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https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/284154937895
so seen this on ebay and is going for crazy money but is it even what it says it is on the tin .no pictures .not even a picture of the film what does everyone think ?
I'm guessing the high bids are because the bidders believe the film to be an episode that is missing from the BBC archives. Being possibly the only print in existence would make it very desirable to some collectors.
Last edited by Gary Sayers; January 27, 2021, 02:32 PM.
Nigel / Gary - Yes, crazy price unless this is a one off "lost" print. The starting price was a modest £25, so if bidders want to pay that price, that is THEIR problem. Just wish I was the seller!
I thought madness on this, one picture of the actual film and no screenshots and barely a description but buyers went crazy, if it is a lost print then you probably wont find another hence the price, hope whoever's bought it is happy with there purchase, Mark
I think some of the trouble was that it was reported on a Facebook group for vintage TV and that might have started a bidding war. They ask people not to do that so that missing programmes can be bought for a reasonable price and returned to archives.
I was interested in this item, and emailed the seller (because it was possibly S1 E3 1968 which is currently lost footage). However, the seller could add nothing to the description. The problem is there was nothing said that could confirm which series the film referred to, just that it was episode 3. And therefore I would not feel right about bidding and returning it later.
That was all a pity...because if this is the lost footage, some will regard that final price as very cheap indeed (including me and I will be kicking myself!).
The seller did say she had more (her dad's collection), so we shall see. No doubt the final price will act as an incentive to list further unless someone gets to buy the collection privately.
If it is a missing episode, I only hope it was won by someone from Kaleidoscope. If it's a private collector, it may not find it's way back to the BBC and reach a wider TV audience like the last two Morecambe and Wise returns a couple of years ago (though not Kaleidoscope returns).
Ozzie, just out of interest, would you have bid knowing it was missing for the qudos that comes with discovering and returning a missing episode or would you have wanted it as a unique thing for your personal collection? Not making a judgement here, just genuinely curious as someone who is fascinated with the whole missing episodes thing.
Also, did you ask the seller if they had any Doctor Who in her dad's collection, because if she has, the £1561 she just got will look like small change if she sells them!
Last edited by Gary Sayers; January 28, 2021, 09:52 AM.
Ozzie, just out of interest, would you have bid knowing it was missing for the qudos that comes with discovering and returning a missing episode or would you have wanted it as a unique thing for your personal collection?
I wanted it for my modest Youtube channel (non monitised BTW). It would have gone straight on, and I would have proud as anything having found it (as I do with all my lost footage). For me personally the pleasure comes in sharing the film...and this is a selfish pleasure because lost film is only exciting to me when you show people the discovery.
No doubt sooner of later the BBC might have asked for the copy, and I would have been quite happy to sell at cost. They could do more with it than me...
Mind you, I have had some less than pleasant experiences with some archives...not least the BFI that have issued copyright take downs on some rare Public Information films from the 1960s in order to sell licenses on their use (i.e., it is not that the film is lost..it is that they are asserting a copyright as they are entitled to on films they don't give free access to). However, I have a problem with this because such films have been created for the public good, out of tax payers pockets, and blocking their free access to sell licenses after all this time is the very opposite of disseminating films which I think are part of our culture. Just MHO.
I wanted it for my modest Youtube channel (non monitised BTW). It would have gone straight on, and I would have proud as anything having found it (as I do with all my lost footage). For me personally the pleasure comes in sharing the film...and this is a selfish pleasure because lost film is only exciting to me when you show people the discovery.
Ozzie that's fantastic! More power to you and your youtube channel (any chance of a link).
I would also want to share it with others if I made a find. My main worry would be copyright problems. As I understand it, anything (in the UK) broadcast more than 50 years ago, is no longer covered by copyright (copyright act 1956), even if it has been since repeated. Yet the BBC say you still can't upload programme clips to youtube from the 1950s and 60s? Who is correct?
There was a missing Benny Hill show from the 1960s uploaded last year and it's still there, so maybe the BBC really can't touch these 50+ years old episodes?
I would also want to share it with others if I made a find.
Yes...and so you can imagine why there are plenty that like doing this too.
On the Copyright, from what I have gathered, the law is complex (70yrs, 50yrs, all sorts of dates for Crown Copyright, international variations, and re-copyrighting etc). But the bottom line is, in most cases smaller Youtubers don't really stand a chance if a take down request is made by a large organisation that is determined to make a claim, whatever the legal standing is...well that is my experience.
I would rather not give a link just now to my channel...but here is a hint, the Benny Hill Show is probably one of mine (unless someone else found one as well last year!).
You know Ozzie, I kind of thought, after you mentioned your youtube channel uploads, that it could be your channel that has the Benny Hill episode on it.
Poor Benny isn't as likely to get anything like the publicity and exposure (if at all these days) than a M & W recovery, yet he was one of the true comedy genius' of British TV.
Same with Harry Worth, where several episodes were recovered a year are two back (I think they were returned with the Morecambe and Wise episodes) but hardly a mention from the BBC. I don't expect these to have a DVD release anytime soon.
Yes, Benny's earlier work in the 1960s seemed to me very good for its day...but I doubt the BBC would like to be associated with brand Benny nowadays.
Same with Harry Worth, where several episodes were recovered a year are two back (I think they were returned with the Morecambe and Wise episodes) but hardly a mention from the BBC. I don't expect these to have a DVD release anytime soon.
Yes, and of course now one can only hope that the Harry Worth episodes are put to DVD at some point, if they are to be seen outside any future BBC transmission.
Over here in the UK some us have been letting vintage material go to Talking Pictures. This way at least people get to see it before it disappears for one reason or another and viewers can access it once again.
Thank you TPTV
If you feel you have something of interest contact them, get involved with the bigger picture before it fades away and preserve British Cinema History.
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