A Small Archive

[Frankie Hyland]

Hi all, I'm new to the forum and to the world of Super 8mm collecting. I've always been fascinated by the format but also a little intimidated by it as well.. if that makes any sense!
I've recently come into possession of what I would consider 'a small archive'. These were purchased as one lot. I was initially interested in the horror titles only but it worked out cheaper to purchase the whole lot.. over 200 reels. I haven't been able to determine if these were from a private collection or from a rental library but they all appear to be from late '70s to perhaps early '80s.
I've yet to pass any of these through a projector (I have a Cinerex 727 projector on the way.. fingers crossed all good!) but on visible inspection, they all seem to be in excellent condition. I know that's no guarantee of quality but it's all I have to go by at the moment.

I've thrown up a few photos to give some idea of the content. Hopefully titles are readable. I can post more if there's any interest.

Cheers...

[Melvin England]

Frankie.

Firstly, welcome to the forum. Secondly, you mentioned the word Cinerex. MASSIVE RED LIGHT and deafening alarm bells !!!!!

These projectors are a disaster. Possibly the worst you could have for scratching films and general low / non performance.

You mention the films seem to be in excellent condition. They soon won't be if it goes through one of those toys. I am really sorry to burst your bubble with your first post, but you should seriously consider another projector. Eumig / Sankyo / Elmo / Bell and Howell for example. Honestly, Frankie, you would be doing yourself a huge favour. There are plenty of them available for sale on Ebay UK. They may cost quite a bit more, but it is a good investment.

Please just take this advice as part of your learning curve. Super 8 is a wonderful hobby and we really are a friendly bunch on here!..... Honestly!! I just don't want you to crash and become disillusioned at the first hurdle !

[Osi Osgood]

Melvin's right. Chuck that puppy as soon as you get it, and buy one of the projectors Melvin mentioned. Even with lesser models of the projectors mentioned, they'll still be a good deal better.

[Frankie Hyland]

Appreciate the feedback and the advice. I've taken it onboard and currently sourcing an alternative projector.
This is part of the reason why I've always felt 'intimidated' by the format.. it can be such a minefield!

I've taken my first steps down this 'rabbit hole' and curious to see where it leads me. I'm already chasing down 'The Devil Rides Out' on Derann and negotiating a price on a couple of odd reels of 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre'.

And I still don't have any means of projecting them.

It's going to be a learning curve for sure.. a steep learning curve!

[David Kilderry]

Most used Super 8 films are in generally good condition, the major failing of them from the late 70s era is colour fade. Well done on buying an entire collection, an excellent way to start. There are a few good short docos on Youtube about buying a good used Super 8 projector. The brand names mentioned above by Melvin are a good starting point.