Titles of interest

[Alan Myers]

Im guessing a number of collectors will not agree with me here but I thought I would put a view out.
I buy very few movies these days, but if a so called "title of interest" (who decides its of interest?) comes along which many collectors may be seeking out, I think having forum threads where it is advertised to all, simply does nothing except help the ebay sellers get a higher price. I have put up one or two myself but now not sure if I am helping or hindering collectors.
overall, I think it helps the sellers, not the collectors.

[Melvin England]

Alan - You make a very credible point regarding the "Auctions of Interest" topic. I would assume it would have some effect on the final price of a sold film.
However, I am certain that the "spirit" in which the topic was intended was as a service to alert fellow enthusiasts to a particular film being available, as they may have been searching for ages for the title, and not necessarily to jack the price up.

There are also other aspects to consider.

Forum members and regular convention attendees know the real value of films, so would they go the extra few miles to secure a print ? It is not known whether these films are won by members or not. It has been said in other posts on this forum that the people paying silly money for films are either non forum members / the general public new to the game or the "money to burn" brigade where price is irrelevant. Obviously, I cannot eliminate the potential of one or two forum members being in the "money to burn" brigade too, but this is not an exact science.

[Osi Osgood]

Yes, it has been crucial to raising the overall rediculous prices we see today. I'm sure that is not what Doug and Brad intended, but that is what unintentionally happened. Before then, an auction would just get what the lucky ebayer may have gotten by being found by the seller. This means that the lucky impoverished collector, who might have actually had a chance of actually adding a decent print before, now don't even have a shot now, as Mr Moneybags gets wind of the auctions and there goes Mr. impoverished chances. Other eBay sellers see the new outrageous, prices, and so they raise they're prices sky high ... It's a chain effect, begun by having a listing of them like this.
it's just one of today's realities. However, I am sure that the sellers of today are not complaining in the least, even if it's killing off collecting in general.

[Mike Newell]

No strong opinion one way or the other on the thread .Silly prices are all over ebay on all interests as sellers smoke wacky baccy and eBay doesn’t charge insertion fees based on the starting price like they used to. Reintroduction would level prices instantly .

I think from a quick check on super 8 / 8mm indicate that items are not selling and that prices are going to fall soon.

The big collection being sold by a departed collector is flooding the market plus a lot of other titles are now becoming available. Expect a lot to turn up at the forthcoming UK conventions

There is also a dwindling pool of collectors who are buying cine and a lot or reducing or culling titles. Pink prints scratched and stripe issues plus aging equipment do not help.

[Alan Myers]

Mike, that is true, half of the problem isn't what people are paying for a print, (thats up to the buyer, no issue there), it's as you said, the high start prices, especially items like digests starting at hundred's of pounds, and those sellers who do this and are long term collectors in the hobby ought to be ashamed of themselves, if only they knew what it does to their reputation as a collector!!
But I do still think giving sellers a free ad on forums probably doesn't help.
If, for example, someone is after a title and decides to have a flutter to try and win, suddenly loads of other people will be directed to it via forums, so I then the seller is given a free ad and likely to sell it much higher.

[Osi Osgood]

I certainly hope that the prices start to dwindle, Mike, as, it's incredibly hard for "new blood" to want to get into the hobby with all of these unrealistic prices. It really doesn't represent the truth of the value of prints. and no, value is not measured on what some foolish people will sometimes pay. I can certainly say that if I had waited until now to begin collecting, I would have been completely scared off by the prices.

[Mike Newell]

Prices will drop. New blood would not come near the hobby at those crazy prices for what is sub standard product. Old blood downsizing or going to projectionist heaven will also be a factor.

Look at videos of conventions when Derann ran them and where about and now. Consider two things numbers and age of collectors.

[Mike Newell]

Mike, that is true, half of the problem isn't what people are paying for a print, (thats up to the buyer, no issue there), it's as you said, the high start prices, especially items like digests starting at hundred's of pounds, and those sellers who do this and are long term collectors in the hobby ought to be ashamed of themselves, if only they knew what it does to their reputation as a collector!!
But I do still think giving sellers a free ad on forums probably doesn't help.
If, for example, someone is after a title and decides to have a flutter to try and win, suddenly loads of other people will be directed to it via forums, so I then the seller is given a free ad and likely to sell it much higher.

It’s like starting a feeding frenzy Alan and to a certain extent the high prices being bid are speeding up the exit process for some collectors which in turn create a higher volume which will eventually collapse prices.

[Osi Osgood]

... and speeding up the death of the hobby.

[Alan Myers]

Ebay is a funny beast, it has without doubt enhanced availability of films from a worldwide market, unfortunately, as said, it dropped the listing price to zero so has attracted the greed of many with P*** take start prices.
What people actually wish to pay is up to the buyer as they bid, but sellers coming on and starting at comedy prices definatly puts any idea of new collectors off as well as many older collectors.
With a handful of new releases in recent years, this will do nothing for the hobby other than satisfy a few hardened collectors with cash to spare, they wont get new collectors interested with the event of 4K projection where films cost a tenner and a new half hour film costs £400 plus.

But again, back to the thread, I'm not convinced advertising for sellers is a good thing, there's nothing wrong with the odd rare title being pointed out, but it's almost become an ad for an awful lot of films listed daily.

[Douglas Meltzer]

Interesting premise.

Alan asked "Who decides it's of interest?" That would be the very same people who decide that they have something they would like to share every time they post in any thread, in any section, in any part of this Forum.

I seriously doubt that people here are paying ridiculous prices on eBay for faded films and the like.

[Alan Myers]

Quite possibly, we will never know i guess but that is of course their business, I'm not criticising what people pay for a film, any criticism is aimed at those who want to start listing a horrendous prices which serves no good purpose other to put people off.

Referring to the original post,
My own thoughts are, I am not criticising the auctions of interest posts, but behind the scenes of the forum a number of collectors have voiced an opinion that the last thing a collector looking for a print needs is all out advertising on a forum making the film harder to buy due to the increased interest, or as some put it, "the forum promotes for the ebay sellers". I agree that it is not intentional, but due to the length and the increased additions to the threads of interest, a lot of people are using it. One of the problems with any public forum is just that, anyone can look in and use it.
I've not bought a film off ebay in very long time, I no longer wish to add to my collection unless it is something really special, these days the chances of that are very slim.

[Brian Fretwell]

I've always thought that "of interest" covered showing up excess pricing as well as films people might want to buy.

[Osi Osgood]

It's funny, I'm all for free enterprise and profit, and maybe I am just niave, but I look at this forum as a form of family, so when a member of the forum puts up a film request, and it suddenly shows up on eBay, (funny how that happens, eh?), at some outrageous price, not to really be a friend to the individual but to instead, take advantage of they're "friend", well, it rubs the wrong way.

[Mike Newell]

To quote from the film Nightshift “That’s what friends are for”. Go to any convention and mention you are looking for a film and lo and behold a copy will be offered at inflated price 😳