Medium Format at the Mall

[chop61]

So I'm walking through Lenox Square which is a posh shopping Mall here in Atlanta, as I pass by Urban Outfitters, I notice a display of Holgas and Dianas--no kidding, toy film cameras in the land of ripped jeans and hoodies. Here's the kind of "twilight zone part": They're selling some generic 100ASA B&W 120 film in a 3 pack for $18! That's 6 bucks a roll! And the clerk says they're selling it like crazy.

 

[david b]

They just opened Urban Outfitters here in Albuquerque and I did see a lot of film cameras there. I did not notice the film.

UO is also working with Lomographic Society on books and contests.

Dead Link Removed

 

[kodachrome64]

Wow, they are screwing people on that film!

 

[Phillip P. Dimor]

Wow, they are screwing people on that film!

I bet that the film is mostly profit for them. That is steep!

 

[naeroscatu]

They're selling some generic 100ASA B&W 120 film in a 3 pack for $18! That's 6 bucks a roll! And the clerk says they're selling it like crazy.

you made me curious, we have an UO store in our Mall; mind you they may not have same policy on this side of the border. anyway 6 buck for a no-name roll of film is a rip-off. question is why are people buying them? what are the chances for regular UO shoppers to be owners of MF gear:confused:

 

[Paul Howell]

Might be a good introduction to film for folks with money to spend.

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

Urban Outfitters ... Holgas and Dianas ... 100ASA B&W 120 film in a 3 pack for $18!

It's a store for wanna-be's: Selling newly made Chinese rip-offs of genuine thrift-store clothing. The cameras are par for the course: _genuine_ Dianas come from the Goodwill store for $2.00 for a grocery bag full.

Chivas Ad: "Your daughter just spent $150 for a pair of jeans a cowboy threw out and you are still drinking cheap scotch?"

 

[Rich Ullsmith]

Holy cow, so does this mean we'll be seeing this stuff at convenience marts and the dentist's office? Instead of a bowl of candies by the door, maybe a bowl of mini cameras, and then sell the film for eight bucks a roll. Why did the sheer beauty of this business plan occur to me earlier?

 

[f/stopblues]

The actual Holga camera is $70 there. It's the flash version and comes with a roll of the no-name film and some black tape

I'm just glad I know better than that But hey, if it supports film at the cost of some buyers who don't do any research on their purchases, I'm all for it!

 

[chriscrawfordphoto]

the film is probably to use in the Holgas they sell. The film and the cameras are selling for twic what they sell for at a real camera store (BW 120 film is normally $3-$4 a roll, Holgas are about $25)

 

[chop61]

I know! It's just funny to see these packs of 3 rolls with these hipster pictures on the outside...whatever fills the wallets of the film makers so they keep making the stuff I shoot (for $3 a roll) is just ducky fine with me.

 

[filmamigo]

I like that this gets medium format film and cameras, of whatever kind and price, in front of the public.

In downtown Toronto, there's a lot of wannabe hipsters who shop Urban Outfitters. I doubt they would comb the goodwill, not knowing what to look for, in the hopes of a camera.

For the premium price, Urban Outfitters is selling you a new camera, in a package. They provide film for that camera. They sell books of Holga photos, showing what is possible. Heck, they even provide the roll of tape to plug light leaks. How cheeky/funny is that? You get the whole Holga experience, and don't have to rely on any arcane knowledge. That's worth a certain premium to many people.

This is an audience that knows the street-cred of analog. They probably own an old turntable and a couple of pieces of vinyl to play for friends at parties. Holga has the same street cred, but for a hipster who otherwise never uses a camera, medium format could be off-putting.

Last time I was at a flea market, I was perusing the used camera dealer's table. There was an 18 or 20 year old girl oggling all of the funky-looking cameras. She exuded excitement and loved the idea of an old funky camera. She was drawn to the classic lines of the Speed Graphic, and was pretty close to buying an Argus TLR. But without the proper knowledge, she almost bought a 620 camera. Wouldn't she be better off going to Urban Outfitters and getting a camera that is guaranteed to come with instructions and a roll of film?

Finally, at least in Toronto, I don't see Holgas for sale in the camera shops. Pikto, the hipster storefront lab, carries the same Lomo packages as Urban Outfitters. That's about it. So I'd rather see the cameras out in front of people on Yonge Street, than not at all.

 

[eng1er]

Wow, they are screwing people on that film!

The same way that Logographic "Society" screws people on cheap cameras.

 

[david b]

You're only getting screwed if you don't know better.

No one is forcing you to buy a roll of film for $6.

We should all be frickin' thrilled that people are even buying them.

 

[MattKing]

Maybe they are Canadian .

120 Kodak B & W film, from Canadian online retailers, is usually about $5.00 per roll.

Matt

 

[removed account4]

the film is probably to use in the Holgas they sell. The film and the cameras are selling for twic what they sell for at a real camera store (BW 120 film is normally $3-$4 a roll, Holgas are about $25)

holgas, new for $25 .. did they fall off the truck?

3 years ago when i bought mine new, it cost more than
$25 ...

the film is an impuse buy, and used to "balloon the sale"
like a photo store might do. " do you need film or cable releases,
or filter systems, or data guides, or this pop up hood, or (fill in the blank )"
to go with that camera you just bought ...

You're only getting screwed if you don't know better.

No one is forcing you to buy a roll of film for $6.

We should all be frickin' thrilled that people are even buying them.

thanks david, my thoughts exactly!

john

 

[bdial]

So, did you offer to develop and print it for them, at say $20.00/roll?

 

[Markok765]

I like that this gets medium format film and cameras, of whatever kind and price, in front of the public.

In downtown Toronto, there's a lot of wannabe hipsters who shop Urban Outfitters. I doubt they would comb the goodwill, not knowing what to look for, in the hopes of a camera.

For the premium price, Urban Outfitters is selling you a new camera, in a package. They provide film for that camera. They sell books of Holga photos, showing what is possible. Heck, they even provide the roll of tape to plug light leaks. How cheeky/funny is that? You get the whole Holga experience, and don't have to rely on any arcane knowledge. That's worth a certain premium to many people.

This is an audience that knows the street-cred of analog. They probably own an old turntable and a couple of pieces of vinyl to play for friends at parties. Holga has the same street cred, but for a hipster who otherwise never uses a camera, medium format could be off-putting.

Last time I was at a flea market, I was perusing the used camera dealer's table. There was an 18 or 20 year old girl oggling all of the funky-looking cameras. She exuded excitement and loved the idea of an old funky camera. She was drawn to the classic lines of the Speed Graphic, and was pretty close to buying an Argus TLR. But without the proper knowledge, she almost bought a 620 camera. Wouldn't she be better off going to Urban Outfitters and getting a camera that is guaranteed to come with instructions and a roll of film?

Finally, at least in Toronto, I don't see Holgas for sale in the camera shops. Pikto, the hipster storefront lab, carries the same Lomo packages as Urban Outfitters. That's about it. So I'd rather see the cameras out in front of people on Yonge Street, than not at all.

Pikto is that gallery/photo store in the old brewery district, right? The prices for a Holga there are insane.

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

This is an audience that knows the street-cred

Hmmmpf. I would say the customer base at this store has not a single shred of street-cred. That's why they shop there - exchanging clues for 32% credit card debt.

 

[chriscrawfordphoto]

holgas, new for $25 .. did they fall off the truck?

3 years ago when i bought mine new, it cost more than
$25 ...

the film is an impuse buy, and used to "balloon the sale"
like a photo store might do. " do you need film or cable releases,
or filter systems, or data guides, or this pop up hood, or (fill in the blank )"
to go with that camera you just bought ...

John

Standard Holga is $27.99 at Freestyle. Not much more than $25 and about 1/3 what that Urban Outfitters place is asking.

 

[filmamigo]

Like I said, wanna be hipsters who want to attach themselves to something cool. (Analog music, photography, whatever.)

I was saying that analog was cool, not the customers ;-)

But... Some tiny percentage of those people (often teenagers) will find themselves falling in love with a medium that will stay with them for life.

Honestly, I'm a grown-up, dedicated amateur with a reasonable grasp of photography. And I don't shop at Freestyle. If I was a clueless 18-year-old (which I was once) I wouldn't even know where to start. UO might be the only chance I have to randomly stumble across rolls of medium format film.

 

[filmamigo]

Pikto is that gallery/photo store in the old brewery district, right? The prices for a Holga there are insane.

Yup. (Distillery District actually, for anyone out there who might be googling it or asking directions.)

Anyone with a suggestion for a place to buy a Holga in Toronto for less than UO?

 

[nickandre]

You guys haven't been to a CVS and paid $7 for a single roll of kodak super de-duper 800 speed which was probably baked in the delivery truck and 2 days before expiration date.

 

[nickandre]

Anyone with a suggestion for a place to buy a Holga in Toronto for less than UO?

eBay.

 

[Greg_E]

There's a guy down in Watertown New York that sells Holgas and holga mods, but I forget the exact url of his site. Going to cost you about $30 for a new one from him unless prices went up.