Badly used and worn 8mm / 16mm prints .

[David Hardy]

I have been logging into Ebay quite a lot lately .
Something very odd has bemused me slightly .
I have been magnifying and studying with a keen eye some of those screen shots posted by some sellers .
It seems that some people are now willing to pay over the odds for what i consider to be badly scratched and worn prints on all film gauges .
Some even have strained or torn perforations . Even worse some of those are also badly faded too .
Why is this i ask myself is it just because the movie is on actual film ? Even allowing for slight light film wear i find
some of those worn scratched copies are something i would not even watch in private . Never mind show to others .
Some even look like a cat has been let loose on a print .
I mean it's not even the case the titles are rare or hard to find on alternative visual formats in much better acceptable condition .
Oh well you pay your money and make your choice i suppose . What a funny old world we live in .

[Dave Bickford]

I think a lot of sellers just don’t understand what they have (or don’t care). And a lot of buyers don’t know what they’re buying. I’ve learned to ask about the condition of a print and definitely ask for screenshots.

[Alan Paterson]

Yep, pink and scratched prints don't do it for me either. A green emulsion scratch really hacks me off. I just can't believe that anyone would let their gate and film path get into such a state that it would scratch a print - and yet it happens. When I see some screenshots that a seller has put on EBay, where the top third of frame is full of hair and dirt, I can't believe that anyone would buy that print. If it's pink, I just avoid it but those of us with Eastman SP prints already in our collection have to accept the inevitable - or dump them on EBay and hope someone is daft enough to buy them.

[Osi Osgood]

Yep! That oh so wonderful "allure" of film! Tastes great in milk!

[Javier Herrera]

My opinion based on my experience and the thousands of copies that have passed through my hands in Spain, most of them national editions and some very rare in Super 8. In the 70s and 80s, Super 8 films were for rent in movie houses. photocinema or cinema club. You only needed to buy a sound projector, become a member and a token to rent movies. Many users were not very skilled or did not know well the operation and care of films and the projector. For this reason, some copies were scratched in just a few passes or the perforations were forced or the film broke, often due to repeating some scenes backwards and forwards. Additionally, some projector models were very bad to handle. There were many novices and few experts. Different was the one who could afford to buy a new short or feature film and who also knew the hobby well and knew how to take care of and preserve the films.

Now, when we talk about movies that are bought and sold on eBay, my opinion is that the seller must know how to describe very well the condition of the movie that he is putting up for sale. That is the main key to a good salesperson. He must previously project and take note of his state in a reasonable way. Once the condition is described and photos added, the buyer knows what to expect.

What sometimes happens is that the buyer simply falls in love with the item because of the title or rarity, buys it, and once received it, for some reason, he or she regrets it, and since eBay always agrees with the buyer, the seller is the one who is harmed. who has dedicated his time to presenting his article in detail.

It must be understood that, except for new printing copies, all films that are 40 or 50 years old have some signs of use.

[Ken Finch]

Dave is quite right. Much of the stuff these sellers obtain is from house clearance etc, and the original owners were Film libraries who had not disposed of their worn out prints or people who hadn’t a clue how to use films and projectors correctly. Film libraries quite often had to ban customers because of the state films were in when returned. Personally I would never buy films from E bay, and have only bought projectors which I needed for spares or could restore. I gave up on these some years ago because of the ridiculous prices being asked.

[Ed Gordon]

If you are selling the film below, the AD should read:

• Rare home video
• I don't have a film player so I have not played it.
• No fading, beautiful color. No evidence of physical damage
• Does have some occasional dirt on some sections