A Very frustrating Hobby.

[Phillip Campey]

I thought I would give forum members the first opportunity to purchase it, I’m now going to put it on eBay.

[Alan Myers]

Well, it isn't sold until it's paid for!

Another addition to my frustration thread is the film many are watching, Phantasm, re listed apparently due to the buyer being unable to afford it.
WHAT A @#"%@, who are those idiots who bid knowing full well they aint going to pay??
Phil, I hope you get a good price for your Star Wars, just keep an eye on the bidders, if they got less a few good feedbacks it could be well be dodgy.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/285154085...Bk9SR5a38onOYQ

[Dave Bickford]

Having just re-started my 8mm hobby, I lean towards purchasing B&W prints. Every color film I’ve purchased so far has faded very badly. Some color prints are just red. Prices vary wildly too. Most of the 400’ sound prints I’ve purchased (both color and B&W) have been around $40 USD. But then again, I’ve purchased a nice Three Stooges print for $10 and a large lot of Little Rascals films that worked out to about $5 for each print. Be friendly with your sellers too. That’s how I got the Stooges and Rascals films so cheap.

[Winbert Hutahaean]

...want to join the hobby unless they had an enormous bank account ....
Help me understand please.

if we look at the Ken's catalog often found in the box of their releases, the price for a 400 feet color and sound is $52.

Without need to calculate the inflation rate that is already expensive for today's standard. Anybody here want to pay that much for a 16 minutes heavily edited film?

That $52 was in 1980 or 43 years ago... is $190 for today's money. With the shrinking market and the rarity of lab, sound stripping etc no wonder the price for a new release 600" is around $250 now.

cheers,
winbert

[Burton Sundquist]

...crazy prices! But the best piece of wisdom that I received here on the Forum is that the cost of a print is up to the buyer: how much you want to spend is up to you! if you think the seller is asking too much he has already counted you out. He has done his research.
We all agree that times are tough and prices are high: and at some point one regrets paying for a particular print. OR complains about current prices on EBay. The seller can set what ever price they want. It is up to us as to participate or not. DON'T BID Unless you are willing to pay what you think the print is worth!

[Alan Myers]

I would doubt very much about sellers doing their research Burton. You only got to look at some of the listings to realise that some sellers are clueles or stupid,or perhaps think that buyers are.
I'm not implying this to all sellers of course.

[Philip Hamilton]

Close to 2 years ago I got back into the hobby. Mainly because I wanted to go back and collect those Castle Digests that as a kid I wanted but could not afford! Then I decided to go SOUND as well -- something I never had the money to experience as a 13 year old in 1970.

I now have an Elmo ST-180E M sound projector and an Argus ShowMaster 500 for standard 8mm - just like the one I had in '70 or '71. I love the simplicity of the projector and the one I have works really well and is in good condition. Most of the films I am collecting now are Super 8 Sound but for some nostalgic purposes I have some 8mm film copies of what I had back in the day. Love running those on the Showmaster...

Is the Hobby Frustrating? At times it can be but for the most part I enjoy the treasure hunt of finding a really vintage SOUND film in great condition. Works for B&W films... Color? Not so much. EVERY vintage color film I have purchased just doesn't have good enough color to keep so I have purchased then sold them. Can't watch a reddish pinkish print. I will only take a chance now if accurate pictures are posted and the color looks B+ at a minimum. Otherwise I know I won't be able to enjoy it.

I have purchased some NEW import prints with color like JURASSIC PARK - 600 ft. Digest. Looks great!! I also have two version of JAWS, STAR WARS, and DRACULA 1958 - all imports and the prints are beautiful. I love digests. Well edited ones. All of these are for sure.

The imports are pricey but with a niche market and extremely limited seller/service providers for Super 8mm - well - it is what it is. But like has been stated if you find something you want then you will know whether it is worth it - to YOU.

Mileage varies in the collectible industry.

[Phillip Campey]

Now prices are really going crazy😂

[Alan Myers]

You think he would accept 24,500?

[Mike Newell]

He is consistently nutty. 🤪All his prices are at that oxygen free stratosphere level. It’s the krypton plastic it sealed in apparently comes from a different far away universe brought in by grey aliens 👽. Plus it’s not VHS. You would love eBay to bring insertion fees in for one week. Would clear all the loonies off.

[Graham Ritchie]

Mike if e-bay did that, there wouldn't be anyone left just kidding

[Mike Newell]

Mike if e-bay did that, there wouldn't be anyone left just kidding

In the olden days that’s the way it used to Graham. Mind you EBay took 5% not 20% he he.

He has videos at bargain price of £1200. I actually bought the Jurassic Park trilogy on Blu ray sealed for 99 pence. In 20 years I’m going to be soooooooo rich 🤑 rich 🤑 rich

[Trevor Adams]

I'm a 'collector'-of quite a few things! Can't recall when I wasn't fascinated by,'the moving picture'..Soooo,I collect gadgets that were invented to make pictures move. Fulfills a 'need' I guess.

[Steve Lee]

I was told many years ago by an antique/collector dealer in the U.K. If you are going to sell something, you must always leave something in it for the next person.
You can't have the top price, otherwise the system collapses, and this is so true. An item is only worth what one person is prepared to pay for it, and that goes for anything.
Since I was a teenager I have always bought and sold things, from a pitch in a collectors market and then Ebay. In most cases depending on the item, if I can double my money compared to what I paid for it, I am happy.
As for these prices on Ebay there are no words for this. You ask yourself what is the mentality of these people, to even think you would stand a chance of selling it!
The problem is it destroys it for everyone else.

[Melvin England]

This hobby certainly has a 2 tier pricing system.

1) Ebay prices

2) Convention prices...... and I include ALL conventions in the UK not just Blackpool.

The point is that serious collectors know a film's worth, which is convention prices, and they are willing to travel to these to get these realistic prices. Whereas Ebay also rounds up the uninitiated. Those non regular collectors who DON'T know what they are doing, those sellers who think they have the Holy Grail, and the chancers who hope to fleece them. There are a couple of regular sellers who seriously get my goat, so to speak. No names, but they seriously take the P155. My sympathy lies with any serious collector that for health reasons cannot attend conventions and are stuck with Ebay.