Fuji Hunt E-6 6 chemical kit quantity question. how many could sell in north amerrica

[destroya]

I was wondering, if someone was able to get these and sell brand new e-6 5L kits via his own web site, how many do you think he could sell in the US and Canada? These would be new kits sourced directly from fuji in new york. I only ask based on an email they sent me today.

obviously the quantity would need to be enough for fuji to make it worth their while but not so much that this person is not sitting on thousands of expired chems.

Thoughts?

 

[wblynch]

Well I would say at least one, I need this.

 

[Henning Serger]

Well, the Tetenal E-6 three bath kits are very good.
But the FujiHunt E-6 six bath kits deliver the best quality. It's the benchmark for color reversal film home developing.

Potential customers will be probably those who go for best quality.

Best regards,
Henning

 

[anikin]

I would definitely get a kit or two. At this point availability of chemicals is what's stopping me from shooting slides. And yes I know about Tetenal and Arista. But I would prefer to use official E-6 chemistry.

 

[Lamar]

I would probably buy a kit a year.

 

[ediroma]

I will buy a kit

 

[drumlin]

I agree with all the above. Ever since kodak discontinued their 6-bath kit, I haven't shot nearly as much E6 as I would like. I'd buy 1-2/year.

 

[wblynch]

Maybe you can offer the C-41 kit as well?

 

[okto]

How much (ballpark) would it cost, and how many rolls will one kit process?

My abstract answer is "as much as I can afford".

 

[wildbill]

my thread from 2011-http://www.apug.org/forums/forum172/88821-interest-special-order-fuji-chrome-6-e-6-5liter-developing-kit.html
I started a thread a while back in an attempt to drum up interest. I had contacted badger graphic in wisconsin regarding a minimum order. NOT ENOUGH INTEREST. Fuji is an odd company when it comes to exporting their goods. You can get the kits already online and they will ship to the states but the cost is pretty high though.

 

[polyglot]

You can buy the Fuji kits from the UK (Ag Photo) and EU (macodirect). Costs me about $4/roll to buy the stuff and get it to Australia; I imagine you'd need to significantly beat that price to make the purchase of a significant stock worth it. The fact that neither B&H nor Freestyle thinks it worth it is perhaps telling, or maybe Fuji USA is weird compared to Fuji EU.

 

[destroya]

shipping to the us is almost as much as the kit itself.

fuji wants me to give them a number of kits i would order before they would give me a quote. i asked how many would be the minimum order and they have yet to get back to me. so not quite sure what to tell them. I asked for a quote using the minimum number but again nothing. will keep you guys updated.

 

[polyglot]

The cost of the kit will depend heavily on how many you buy, because of their re-packaging and labour costs, etc.

And yes, we pay as much in shipping as for the chemicals.

 

[tsiklonaut]

Could be an option just to order it from EU, you'll get EU tax deduced and if you manage to find optimum amount per shipping (they're bloody heavy kits though!) maybe worth it?

I love Chrome 6X myself.

 

[DanielStone]

I'd probably be game for 1-2 kits/yr, depending on how much I shoot.

-Dan

 

[destroya]

based on the email i just got back, looks like they want a minimum order in the 2000+ range which would be to much for me as i doubt i could sell that many before they expire. BUT, if they do actually say they would be willing to sell them to someone who would be willing to retail them, I would pass that email along to a place like freestyle as they could probably add it to their inventory and distribution better than a guy out of his house. but they more we, the end user, let Fuji know there is demand for this product the more likely they are to let someone distribute it for them.

 

[wblynch]

Yet another unrealistic corporation.

 

[wildbill]

based on the email i just got back, looks like they want a minimum order in the 2000+ range which would be to much for me as i doubt i could sell that many before they expire. BUT, if they do actually say they would be willing to sell them to someone who would be willing to retail them, I would pass that email along to a place like freestyle as they could probably add it to their inventory and distribution better than a guy out of his house. but they more we, the end user, let Fuji know there is demand for this product the more likely they are to let someone distribute it for them.

like I said.
freestyle sells two different brands of slide developing kits already. I know, I know, not 6 step but fuji ain't gonna change their ways.

 

[polyglot]

Yet another unrealistic corporation.

No, they're a corporation that knows their cost structure. If they can't economically produce the kits in smaller quantities (because they're tooled up to produce 10,000L per batch), why should they do so? They're not a public service or regulated utility.

When there's a mismatch between market demand and production capability (the two pricing curves don't intersect anywhere), the market doesn't close and nothing is sold. The corporation is not "unrealistic", what is unrealistic is the expectation that they should sell you the product you want at the price & quantity you dictate.

 

[wblynch]

With E-6 labs closing by the droves, who will buy 2,000 kits of E-6 processing chemicals?

Next, Fujifilm will discontinue them altogether stating "lack of demand".

There is not "lack of demand", there is only Fuji's demand of demand. That is unrealistic. You can not demand demand you can only supply demand. Or not.

 

[wildbill]

No, they're a corporation that knows their cost structure. If they can't economically produce the kits in smaller quantities (because they're tooled up to produce 10,000L per batch), why should they do so? They're not a public service or regulated utility.

When there's a mismatch between market demand and production capability (the two pricing curves don't intersect anywhere), the market doesn't close and nothing is sold. The corporation is not "unrealistic", what is unrealistic is the expectation that they should sell you the product you want at the price & quantity you dictate.

Why should they sell the chemicals to process the films they already export? why shouldn't they?

the 5 liter kits are already produced and sold, just not here in the states. Put them on a pallet, put in a shipping container, put on a boat.
when I was trying to convince them to sell 4x5 instant b+w film here, it was the same b.s. and months of delays til it did end up for sale here.

 

[okto]

The cost of the kit will depend heavily on how many you buy, because of their re-packaging and labour costs, etc.

I know that, but can we get at least a rough estimate? Will they cost $4 or $2000?

 

[tnabbott]

With E-6 labs closing by the droves, who will buy 2,000 kits of E-6 processing chemicals?

Next, Fujifilm will discontinue them altogether stating "lack of demand".

There is not "lack of demand", there is only Fuji's demand of demand. That is unrealistic. You can not demand demand you can only supply demand. Or not.

It would be unrealistic for Fuji to produce a product for which there is insufficient demand, then lament the fact that there is insufficient demand when explaining to their shareholders the diminution in net income caused by the practice of producing products for which there is insufficient demand.

 

[tnabbott]

Also, I periodically buy the Fuji 5 liter kit from the UK, shipped to the US. No problems at all. I'm almost through my second box. So the issue is not supply; it's convenience.

 

[okto]

It would be unrealistic for Fuji to produce a product for which there is insufficient demand, then lament the fact that there is insufficient demand when explaining to their shareholders the diminution in net income caused by the practice of producing products for which there is insufficient demand.

And therein lies the fundamental problem with the publicly-held corporation.