Kodak Tri-X 400 at CVS Pharmacy!

Naples · Dec 31, 2010

I was pleasantly surprised yesterday in a CVS Pharmacy here in Naples, Florida, picking up some cold medicine for my son, when I stopped by the photo section just to take a look and saw they sell Kodak Tri-X 400-135!

Granted, it was pricey ($5.99 for 24 exposures), but that's the price of 24-hour convenience, I guess.

Until now I've seen only color films and Kodak's C-41 B&W film in CVS and other pharmacies, and wonder if this is a new development?

I did notice that the expiration dates on these Tri-X rolls were actually later (12/2013) than the expiration dates on the Tri-X rolls I just received from Adorama (12/2012), so I don't think this is a case of the rolls sitting around collecting dust.

Christopher Walrath · Dec 31, 2010

Probably a misorder at corporate and they're just trying to move it.

Toffle · Dec 31, 2010

Christopher Walrath said:
Probably a misorder at corporate and they're just trying to move it.

That's the spirit! Come on, Chris... Why must we assume good news is bad? Maybe if it sells fast enough they will make the same "mistake" again.

E76 · Dec 31, 2010

CVS has been selling Tri-X for a few years now. There have been a few threads posted on the subject. I don't think it's a misorder.

tkamiya · Dec 31, 2010

I am thinking this is for students taking photography classes at high schools and colleges. In my area (central Florida), plenty of school still teach traditional photography and instructors seem to prefer/recommend Tri-X in most cases.

michaelbsc · Dec 31, 2010

E76 said:
CVS has been selling Tri-X for a few years now. There have been a few threads posted on the subject. I don't think it's a misorder.

I try to buy at least one roll of Tri-X from CVS every month just to keep the inventory counters ticking.

Yes it's expensive. Especially considering that it's 135-24 instead of 135-36. But it isn't going to break the bank to buy one occasionally. I waste more money than that on Cokes out of the vending machine at work in a month.

I've checked CVS stores from SC up the east coast to NJ, and all of them have a roll or two hanging on the peg.

So come on everybody join in! Every man, every woman, every child. Buy one roll of Tri-X at CVS.

(OK, I'll shut up now.)

tkamiya · Dec 31, 2010

For fun, we could try asking if they carry that in 8x10 sheets.... huh?

fschifano · Dec 31, 2010

tkamiya said:
For fun, we could try asking if they carry that in 8x10 sheets.... huh?

They'll only look at you like you're nuts. Who needs it?

Naples · Dec 31, 2010

I'm actually heading back to CVS today to pick up a roll of Tri-X, as I'm down to my last roll from Adorama and I'd like to send a message to CVS corporate headquarters. So what if it'll cost me a few extra bucks?

htimsdj · Dec 31, 2010

In Strongsville, Ohio, the CVS also carries the 24 exposure Tri-X at 5.99 per roll. The lady operating the photo counter said high school kids buy most of it.

Jeff Kubach · Dec 31, 2010

Here in Richmond Va, Wal-Mart used to sell T-Max film, but not anymore.

Jeff

michaelbsc · Dec 31, 2010

Jeff Kubach said:
Here in Richmond Va, Wal-Mart used to sell T-Max film, but not anymore.

The B&W film has been gone at Walmarts around here for about 4-5 years. I used to stop in one on my weekly driving route and pick up a roll or two every few weeks. The pimply faced kid behind the counter was so upset when they dropped it that he went all the way up the food chain to get turned down. When they took out "his" C41 machine he quit.

I just wish I'd had enough sense to keep up with him. He was a 17 YO film nut, and I didn't realize how scarce those were at the time.

htimsdj said:
In Strongsville, Ohio, the CVS also carries the 24 exposure Tri-X at 5.99 per roll. The lady operating the photo counter said high school kids buy most of it.

So, let's change that! Everybody go buy one roll a month.

heespharm · Dec 31, 2010

Yeah I work for cvs as a pharmacist... We sell trix here but it's still cheaper to buy from my local camera store ( that's including my employee discount)... But my photo guy is great... I convinced him to learn how to process c-41 medium
Format film.... Now I get my c41 legend format negs done for 2 dollars and change

aldevo · Jan 1, 2011

24-exposure rolls seemed to mysteriously vanish from Boston-area CVS stores last summer. But they re-appeared in the Fall. Film is now stocked in a small kiosk near the cashiers at most CVS stores but at least the kiosk is very visible.

kb3lms · Jan 1, 2011

CVS seems to be Kodak's only widely available retail outlet. There is absolutely no other place around here that you can find any Kodak film in a store. Wally-world carries a couple types of Fuji's in very limited quantity and Giant has a roll or two of Fuji sometimes.

Our local CVS in SE PA always has Tri-X at the $5.99 price and has also started carrying BW400CN again at the same price. I always buy a roll here or there to keep the counter ticking as well, and I'm not the only one because it does turn over. They also have Kodak and CVS 400 and 800 color films. Anyone know who makes the CVS house brand? I've never looked.

Curious, though, that other local CVS's have no film at all. However, those are all kind of dark and dingy. The newer stores do have it.

Alexander Ghaffari · Jan 1, 2011

Christopher Walrath said:
Probably a misorder at corporate and they're just trying to move it.

I am glad that my CVS and Walgreens constantly misorder for the past few decades.

Hell-on-a-stick · Jan 1, 2011

I used to live in Naples Park, the film selection was on par in most places with the money that runs Naples. I got some great shots of the pier and white sands with just CN400 and the local development was waaaay above par.

michaelbsc · Jan 1, 2011

kb3lms said:
Our local CVS in SE PA always has Tri-X at the $5.99 price and has also started carrying BW400CN again at the same price.

I picked up another roll yesterday, and the price has gone up by fifty cents. It's now $6.49 in the CVS I frequent the most. I have not checked in others yet.

I did also notice the BW400CN was right next to the Tri-X. I hadn't really noticed that before, but I cannot swear it wasn't there. It's never really been on my radar.

It does turn over, although slowly. The roll I bought some weeks ago was the last on the peg, and there was more last night. And it isn't only me buying it. Without keeping records of CVS sales, I would guess from mere anecdotal observation that for every ten rolls they receive I purchase no more than 3-4 of them.

As someone else indicated they had done, I asked the cashier who bought most of the Tri-X. Unfortunately many deer on the highway at night have more thoughtful looks in their eyes than this poor girl. The best response she could muster was, "Huh?" Had the cash register not calculated my change for her, there would have been no hope she could make the sale with the $10 bill I gave her. So I still don't know who buys the other 6-7 rolls of it. Probably a couple of other guys like me.

Roger Thoms · Jan 1, 2011

Christopher Walrath said:
Probably a misorder at corporate and they're just trying to move it.

Here in the Bay Area Longs carried Tri-X and now that CVS has bought out Longs they are still carrying it. Maybe a misorder made over and over.

Roger

heespharm · Jan 1, 2011

rtbadman said:
Here in the Bay Area Longs carried Tri-X and now that CVS has bought out Longs they are still carrying it. Maybe a misorder made over and over.

Roger

Nope according to my photo guy at the store i work in, it comes up as having a target inventory level which means that when out, our system automagically orders more... So keep on buying... As long as there is a TIL for the item our system will order it... And TIL's are determined by product movement

Sirius Glass · Jan 1, 2011

OMG!! Maybe there is a G-d! Blessed be the analogue! Only in them shall we be save!

Steve

michaelbsc · Jan 1, 2011

heespharm said:
Nope according to my photo guy at the store i work in, it comes up as having a target inventory level which means that when out, our system automagically orders more... So keep on buying... As long as there is a TIL for the item our system will order it... And TIL's are determined by product movement

There's an entire branch of industrial engineering that deals with inventory controls and threshold inventory levels for automatic reordering.

I worked on a job back in 1985-86 at Southern California Edison where we were setting up the maintenance warehouse to run this way. The model was exactly the same as selling inventory from a storefront.

It's probably light years ahead of where it was back then with the calculations for level determinations, but it was a wickedly interesting job back then.

ntenny · Jan 3, 2011

I'm finding CVS/Longs to be generally one of the "good guys" on the film front. Not every store has decent lab techs, but of those I've tried more than half produce clean negatives, and they all seem to sell a decent breadth of films.

I was in Hawaii last week and was buying and processing Kodak Gold 200 at the Longs across the street from the hotel. There's a film I hardly ever see at retail any more---the places I've looked lately, Fuji seems to own the last remains of the retail market---and I'd forgotten how darn good it is. I don't think they had any TX, though.

My local CVS actually carried Polaroid 600 for an astonishingly long time. I have no idea who was buying it; I don't remember the last time I saw a Polaroid camera being used.

-NT

Toffle · Jan 3, 2011

My lovely daughter picked me up three rolls in Detroit yesterday. (well, at my request, but still )
It occurred to me the other day, when this thread started...

What might happen if US-based APUG members were to pick a day, like Argus Day, or Pinhole Day, or say... this SATURDAY and descend en masse (sorry, for our American friends, that's "in mass" ) and purchase one or two rolls from their local CVS...

How many APUGGERS would be interested? How many could we mobilize? How many rolls of TRI-X could we move? Would CVS notice? Would Big Yellow notice? (I suppose it's a foolish thought, but then again, there's no fool like an old fool. )

Cheers,

tkamiya · Jan 3, 2011

I'll do it except my local CVS doesn't have any. I just checked today. I guess this isn't true at all CVS locations.

Kodak Tri-X 400 at CVS Pharmacy!

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