Increasing the Forum's Membership

[Melvin England]

Amongst a lot of other items, I sell super 8 films on Ebay (UK). Not in vast quantities but nevertheless quite a few over the last 10 years.
What strikes me is the number of sales I make to people who are NOT registered on the forum. As I think we have always suspected, there are far more people out there into their standard/super 8 than we think.

Consequently, in my humble attempt to try and "round them all up" and get them on here, I am now sending a little note attached to the cover with this website address in the hope that we can get a few more recruits. It's better that way as I believe messages within Ebay that contain web addresses / email addresses get weeded out and not delivered. I will monitor the Members List a little more in the future and see if any of these names eventually crop up.

If us Ebay sellers all do the same, the forum should become an even greater focal point for the worldwide 8mm/16mm movement!

[Douglas Meltzer]

Thank you Melvin. That's very kind of you! There are a number of sellers who seem to limit their online usage to eBay and do not belong to any of the forums.

[Graham Ritchie]

Its a pity we seldom see or hear from folk who were into "film making" itself, not just from the past but the present as well.

[Melvin England]

Going back to the 1980's onwards when I joined my local cine club, I found that there has always been a big divide between film MAKERS and film WATCHERS/collectors regardless of the fact that they both shared a common interest in both versions of 8mm.
When we had a commercial film watching night, there was always an underlying chunter of discontent from the makers. I personally straddled both camps so to speak.

[Steve Klare]

That's very true: as a matter of fact the origins of this Forum were years ago on another one called Filmshooting.com. It was divided among collectors and shooters. The shooters were generally shooting cartridge film for transfer and often literally said that film should never, ever be projected because then it picked up scratches. Some of these guys got really caustic towards us hobbyists (I'm not ashamed of it: I have a job and that's my time to be a professional!). Brad Miller showed some sympathy and gave us a place of our own.

I'm mostly a collector these days. I still have some cartridges, but lately I'm finding more and more often every new idea I have, I had (and did) 15 years ago. Besides, it's kind of hard to make something I cut together on my dining room table share a screen with films shot professionally with budgets and stuff! I'll say this much: it's given us some absolutely golden windows into when my son was a little kid and we still enjoy those. Lots of little kids grew up on home movies, my son's actually have credits at the end!

I've tried a number of times to invite people I've dealt with particularly on E-bay to join in here and CineSea too. It's horses and water: if they want to join they will, if they don't they won't.

[Brian Fretwell]

The other matter is even if they do join, will they participate and stay? We will all need to be even more welcoming and supportive to make it work.

[Osi Osgood]

I think that this has always been a welcoming forum. No one on here is saying, "Get Lost!"

[Dave Groves]

I've always been impressed by the knowledge of forum members and their willingness to share it and help out. This became a reality for my wife and I when member Jim Reid answered a request and met up with us in the states. He went out of his way to make our holiday and will never be forgotten. We'd never have met without the forum. Sadly, folks today seem not to need other company. Two groups I belonged to closed, one through age and number decline, and the other because no one was willing to replace old and tired leaders. I have noticed new names appearing (sometimes to sell films!!) but I guess the membership will always be somewhat small. Well done Melvin for taking the initiative. Let us know what happens.

[Brian Fretwell]

I think that this has always been a welcoming forum. No one on here is saying, "Get Lost!"

That is why I put "Even more". I know Ged doesn't like it here and wouldn't come back.

[Ali Hipperson]

Well done Melvin on this great iniative!

A motto in life which I have found to be largely a truism is: 'if you don't ask, you don't get'!

After all, it's entirely possible that at least some of the sellers don't even know about this forum 🤔