Are some people crazy............?

Now, I'll be the first to admit that I'm not the sharpest pencil in the box. Actually I wouldn't be the first to admit that , my wife would and I'd just second it. But from what I have just noticed is that there are many, so called, dull pencils out there right along with me.
I love film photography, but since my last name isn't Romney or Rockefeller I have to cut corners where I can to continue to do what I enjoy. So, I was over on the "BIG" auction site and thought I'd check into maybe buying some 120 B&W film cheap. Mainly for camera testing and just playing around. I couldn't believe the prices some people are paying for film there! They are paying as much for expired film as I buy new film for from Adorama, B&H or even Freestyle. What's wrong with these people? Haven't they ever heard of these places? Why would you gamble on a horse you've never seen race for one you know has been standing in the winners circle before. Needless to say I closed it down and went to Freestyle and bought a couple of bricks of Arista EDU 100 (Foma 100) and then went to Adorama and bought a brick of Acros. I would have bought it all from Freestyle, but I really don't like their price hike on Acros and was launching my own form of protest buy giving Adorama my Acros business. Besides, I come from farm country and the old saying is, "Money is like manure! It doesn't do any good unless you spread it around." I might check into buying some Chinese Shanghai film, but don't know much about its consistency. I did use some Chinese film called ERA, in 4x5, and really liked that, but I don't think this Shanghai film is the same. I guess I'll just keep trying to buy the best I can for the least money until I have my own film making/coating machine. JohnW

You wouldn't be the first to be amazed at the prices people pay for some of the things they buy on auction sites. In many cases what they buy are still available new at lower prices as you have discovered and in some instances I think they are just trying to cash in on peoples ignorance (I think I saw a link somewhere here to someone who was selling empty 120 spools with a starting price of $9.95 or something like that).
Just be grateful that you are not one of them.

I'm like you John, I am truely amazed at how insane it is to spend as much as some folks think their expired film is worth. If you are interrested, I shoot alot of Shanghai GP-3 120 format, love the stuff. I would let some go for a reasonable price. It is a tad curly, but I dont have any problem with that, I love the "old school" look it gives.

[(I think I saw a link somewhere here to someone who was selling empty 120 spools with a starting price of $9.95 or something like that).
Just be grateful that you are not one of them.[/QUOTE]

Yup, I'm smarter than that! If I need empty 120 film spools I'll just buy new film for less money a roll, strip the film/backin paper off and throw it away. Ha! Ha! Sounds like the Epson printer fiasco a few years back. The replacement ink was so expensive for one of their new printers that when people ran out of ink they were actually buying a new printer cheaper, stripping the ink cartridge's out that came with it and then selling the printer "as new" without the ink on the "BIG" auction. I remember seeing tons of those printers for sale there. Fact is I almost bought one until I used the Internet to research that model Epson. Thank God for the Net. JohnW

Rick A said:

I'm like you John, I am truely amazed at how insane it is to spend as much as some folks think their expired film is worth. If you are interrested, I shoot alot of Shanghai GP-3 120 format, love the stuff. I would let some go for a reasonable price. It is a tad curly, but I dont have any problem with that, I love the "old school" look it gives.

Click to expand...

Well, if it's a film that's guaranteed/warranted and an emulsion you can't find, but desperately want? Yes, I might pay a little more, but the only film I truly miss is the old Kodak VerichromePan and I'm really getting by just fine without it to be very truthful. Do you have any experience with Foma 100 or 200 films? Is the Shanghai GP-3 anything like Foma 100? I really don't like curl, but I use glass carriers in my enlarger and Nikon scanner so I can make do. JohnW

i second! a year or so ago you used to be able to buy 120 film for at least £5 less than new but now its even more. i can get ilford films for £3.48 per roll from ag photographic but on ebay you end up paying £6! just not worth it! the best bet is to find films that are finishing at strange times when people are either at work or in bed. then there will be less bidders.

Personally, I admit to being crazy, but I am careful with my money. And with my film. I only buy film from the local camera store and from New York. Film is too important to be cheap with. On the other hand, I recently lost a couple of lens caps. The NY place wanted 7.75 for the camera brand. I looked on the big auction site and found a guy selling the same caps for 3.25 with free shipping. I bought three of them. It pays to check around. And I ignore the film spools for 9.95. And by the way, I have a few I'm willing to let go of for 8.95 ....

mfohl said:

Personally, I admit to being crazy, but I am careful with my money. And with my film. I only buy film from the local camera store and from New York. Film is too important to be cheap with. On the other hand, I recently lost a couple of lens caps. The NY place wanted 7.75 for the camera brand. I looked on the big auction site and found a guy selling the same caps for 3.25 with free shipping. I bought three of them. It pays to check around. And I ignore the film spools for 9.95. And by the way, I have a few I'm willing to let go of for 8.95 ....

Click to expand...

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE TH BIG AUCTION! I just don't buy much film there. I used to be a camera/photo equipment dealer and know what good equipment used to cost. I have bought many fine pieces off eBay and will continue to do so, but I, like you, shop wisely. Oh, and I have some empty 120 spools I'll let go for $6.00 ea.. Heck, I'll even include free shipping if bought in lots of 15. Plus, I have a few small parcels of swamp land in Florida I could part with if you're really interested. Ha! Ha! Yes, for play older film might be fine, but not worth the risk for other stuff. JohnW

Not just the "big auction sites" I saw a roll of 110 out dated of Fuji color for $19.00 on a online store and today on C list someone is selling a K1000 with a couple of 3rd party lenss for $300. Last year someone was asking $1000 for a Konica T 4 with winder and 3 lens, I called the seller and asked what was her thought process was, the kit was worth $125 to $150, she told me that she knew that but if someone was willing to pay her $1000 she would take it. I dont know if her ever sold it, never saw it posted again.

Wait a minute! Surely everything on the big auction site is cheaper. That's why it's an auction site. It is clear that enough people believe that to sustain the prices. The same is true of the U.K e-bay in the film section. If buyers cannot be bothered to check out a range of retailers' prices and be wise to the ways of the market then I have to sadly conclude that they deserve to pay the prices asked.

pentaxuser

PDH said:

Not just the "big auction sites" I saw a roll of 110 out dated of Fuji color for $19.00 on a online store and today on C list someone is selling a K1000 with a couple of 3rd party lenss for $300. Last year someone was asking $1000 for a Konica T 4 with winder and 3 lens, I called the seller and asked what was her thought process was, the kit was worth $125 to $150, she told me that she knew that but if someone was willing to pay her $1000 she would take it. I dont know if her ever sold it, never saw it posted again.

Click to expand...

Sounds like one smart lady to me. People used to use me and other dealers to value their photo equipment that they wanted to sell. I finally got smart when they would ask, "what's this worth"? I'd finally just say to them, "whatever you can get" and leave it at that. Remember what P.T Barnum said, "There's a sucker born every minute". At least I think he said it. I also think he is way off for our time. More like a sucker born every1/2 sec........JohnW

I'M SHOCKED... NO, REALLY SHOCKED... AT SOME PEOPLES' VULNERABILITY... YEAH, REALLY SHOCKED. Okay... I'm not shocked at all. Some people are just stoopid.

I remember getting a metric shit-ton of expired film on e-big many years ago when I was on less than a shoestring budget with photography. There used to be deals to be had, but today they are rare to come across. Mostly it's just either junk, and some people just LOVE to experiment with old film due to a certain unpredictability, as if there is some sort of cool factor in doing so. I have no problems with that at all.
But it is really funny to watch some of the prices on FRESH film. That's the part I don't understand either. But more power to the re-sellers for getting more money than their merchandise is actually worth. That's pretty smart, if you ask me.
Plus, don't overlook the thrill that people get from bidding on an item, and beating somebody else to the punch. That might be worth a few extra dollars to some.

I don't know if that's the case here, but there is also a possibility of price difference across localities. For example, someone sells a roll of film for $20 with free shipping. If you live in US, that would be considered a silly price to pay, since you can buy it from magnitude of retailers for half that. However if you live in some distant place like East Africa where film is simply unavailable locally, or available for $30 or more, then $20 with free shipping becomes a bargain price. Once again, I don't know if that's the case here, but it is a real possibility.

I have FRESH, IN DATE, ALWAYS FROZEN Ektar 100 4x5 on eBay right now for $24.50 per box with CHEAP SHIPPING. No buyers. Go figure.....

Maybe I should keep it until it's 10 years OOD and then sell it for twice the money??

Its certainly a mix. The site brought motorbike parts back into sane prices though. There was a time that we had breakers in the UK selling second hand parts for more than the list price of new parts. I even called one, told them the list price and asked if they wanted to make a sensible deal....they hung up on me!
Some people just don't know the value of things. Some things go for nothing, some things way over the odds. I have sold items in auctions that fit into both categories.

Old-N-Feeble said:

I have FRESH, IN DATE, ALWAYS FROZEN Ektar 100 4x5 on eBay right now for $24.50 per box with CHEAP SHIPPING. No buyers. Go figure.....

Maybe I should keep it until it's 10 years OOD and then sell it for twice the money??

Click to expand...

If you keep it frozen and you don't need the space I'm sure it will increase in value when you can't get it anywhere. I had some old (in the little foil pouches) TechPan developer stashed away for whatever reason. That was until I saw what they were going for on eBay. Needless to say I don't have them anymore. About 8 mos. ago I was in a local camera store a saw a full box of the stuff for $3.00 so I bought it. When I checked out the clerk looked at me a little funny and ask what I was going to use it on and I said some Fuji Acros, which I was buying also. He just smerked and I smerked all the way out the door. Oh, I did ask if he had anymore of the stuff and he said he didn't even know where they found that one. I actually sold all of mine to a fellow in Aussie land and he was very happy to get it.

It appears that all you have to do to double the selling price is include the words Lomo and expired in the description.


Steve.

LOL!! So all I need to do to attract the ladies is to label my LOMO as OOD? DONE!!!!!!!!!!

Some folks may pay a premium to get a film that is not available in their local market. For example ILFORD make a Pan100 and Pan 400 that are only sold in a few places. If you REALLY gatta Try it, you have to either visit one of those places or buy from a dealer.

As Far as the Shanghai Seagull GP-3 is is actually not bad film. I have a shanghai Seagul TLR and it is the only film that transports corectly in that camera. The Camera designer counted on the extremely rough texture of the GP3 backing Paper. I do suspect that the Shanghai Film is packed by hand. The rolls are sealed with what looks like Masking tape with a rubber stamped "seal" of a couple of Chineese Charactters.

I still have a few rolls of ERA in 135, but understand that no more will be forthcoming.

cmacd123 said:

Some folks may pay a premium to get a film that is not available in their local market. For example ILFORD make a Pan100 and Pan 400 that are only sold in a few places. If you REALLY gatta Try it, you have to either visit one of those places or buy from a dealer.

As Far as the Shanghai Seagull GP-3 is is actually not bad film. I have a shanghai Seagul TLR and it is the only film that transports corectly in that camera. The Camera designer counted on the extremely rough texture of the GP3 backing Paper. I do suspect that the Shanghai Film is packed by hand. The rolls are sealed with what looks like Masking tape with a rubber stamped "seal" of a couple of Chineese Charactters.

I still have a few rolls of ERA in 135, but understand that no more will be forthcoming.

Click to expand...

I haven't tried the Shanghai GP3 film yet, but with the price of Fuji Acros going up I suppose I will. I too, still have some ERA in 4x5 left and truly wish I would have known how good it was before it vanished. If I had there would have been a corner in my freezer occupied with it right now. I'm trying out the Arista EDU 120 films at the moment and might fine something there I like. JohnW

I use GP3, and I've had a couple of packs that certainly seemed "hand rolled in the dark" - one roll had the emulsion side facing the backing paper.
But it is quite incredibly cheap, even allowing for the odd roll going awry.
I wouldn't use it if my living depended on it, but it doesn't, so I do. Nice tones, nice grain. I like it in Caffenol

pdeeh said:

I use GP3, and I've had a couple of packs that certainly seemed "hand rolled in the dark" - one roll had the emulsion side facing the backing paper.
But it is quite incredibly cheap, even allowing for the odd roll going awry.
I wouldn't use it if my living depended on it, but it doesn't, so I do. Nice tones, nice grain. I like it in Caffenol

Click to expand...

My living doesn't depend on any film anymore so I guess I can try it. I would really like to find a film as close to Kodaks old B&W VerichromePan film and that's why I'm looking into the Arista/Foma films, but I don't have my hopes set to high. Maybe GP3 is closer? I'll know after I try it, but I have 10 rolls of Arista EDU 100 in 120 to go through first. JohnW

FYI, Silvermax and Rollei films are WAY cheaper at Maco in Germany than they are at Freestyle and B&H, even with shipping to USA. A 100 ft roll of 80S is about $72 at Freestyle, B&H doesn't have it in stock, but Maco has it for about 48 plus 10 shipping. Not that significant, but the reason I initially bought it from Maco was because they always have it in stock. I waited four months last year for Freestyle to get it back in stock. Then I happened upon Maco - in stock, cheaper.

damonff said:

FYI, Silvermax and Rollei films are WAY cheaper at Maco in Germany than they are at Freestyle and B&H, even with shipping to USA. A 100 ft roll of 80S is about $72 at Freestyle, B&H doesn't have it in stock, but Maco has it for about 48 plus 10 shipping. Not that significant, but the reason I initially bought it from Maco was because they always have it in stock. I waited four months last year for Freestyle to get it back in stock. Then I happened upon Maco - in stock, cheaper.

Click to expand...

I'll have to check out Maco and see if they have what I need. I don't shoot much at all in mini-format(35mm) and use mostly 120 and 4x5 now. JohnW