SP or Eastman

For the UK prints it is so various. It can be AGFA, Kodak SP/Eastman, 3M, or Fuji Film equally.

[Brian Fretwell]

I have the two 200ft extracts of that film from Mountain, they are on Fuji stock and as with most prints of any gauge of that film never had really good colour. I wonder what came of the project to restore it.
I do have other Mountain films releases on Agfa so youj might be lucky.