Balkan, Aegean, and Eastern Mediterranean APUGers

[David A. Goldfarb]

How's this title? I can change it, if you would like, or I suppose Sino should be able to as well as the group founder. Do you have the "Edit Group" option at the bottom of the page?

 

[Sino]

Thanks David. The title seems fine to me
Yes, I do see Edit Group on the bottom of the page, but when I click on it, it only allows me to edit the group's description.

-Sino.

 

[arigram]

I will form a break-away group called "Eastern Mediterranean and Balkan APUGers", steal your members and start a war with you. Traitors!

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Sino--you can't scroll down the page and see a box for editing the group name, and another box for the description?

Ari--of course we will fully expect the Balkanization of the Balkans group.

 

[Sino]

Nope, David. All I see is this.

Ari, how typical of a Greek. ;-)

-Sino.

 

[Ian Grant]

Does need a shorter snappy name, then the description below stating where we are based.

Perhaps there's a Greek word that can be used to describe the Group relating to photography.

Ian

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Okay, then, I can hang out here and take care of any edits until it all settles down. I've studied Old Church Slavonic, so I'll be representing the medieval southern Slavs.

 

[arigram]

So, now we have to bring our known resident Bosnian, Croat, Turks and Israelis.
There should be an option to invite people to a group, like a simple automated PM.

 

[arigram]

One of those days, when I have some free time, I am planning to make a list of Greek dealers of photo equipment and analog materials, along with prices on the latter.

 

[Ian Grant]

Ari, one major issue is the availability of products, for instance the Turkish importer of Ilford doesn't import the full range of films/sizes.

I'm sure there must be similar issues in Greece/The Balkans/etc. It would be useful to lobby companies with our problems obtaining supplies.

Your suggestion of a dealers list is excellent. Back when the restrictions on airline fight Hand baggage were severe, ie NONE from UK airports, 2 years ago, I did ask Simon Galley at Ilford if the company could provide an on-line list of stockists in each country, this has not yet been done.

Ian

 

[Sino]

Ari: there is indeed a feature to invite people at a group. If you have any one on your mind, let me know & I'll invite them.

I second the idea for a list of suppliers. Would that be all the shops we can find that sell analog equipment & film/paper/chems or only the importers? I've got a few on my mind, but they are mostly at Thessaloniki.

Ian: pretty much the same applies to Greece. Most shops that are carrying film/paper/chems only carry some of the Ilford line [mostly a couple of 35mm films & some sizes of paper] and some Kodak TMAX & chems. We have had this discussion and most of us order from other countries what we need...

-Sino.

 

[Ian Grant]

Sino, I agree that often people have to buy some items from abroad, usually the US, UK or Germany, but there is a need to try and encourage local suppliers to stock items.

Better still try and get a better relationship between the users, retailers, importers and manufacturers, so that if we want to order an item not imported, or out of stock, it can be sent direct to the dealer, bypassing the importer. This system works already in the UK, and I think is being rolled out in the US, by Ilford.

It's a chicken & egg situation forced on us by certain dealers/importers, who have lost business through there own poor service to online retailers in other countries.

Ian

 

[Denis P.]

Well, I joined, too
Luckily, I'm in Croatia, so as long as Fotokemika (Efke) is in business, I'm OK.
Although, having some Ilford chems wouldn't be bad. There were some problems with the local distributor, but another one has taken over, and seems to be doing a good job. One has to wait (a month or two), but the orders are getting through, and the Ilford stuff is available (after some waiting).

Denis

 

[Sino]

Welcome Denis!

Looks like we can justify our own forum, so I've created one. Let's continue our conversations there!

-Sino.

 

[haris]

Hello

 

[arigram]

Welcome Denis and Haris and thank you for sharing that information with us.
Can't Denis send you some Efke materials Haris, to help foster Bosnian-Croatian commercial relationships?

 

[haris]

Maybe, but! For now I am OK with source of material, and it would be hassle, you know custom and like, so...

 

[Ian Grant]

Most of the S/H equipment from Bosnia & Croatia etc seems to sell internationally via Ebay, I just received a parcel of 9x12 film holders last week. The seller had a very good stock of analog equipment, and seems very reliable.

 

[haris]

I transferred my posts to forum part of this group.

Ian, did you got it from Croatian or Bosnian seller. Those two country are different story, Croatia is "more advanced" about 10 years from BiH. I do understand in BiH are some people who work analoug photography and have equipment, but we usually don't know about eachother. Poor club scene, poor information channels and like...

 

[Ian Grant]

The Groups forum is in the wrong section really. We should warrant being in the APUG Regional Focus Groups, not tucked away where it's impossible to find.

Haris,Croatia, I think. But I buy from some strange places.

 

[Sino]

Ian, maybe we can continue the discussions there and if the discussion is 'alive' enough we can ask for the forum to be transferred there? Maybe David can help...

-Sino.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

As this was falling into place, I suspected this issue would arise, since it's unclear whether the regionally oriented Social Groups should be Regional Groups, and then there's the other question of whether the Regional Groups should be separate from the other forums as they are now, or just another group of regular forums.

Posts to public Social Group forums do appear on everyone's New Posts view, so people will see the forum.

I can't set up a Regional Group, but Sean can, so maybe that's something that needs to be sorted out and merits a thread in the Feedback Forum.

 

[Sino]

I think that the best solution is to continue things as they are, and if need arises, I am sure we can find a way. I saw the problem coming, too. But to me it's not much of a problem anyway; I see this group's posts in the new posts list, so I guess that if anybody is interested they'll find their way here.

-Sino.

 

[arigram]

As some friends might know, I am planning a trip up the western Balkans at the end of July.
I will be passing by Skopje, staying a bit in Pristina and maybe even visiting Haris in Bosnia and Denis in Croatia if my budget will allow. Who ever else wants to meet or come along, please don't be shy!

 

[Ian Grant]

I wonder what's possible, my wife visits Dubrovnik roughly ever 2 weeks for work and she'd like me to tag along one week. Should add she's a tour guide.

The trip (& visit to Croatia) now seems to be scheduled for September, one of my wife's Greek cousin is visiting at the end of the month.