How can you fund the hobby in the future?

[Tom Photiou]

Just a thought, and i am being careful here to mention that i am in no way talking figures, only curious about the future funding's of films and equipment.
As time goes on and more people become pensioners, and with prices of everything going up around us, how do pensioners fund the hobby?
New releases are becoming more common now, many people who retire, (my Brother is coming up to retirement soon and looking forward to it) often only have the income of a pension so brand new titles may be out of reach. I myself have been selling to buy for a few years now. Obviously some pensioners will be better off than others but i wonder how some people may be planning ahead? Perhaps not add to their collections? Or maybe sell and move to digital screenings. I know many collectors do use digital as well as real film. Of course there are also some who are long term sick so income is reduced. It isn't a cheap hobby but a collection can be just a few films or a few thousand.

[Osi Osgood]

Rediculously blow cash indicriminantly without sense or reason! Hey! It works for me!

[Winbert Hutahaean]

Just a thought, and i am being careful here to mention that i am in no way talking figures, only curious about the future funding's of films and equipment.
As time goes on and more people become pensioners, and with prices of everything going up around us, how do pensioners fund the hobby?

I am in the middle of stop buying films, vinyls and trains phase. Now my time to enjoy them. Leave those available items for sale for the young or new collectors.

ps: That rule is excluded when there is a super bargain price

[Mark Silvester]

Hi Tom,

good question.

As you and many know - I moved fully to digital/Video projection a good few years ago after extensively collecting "premium" 16mm titles.

( I have kept a tiny amount of 3-4 Super 8mm shorts and a s/hand chinon SP330 for a bit of 8mm).

As a front-line NHS/Mental health worker and someone who predicts a very tight economic scenario fro 2022 - believe me the U.K. economy will be mega tight and the bills gas and electric will be sky high...that's a guarantee plus increased Council Tax to follow.

I would think most people will need to just hang on to what they have film wise or sell items to buy others ...where on earth would the justification or means come from to buy "film".? That would be crazy or even irresponsible! We all know that unless you have a lot of disposable its a pure "money pit" in the main.

My main interest is in music now and I have a few guitars that will last me until I'm dead...and a small recording studio. None of which will need anymore funds and will last years. (

I'm 61 next June 5th, 2022 I have my postponed 3 times trip to Orlando, Florida and all the Theme Parks to look forward to ...hoooray!.
I've been waiting a long time to go...Itll be the last Holiday for the foreseeable.

Anyway, take care all from the U.K.

Mark

[Osi Osgood]

Hi Tom,

good question.

As you and many know - I moved fully to digital/Video projection a good few years ago after extensively collecting "premium" 16mm titles.

( I have kept a tiny amount of 3-4 Super 8mm shorts and a s/hand chinon SP330 for a bit of 8mm).

As a front-line NHS/Mental health worker and someone who predicts a very tight economic scenario fro 2022 - believe me the U.K. economy will be mega tight and the bills gas and electric will be sky high...that's a guarantee plus increased Council Tax to follow.

I would think most people will need to just hang on to what they have film wise or sell items to buy others ...where on earth would the justification or means come from to buy "film".? That would be crazy or even irresponsible! We all know that unless you have a lot of disposable its a pure "money pit" in the main.

My main interest is in music now and I have a few guitars that will last me until I'm dead...and a small recording studio. None of which will need anymore funds and will last years. (

I'm 61 next June 5th, 2022 I have my postponed 3 times trip to Orlando, Florida and all the Theme Parks to look forward to ...hoooray!.
I've been waiting a long time to go...Itll be the last Holiday for the foreseeable.

Anyway, take care all from the U.K.

Mark

Boy, I need to learn how to quote the part I really wanted. Mark, no personal offense, of course, but the "justification" to buy film has never really been about finances, it's about enjoying the organic, old school approach. Hey, I have big flat screen, high end TVs as well, but it just isn't the same on a TV? Sharper, yes. Less grain? Yes. Restored? Yes. A memorable experience? No. But then, you used to collect, as you know, but you chose to trade in the experience for cost. Your choice, of course, but your choice doesn't necessarily make it the better choice, it's just the better choice for you. I have no problem with that, as long as you or no one else comes on here and acts like film collectors are clueless. Cheers. Best wishes.

[Paul Adsett]

I think Mark is way off base here. As a mental health specialist he should know that anything that gives a person interest and joy is just priceless in terms of maintaining mental cognition, particularly so in senior years. Since retiring 18 years ago I have found the film collecting hobby has provided me just that, with new avenues of interest opening up almost every day. For example, I recently completed a build of an external 250 watt power supply for my GS1200, which took a lot of thought and planning, and a lot of work to get it together, but every minute of the task was interesting and enjoyable. Maintaining my projectors is the same thing, some people would call it a nuisance task, but I really enjoy doing it. I do not buy a lot of films, most of the fun for me is in the mechanics of projection, and I already have a modest collection of films that I love, but I am in the game for some of the new trailers being put out by Steve, and will probably buy a digest or two from David. So film collecting does not cost me a fortune, and yet provides much joy to me and my family.
You cannot put too high a price on that.

[Osi Osgood]

Excellent post, Paul! I wish I had your technical mastery!

[Mark Williams]

For me the Super 8mm collecting hobby has always funded itself..if I want an expensive print I’ll just sell something from my collection that I rarely view to finance or part finance the purchase..it’s that simple really

[Lee Mannering]

Never been a cheap hobby but quality never comes cheaply.
As a film maker you need to be pretty keen to make your own movie.
I share Paul's views basically film collectors are film collectors and they rarely sell. Look back thru the 70s magazines and it was quoted thus by a noted journalist to be so.
I've always saved since childhood for a film and still do as it suits my style of having fun rekindling those youthful years.

[Tom Photiou]

I think this hobby can be very expensive like many hobbies are. We also made films growing up with our last one in the 1980s, a film set during WW2, using real ww2 weapons and uniforms before the gun licensing laws were changed in the UK, then most of the collection had to be given up. Our last film won a blue seal certificate from the IAC, (institute of amateur cinemaphotographers,) and gold certificates from Kodak in the top ten that year, all well documented on the other channel and in the last FFTC magazine.
Real Film collectors do sell and often, otherwise they become hoarders, you sell Lee, maybe not so much, but like many of us you are a seller on ebay. I think it's healthy and very sensible to sell to buy. Some of our films have been in our collections for over 40 years, and in recent years we have moved some on for others to enjoy, that money in return does two things, it gives me some hard earned cash back into the bank while also at the same time funding new releases. We still have 400 titles on 8mm, with 120 trailers and promos on top, along with 44 16mm feature films and 27 16mm trailers. We also keep a record of all the films we sell, in the last five years i have sold off 210 titles on 8mm and sixteen 16mm films. The buying to sell is also a part of the hobby in order to keep numbers down to a manageable level and to keep it self funding.
Unfortunatly, we dont have the luxury of extra benefits from the tax payer to help fund our hobby so it makes sense to sell and buy.

As for when we retire, i think we will simply enjoy the films we have, and there is more than enough to keep us going for years, but we will slowly sell off some more titles in order to ensure i dont leave a burden to the family.
One things for sure, there will be less collectors, and most important, with virtually no new projector parts available, vast collection wont be worth a dollar with no projectors to show them on as time goes by.

[Lee Mannering]

Tom what are your motives for all the probing questions when you already have all the answers?
I see no end to it...

[Tom Photiou]

Probing Questions? Motives? What questions? What motives? No end to what exactly? The forum is a continuation, there isn't an end!
I only have my own thoughts to my own future in the hobby,
im just curious to ask how we will all continue with our great hobby when we retire, (apart from those who are already retired of course).

[Stuart Budd]

Me personally, I use my income to fund hobbies. I have sold things in the past and always at a loss. So for me funding is basically, if I can afford. Selling stuff just doesn't work for me. Unless I deam something of value to others and can sell it without cost to myself. So I would sell for example an 8mm viewer/editor as they're handy to use to clean film prior to use (digitizing etc..). This would hopefully sell to a new participant in the hobby. So I'll feel good and they'll get a working item of use to them at a good price. Plus I still have others. This is where I find it difficult to justify selling manuals. Printed ok but PDFs! Giving those away would give $€£5 extra to spend on actual hardware. Even give them away if spending $€£10 on items. Anyway, this hobbie is cheaper than smoking but possibly just as addictive
I think it was a week or two ago that I said I quit buying projectors. For some strange reason I still keep getting them! Maybe the patch fell off. Odd! There is a reason though. Time will tell. Selling isn't one of them though.
I have discovered what type of collector of film I am though. Musical and B&W hide behind the sofa horror.

[Tom Photiou]

Your dead right about the addiction side. When i went into 16mm i said around 20 maybe 30 movies would be enough. Im now near 50. It is hard to turn films down which crop up when you dont expect it, including the new relrases.
we only started to sell to buy in the last ten years, the 30 years previous, like most people, the funds came from piggy bank savings.
Knowing how expensive films can be today is the very reason we buy to sell now, apart from that, some of our early prints from the late 70s early 80s are showing signs of fade. Even a handful of trailers today can pay for a 16 or 8mm feature. To me that makes perfect economic sense as far as a hobby is concerned. If i should win the lottery then il buy all the films i want.
I suspect prices will bottom out at some point at in time as there will be fewer colectors.
funding new films may become much cheaper, the value of second hand prints wont stay high forever. Could be a good thing i think.

[Trevor Adams]

I love old and odd 'stuff'. Amongst such stuff are unusual projectors and cameras.I've still got my toys like Cineflash,Minicine etc.plus the weird items Pathescope insisted on ,making.And the films that complimented these gadgets.Anything that will make a still picture move!Love them all.Then there are the airguns,at,...cinedux.com......Then there is all the literature about the old projectors. With not to much to do, I run Singin' in the Rain(just the song)followed by 'Put the blame on Mame boys' and 'Now you has Jazz" Wiles away the hours.Life TRULY in the slow lane at Settlers Village ;-)Trev
cinedux.com