Buying film and paper in Melbourne from Teds

[Wyno]

When I left my last job in Canberra, I was given a gift voucher for Teds Camera Stores which I thought I would redeem today. I drove from Geelong to the Teds Melbourne city store and was told that they don't sell any film related prducts at all in that store and that I would have to go to head office in South Melbourne. The sales guy then told me that they weren't open until the New Year. How friggin useless are they? To top it off, he said he was surprised that I was using film. Moron.
Rant over.

 

[Chris G]

Umm... Why is he a moron? Also, as anyone using film knows, these days film is not readily available... Confused by your rant.

When I left my last job in Canberra, I was given a gift voucher for Teds Camera Stores which I thought I would redeem today. I drove from Geelong to the Teds Melbourne city store and was told that they don't sell any film related prducts at all in that store and that I would have to go to head office in South Melbourne. The sales guy then told me that they weren't open until the New Year. How friggin useless are they? To top it off, he said he was surprised that I was using film. Moron.
Rant over.

 

[SMBooth]

Glad to see your bad home Mike but Teds is the last place you will get film based goods. Best get a tripod from them.

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

I enjoy rants.

Once upon a time, a long time ago, a lass by the name of Wendy Reeve worked upstairs in the professional division of Teds. Dealing with her, you were guaranteed of professional, attentive and engaging service, and you got what you wanted, be it a box of Kodachrome or Ektachrome or a shiny black Canon body straight out of the gleaming glass cabinets. I bought my EOS 1N from her up there in 1994. I spent a weekend with her at her home in Healesville coming to grips with it (at the time she had a 1N for sports); it was quite bewildering at first. In the store, I never had dealings with the "lower class" (as I derisively referred to them) on the ground floor: it was up the stairs and straight to Wendy. True, this was in the halcyon days of film when the media was still rushing about processing negatives for the front page of the Melbourne tabloids, "The Spencer Street Soviet" (The Age), among.

Then, as Bob Dylan burbled, things had changed. And Wendy is long gone (she moved to Port Moresby and became an Aid Worker). So too, the courteous service at Teds. It's not just film that is not available there, but knowledge. They've long ago sold out to digital, much like JB HiFi did. No, no film at Ted's. It's years and years ago since they had it. I do find his surprise at why you are using film to be indicative of lack of experience in the real photographic world, or a distractive, unhelpful predilection/infatuation with the joyous wonders of digital. Photography is not all digital! It's not very competent to question a professional (incognito) what he is using, or why. Buying a spare battery for my Little Nikky was trauma enough, Anyways, just up the road is Michaels. Maybe they'll honour the card (albeit sharply devalue it, such is the snob rivalry). That old bastion of the 1970s right through the ages to the present stocks lots of film (albeit mysteriously over-priced, like VanBar), but no film cameras unless you're into Holgas, Dianas or ZeroImage pinholes — lots of them. Best of all, the staff will never be rude enough to express surprise you are using film. The Analogue Underworld (what a cute term!) is alive and well.

I think you were handed a pee-straw piece to Ted's. Sorry for putting it that way. Ask Santa for a gift card to one of the others.

 

[Wyno]

Gary, if I thought it would work, I'd ask for a refund and go to Michael's, but I don't think they'd do that.

 

[Molli]

Perhaps you could trade the card for cash with someone you know who would find something useful at Teds?

Oh, and a belated Merry Christmas Mike, Shane, Chris and Gary.

Molli

 

[wotalegend]

When my family gave me a $300 Teds voucher for Christmas 3-4 years ago I put it towards a much needed tripod upgrade and then politely suggested to my family that they never buy me a Teds voucher again. because the price of the tripod was way more than I could have bought the same tripod online (and the difference was a lot more than 10%).

 

[OldBikerPete]

Why is it that all stores seem t be going the same way. Very few of the the salespeople these days seem to know anything about what they're selling except the price. It's the same at Dick Smith (which used to be a chain of very electronics-savvy people) Supercheap Auto, etc. etc. Anyplace you'd expect to buy a techno-gadget, no-one can or will set down two or more variants of the said gadget on the counter and compare the strengths and weaknesses by comparison. There are exceptions. Bunnings seem to have at least one person in-store who can deliver the drum on the particular product you're interested in - pity most of what they sell is chinese plasticene. Total tools staff are right on the ball and know their stuff. Pity all their stock is full-on stradesman quality and way out of my price range - I do buy the odd drill bit and such there.
Anyway, back to topic. Ted's salespeople's ignorance is typical of what's happening throughout the retail sector.

And Merry Christmas right backatcha Molli. Same greeting to all she said and to all the other people who I recognise but don't remember the names of.

Peter. eeerrr.... yeah, that's right, Peter!

 

[Wyno]

Merry Christmas to you too Molli. And Shane and Chris and Gary And Pete.
I very stupidly believed that because the Canberra city store stocked paper and chemicals and 4x5 film in colour and black and white, and knew what they were talking about, that the Melbourne city store (where Teds started) would be the same. Silly me. Obviously, because it's the head office in South Melbourne that has the film, they won't be open on Saturdays either, will they???
B&H and Freestyle look so good compared to "camera" stores here (sigh).

 

[munz6869]

Last time I went to Teds the staff didn't know what wetting agent was for - I ended up helping that customer!!

Merry late Christmas & happy new year everyone!

Marc!

 

[paul ewins]

They still have a small selection of developer and paper upstairs in the "Pro" section, but I don't usually bother going into Teds unless I am desperate.

 

[Yamaotoko]

Umm... Why is he a moron?

...because when all of our cars are electric, you'd like to hear that the salesman still knows what petrol is...

...thats why.

 

[Wyno]

Another reason is he was proving to me how little he knew about photography, plus he was giving me his opinion of my choice.

 

[Molli]

Don't worry, Mike. There are more than 67,000 of us here who are more than happy to validate your choice.
Seriously, though, isn't a Tachihara purchased with the assumption that, at some point, it's going to be used to correct the pompous presumptions of twerps such as he?

 

[Wyno]

Love it. Thanks Molli.

 

[JamesR]

last time i was in Teds at the City store there was film.. and that was only earlier last year.
their Sydney city store had quite a selection, even 8x10.

i think the problem with staff these days is that they didnt grow up using film, or film related products, so therefore have no idea about it, and really, they dont need too..

 

[Wyno]

I went back to Teds today. To the head office in South Melbourne. They don't have any film based products, or enlarging paper. The upstairs at the city store has film and paper I was told. So I went there. What they had was two bottles of film developer, two of paper developer and two of fixer, and 5 packets of 8x10 x 25 multigrade RC in pearl. So I took half their stock of film and paper developer and fixer and one fifth of their supply of paper. Steve, who has been with Teds for years, was rather embarrassed. Apparently you have to order what you want by phone first and then pick it up from the store.
All this cost me $108.00AUD. No wonder people don't buy from stores in OZ any more. I will only be buying from Freestyle or B&H from now on. Not good enough Teds.

 

[clayne]

AUS/NZ photography stores just want people on the digital tit sadly, most photography stores really are just consumer electronics stores these days anyways (as are the camera manufacturers).

 

[cluttered]

I will only be buying from Freestyle or B&H from now on. Not good enough Teds.

But are those inflated prices because of Teds, or because of the distributor (CR Kennedy)?

 

[Wyno]

It's more likely the distributor, but that's not the reason I won't shop there again. It's the total lack of any range of papers or developers and fixers and films. They reckon that no one buys film or film related products any more in Oz, but that's because 1. they don't stock it, and 2. they want to make the most profit from every item, which puts things into the expensive category. American stores on the other hand are willing to make a smaller profit on the items they sell and sell more of them, therefore making more money in the long run. Much better business sense.

 

[darcyjohnperkins]

I'd just like to say that I currently work for Ted's and I am very enthusiastic and (I hope) knowledgeable when it comes to talking to people about film.

 

[JamesR]

I'd just like to say that I currently work for Ted's and I am very enthusiastic and (I hope) knowledgeable when it comes to talking to people about film.

And so is Craig at the Chadstone Teds store.

 

[munz6869]

Rarely so happy to be wrong wrong wrong Good work Darcy & (in absentia) Craig!

Marc!

 

[Yamaotoko]

I'd just like to say that I currently work for Ted's and I am very enthusiastic and (I hope) knowledgeable when it comes to talking to people about film.

Perhaps you guys could initiate an in-house training day for the staff, bring them up to speed and teach them that there are still a lot of us 'weirdos' out there

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

Perhaps you guys could initiate an in-house training day for the staff, bring them up to speed and teach them that there are still a lot of us 'weirdos' out there

I second that.