How Many Individual Still Film Stockpilers Worldwide (Estimate)

[railwayman3]

There is no equivalent digital gear!

tim in san jose

I know! That's why I'm stocked up with enough film to last me out! QED

 

[ndrs]

1. I hoard because something is about to become unavailable.
2. I hoard because I'm tired of running out of a particular film, and want more than 20 rolls on hand.
3. I hoard because something's on sale and I'm an idiot.

I don't hoard chems, exactly, I just panic-buy when rumors start to fly. See no.3 above.

Sounds like a description of me. I have moved on though -- I've had a dedicated freezer for two years.

 

[StoneNYC]

Two stockpilers per US state? Then I must own eastern Tennessee! I have two 7 cu ft freezers full, and more in a refrigerator. I'll probably be getting a third freezer for paper. Or maybe paper does better in a fridge

Why stockpile? Well if nothing else, the return on investment probably beats the stock market. Go back and look at film prices from say two years ago and you may be shocked.

Anyone starting to stockpile chemicals?

The argument COULD be made that the cost of running a freezer over a years period would outweigh the savings of the increase in film cost.

However I know my MINI-fridge and NON-frost free freezer only costs about $80-$100/year to run. So I'm saving marginally depending on how much I shoot. Larger freezers may take up more energy. The frost free ones are HUGE energy consumers, however those are bad for film storage anyway a the fluctuations in temperature are worse for film than storing them at room temperature...

Anyway I still have about 2 cubic feet of film as I just checked. I'm low though... There's almost room for one tub of Ice cream again in my freezer!


~Stone

Mamiya: 7 II, RZ67 Pro II / Canon: 1V, AE-1, 5DmkII / Kodak: No 1 Pocket Autographic, No 1A Pocket Autographic | Sent w/ iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[newcan1]

My freezers each have a sticker that says the estimated cost of running each is $30/yr. $60 to "freeze" the price of the equivalent of over 3,000 rolls of film can't be bad.

 

[StoneNYC]

My freezers each have a sticker that says the estimated cost of running each is $30/yr. $60 to "freeze" the price of the equivalent of over 3,000 rolls of film can't be bad.

Oh my mini fridge has the same thing, I'm wondering how accurate those are, I estimate DOUBLE their info. But yours must be the NON-frost free versions at that price...

Like I said its the frost free ones that cost a lot and again also damage the film with the temperature fluctuations.

Also, technology advances might make my info obsolete... New frost free fridges might be better, I don't know.


~Stone

Mamiya: 7 II, RZ67 Pro II / Canon: 1V, AE-1, 5DmkII / Kodak: No 1 Pocket Autographic, No 1A Pocket Autographic | Sent w/ iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[newcan1]

Stone, you probably do have to double the estimates living in CT. But we are in a low cost area for electricity. Consequently, I am eyeing a third freezer -- for paper!

 

[StoneNYC]

Stone, you probably do have to double the estimates living in CT. But we are in a low cost area for electricity. Consequently, I am eyeing a third freezer -- for paper!

Nice!!


~Stone

Mamiya: 7 II, RZ67 Pro II / Canon: 1V, AE-1, 5DmkII / Kodak: No 1 Pocket Autographic, No 1A Pocket Autographic | Sent w/ iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Richard S. (rich815)]

I have easily 3 cubic feet of frozen film. Started buying seriously about 10 years ago when pros started dumping their freezers as they went digital. Great times those were! Most film close to expiration went for $1 or less per roll.

 

[benjiboy]

I don't know how many people worldwide are stockpiling film, nor do I know where all the flies go in Winter

 

[chuck94022]

The OP's standard for "hoarding" doesn't match my wife's. By her definition I am a stockpiler of film...

She told me I wasn't allowed to buy any more film, because I've taken all the available space in our freezer. So now I have to sneak my purchases into the house. Clearly I am a sick puppy.

 

[Roger Thoms]

The OP's standard for "hoarding" doesn't match my wife's. By her definition I am a stockpiler of film...

She told me I wasn't allowed to buy any more film, because I've taken all the available space in our freezer. So now I have to sneak my purchases into the house. Clearly I am a sick puppy.

Your wife is being unreasonable. She should be making room in the frig for more film.

Roger

 

[jp498]

The OP's standard for "hoarding" doesn't match my wife's. By her definition I am a stockpiler of film...

She told me I wasn't allowed to buy any more film, because I've taken all the available space in our freezer. So now I have to sneak my purchases into the house. Clearly I am a sick puppy.

I ran out of freezer space at home (when our portion of frozen beast arrived from the processors).

I had to move some film to otherwise unused freezer space at work. A filled freezer is more efficient and stays colder in power outages.

 

[Terry Christian]

If newcan1 has east Tennessee covered, then I've got west Tennessee!

I don't consider myself a stockpiler, since I buy based on what I can find on sale and for cheap retail and on forums like APUG, but I confess that I do have a dedicated fridge for film and paper that's mostly filled up. I do 35mm, 120, and 4x5 in film sizes. My latest big stashes have been color Kodak 35mm consumer films found on sale at local grocery stores.

My local brick-and-mortar photo store also has a few bottles of Ilford Cooltone paper developer still in stock, so I've been buying a few of those, too.

 

[newcan1]

If newcan1 has east Tennessee covered, then I've got west Tennessee!

Terry, glad to make your acquaintance. It's good to see we have the state locked up.

 

[benjiboy]

I just added to my stash 25 rolls of 120 Kodak Portra 400 I bought from my local professional dealer yesterday.

 

[benjiboy]

The OP's standard for "hoarding" doesn't match my wife's. By her definition I am a stockpiler of film...

She told me I wasn't allowed to buy any more film, because I've taken all the available space in our freezer. So now I have to sneak my purchases into the house. Clearly I am a sick puppy.

Or your wife is

 

[vpwphoto]

So that's only 200 stockpilers worldwide? (Or 228 if Obama is counting) I bet that's a pretty low estimate.

+1...

 

[David Brown]

...

 

[JBrunner]

I've met the criteria for the last twentyfive years. I wouldn't call it a stockpile. It's more like the film I have on hand. I can think of four or five people around here that probably have more than me.

 

[Roger Thoms]

Stockpiler has such negative conotations, I prefer to call myself a hoarder. Oh btw I'm in the market for a freezer, if anyone has a recommendation.

Roger

 

[semi-ambivalent]

There is no equivalent digital gear!

tim in san jose

Touché.

s-a

 

[newcan1]

Stockpiler has such negative conotations, I prefer to call myself a hoarder. Oh btw I'm in the market for a freezer, if anyone has a recommendation.

Roger

I think there has to be a better description than either stockpiler or hoarder. I prefer to call myself a film acquisition expert. Get a cheap freezer that does NOT have auto-defrost. I have two and am now deciding what do do with my growing RA4 paper stockpile - err - strategic acquisitions.

 

[Roger Thoms]

Maybe I'm a PLIFA ( pre latent image film archivist).

Roger

 

[Sirius Glass]

i do not hoard film, I buy it up to keep it from the hoarders.

 

[ic-racer]

Stockpiling film is like stockpiling beef and eggs. These days I just buy fresh film as I need. I have a bunch of old film from the 80s, 90s and early 2000s in the freezer now. None of it is any good anymore, I'll probably throw it out or sell it on ebay...