How can you fund the hobby in the future?

[Osi Osgood]

This hobby is so weird. I think that it goes far beyond a hobby. It's more a part of you, whatever that fully means. Perhaps a very part of our identity. We all, humanity in general, have various entertainments in our life, but this goes far beyond entertainment. My love for a "B" Western by name of Grizzly Adams is a perfect example. There is something about getting away from everything and being one with nature and this is an essential part of my very fiber. Film, in general, is one and the same, and cost really never comes into it. Like anything in our lives, if we really want it, we can afford it. Look at how much people spend on a new car every few years, or even worse, a new cell phone every year or two. I also believe that there is a little "archivist" in film collectors.

[Adrian Winchester]

My employment status is complicated, but when/if I'm fully retired, I hope one benefit is having more time to sort out and dispose of large amounts of surplus films and equipment that I've long known that I don't intend to keep. These have higher market value than 10+ years ago, so I'm hopeful that the revenue will more than cover the occasional new release purchase. I recall the days when Derann felt they had to slow down their release schedule, because there were so many that collectors had difficulty affording them! Now, releases cost considerably more, but there are far less of them to tempt us than in the mid 80s to the mid 90s, so it doesn't mean we're necessarily inclined to spend more in total. I'm grateful to those going to considerable effort to produce them, because I feel new releases give the hobby a huge boost because in addition to providing new experiences for collectors, they keep the hobby 'alive' - preventing it from just being a retro interest that's entirely rooted in the past.

[Tom Photiou]

Adrian, i think i'm the same with the idea that, (although a few years away yet) when i do retire i will then have the time to get it all sorted. No one knows what the values will end up like but i cant see the very high prices of top titles remaining as they are. As far as funding the hobby in retirement is concerned, i think as some have already said, it will be time to enjoy what we have built up over the last years plus.

[Graham Ritchie]

Apart from Stuart I guess I must be the only other one here that does not "wheel and deal" on e-bay and the likes. The Super 8 films I have bought over the years I buy to enjoy, watching them from time to time and not to sell "that's just my view folks" everyone has there ideas on this hobby I guess, but as far as ever buying anymore films, that's not on the cards, as in the future my financial adviser is "watching" and in her view of my film collecting any more, would be something like this.....

[Tom Photiou]

Selling to buy was not something i intended to do. I think around ten years ago i went through a faze of buying cutdowns and features that were just offered cheap, after a while i ended up with a bunch of film that was becoming more like a hoard than a collection of what i actually wanted.
I wonder how many collectors thought that once Derann announced it's closure, the end of super was in sight? I for one had absolutely no idea that our films would begin to sell for the amounts they do. I was almost certain we would not be seeing any new releases, especially 600ft editions. Its around another seven years before i do get to the age of retirement and i really dont think things will be quite a bouncy as they are now.
Ideally, i would very much like to have kept every reel of film i ever bought, but for me to get back into 16mm again in 2017 and end up with nearly 50 good features i had to sacrifice something. In some cases, a few trailers literally paid for a feature film, some fading prints sold for much more than i paid for them many decades ago and some films we only viewed once since we bought them just seemed pointless having them sat on a shelf. This being the case, funding during retirement would be by means of selling to buy. We still intend to only add one movie for every ten sold, this way, over a period of time the collection will hopefully become a bit more manageable with less faded/fading prints and more better quality films. Other things films were sold for was to ensure the projectors were professionally serviced and add a few more machines to hopefully, se us through.

[Adrian Winchester]

Apart from Stuart I guess I must be the only other one here that does not "wheel and deal" on e-bay and the likes. The Super 8 films I have bought over the years I buy to enjoy, watching them from time to time and not to sell...

Graham - It's not entirely a matter of wheeling and dealing - and I haven't sold a film on ebay for many years. In my case it's more a matter of going to events and open days and seeing films for very reasonable prices that I've never previously had a chance to view, and then being curious to see them. If I then liked them in terms of both content and quality, I'd keep them, but it's common for me to only decide to keep about a third! There are also prints I sell because I've (e.g.) found another copy that's in mint condition. You may have had less opportunities in NZ to make such impulse buys at events, but if you've rarely bought a film which you've found disappointing and didn't want to watch again, that's something to be envied!

[Graham Ritchie]

Good points Adrian

I think about 90% of Super 8 films I have ever bought was from Derann either new, or from the second hand list, either in A or AB condition. I was particularly interested in buying the Disney features and the Silly Symphony cartoons, plus many other eg, L/L titles that I was and to this day still interested in watching. I would never part with any of them that's for sure.

So Adrian I cant think of a film that I have bought, that's been disappointing and didn't want to watch again. I certainly understand where you are coming from regarding upgrading to better prints if one comes along at a convention.

For me though, buying Super8 films basically stopped years ago when "Derann" closed, "price wise" they were very reasonable. I do "miss" those days of getting that lengthy newsletter.

[Brian Fretwell]

I'm pretty sure the later massive, ever changing, Derann second hand lists were due to collectors trading in films for newer releases.

[Graham Ritchie]

Brian

I did suspect though at the time, that it was due to mainly film collectors selling up there films to pay for the change to Video Projection. The up dated Armchair Odeon that came out, did show that all the film collectors that had featured in the original Armchair Odeon VHS release, had all moved over to video projection and DVD, hardly a film projector in sight. For me watching the before and after of up dated version was quite depressing to watch, I feel it was a mistake for them to give up one format completely for the other but many did.

With those kind of changes going on, I felt it was just a matter of time before producing Super8, was either going to become way to expensive, or the numbers of film collectors jumping ship for VP, I guess was going to effect future sales due to being less of them.

[Tom Photiou]

As i understand, Derek Simmonds at that time was actually telling collectors that the future of the cine way was doomed and the way forward was video/DVD projection. At that time im sure many people thought the same, so DFS part exchanged many collectors entire collections for these overly priced video projectors. Fortunatly, we never left the real film hobby.

[Lee Mannering]

Above. Thank you Ade, the new releases are a miracle in themselves made to happen by a dedicated few for reel love of film of course. People are supporting them more and more partially im guessing Due to inflated pricing on the bay for vintage films.
I'm pleased to have a very teeny microscopic input to help but what does amaze me is the dedication of the team who bring us these.
Reel Image led the way of course and how grateful we are to buy new top quality prints. Amazing in the digital age.

Off topic. Local dvd trader shop closing here after 27 years trading. Poor old guys will.miss him buying the films and socially swapping stuff. Some of them were film collectors of old. Sad to see.

[Graham Ritchie]

Here is a bit of a blast from the past with "some names" you may recognize, while looking through old FFTC magazines today.

[Osi Osgood]

Buy low, sell high! I usually tend to have more cash after buying a film, when I resell it, which means more films. Your right, Lee, quite often, these days, the vintage print will actually sell for more, than a new print! I remember that article! When Gian and I released "Saturday morning madness", it was written up in the three top super 8 mags of the time, and I also have had included in various magazines, various articles, and never for money, all for love of the hobby!

[Tom Photiou]

With this in mind then, would you carry on selling to fund replacement titles when you retire? Personally, i dont think the value of second films will stay this high in years to come as numbers of collectors reduce and equipment to show them on become less availible. I may be wrong but even today desirable titles become more scarse and lets be honest here, 90% of titles we see for sale most days in lists orvon line is the same crap going around in circles. My guess is a lot of collectors will thin out collections and look after what they have, perhaps occassionally buying the odd rare title as they crop up.

[Stuart Budd]

I want to buy new film to encourage new and also being part steering a direction for future releases.
For my very short time in this hobbie, used is fine but colours are fadeing and the color cast.
Spending on new helps prolong spending on used doesn't (it does if the seller is funding for new). I'm actually looking forward to next years releases. Hopefully I'll still be in a job and will have saved for a couple of prints. I'm sounding more like a film buff everyday.