Rodinal now almost the same price as crude oil?

david b · Nov 27, 2005

What is going on?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7565263838&rd=1&sspagename=STRK:MEWA:IT&rd=1

jim appleyard · Nov 27, 2005

Apparently these folks have never heard of Formulary's, Calbe's or the mix-it-yourself version.

Mongo · Nov 27, 2005

With the recent news of Agfa closing their doors, things like this were bound to happen.

In my opinion: Someone decided to see if the could cash in on the rabid insecurity that overcomes some photographers when they're faced with a life without their favorite chemical (or perhaps the only developer they've truly learned to use).

In reality: It's the free market at work. Low supply plus high demand equals high prices.

As to whether the supply really is low (given the existance of developers like Calbe R09), and whether or not the demand really is high (perhaps there are only a few buyers, but all of them have deep pockets), I cannot say. I personally like Rodinal, but when word of Agfas closure hit, I purchased precisely zero bottles. I'd rather learn to live without a developer, film, or paper, than to pay ever-increasing prices. But that's just me, and if someone is willing to pay over $60/liter for Rodinal...more power to them.

Be well.
Dave

Dave Parker · Nov 27, 2005

Boy I goofed, I sold Scooterman 4 un opened bottles for $20 buck a few months ago!!

WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE????????

Sheeze, the local shop here has over 20 cases of it in stock, I think I am going shopping on Monday and start playing the market!!!

Mongo · Nov 27, 2005

Satinsnow said:
Sheeze, the local shop here has over 20 cases of it in stock, I think I am going shopping on Monday and start playing the market!!!

Let us know how you did Dave.

David Brown · Nov 27, 2005

I have an unopened bottle I bought last month. (no, really ...)

Do I hear $100? :rolleyes:

Mongo · Nov 27, 2005

Actually, if I had any unopened bottles I'd probably offer them for sale here for what I paid for them...just so I could turn the money over to Calbe R09 so I could start learning the foibles of that particular developer. But I only have one 500ml bottle left, and it has about 350ml in it. So I'll use that up first and then move on to the Calbe R09. Something tells me I won't find enough difference to worry about.

Be well.
Dave

Ole · Nov 28, 2005

Rodinal has always been more expensive than crude oil, but this is ridiculous!

Oil at $60 (US) per barrel is not a lot per liter - a barrel (US, oil) is 42 gallons (US), or just a drop shy of 159 liters.

Ralf · Nov 28, 2005

They should have paid such prices before, then AGFA might still be in business

chiller · Nov 28, 2005

David Brown said:
I have an unopened bottle I bought last month. (no, really ...)

Do I hear $100? :rolleyes:

I have a half used bottle that is at least 15 years old so based on appreciation my half bottle has to be worth at least $500.00

Well it is nearly a classic

philldresser · Nov 28, 2005

OK so whats mine worth?

The last roll of film I shot (in a cathedral ) of a wooden cross, when developed, had an image of Christ on it.The undeveloped film definitely did not. And you guessed it , it was developed in Rodinal.

I have about 300 ml left in the bottle so that has to worth thousands.....eh!

Phill

Ralf · Nov 28, 2005

philldresser said:
OK so whats mine worth?

The last roll of film I shot (in a cathedral ) of a wooden cross, when developed, had an image of Christ on it.The undeveloped film definitely did not. And you guessed it , it was developed in Rodinal.

I have about 300 ml left in the bottle so that has to worth thousands.....eh!

Phill

I guess you were using a JesusandChrist Classic film that day.

Christopher Colley · Nov 28, 2005

That would be enough for me to develop roughly 4166 rolls of 35mm film....(if my math is anywhere near correct) or around $0.03 for each roll of film ......still, not that bad!

ann · Nov 28, 2005

gosh, i better see what i can come up with; i think i have 3 unopened bottles at the lab. Vacation here i come.

Ralf · Nov 28, 2005

US $125.50 winning bid, not bad.

However, I'd buy it fresh from the dealer linked below, they announced that they purchased new stock on November 23, both 125ml and 500ml bottles:

http://www.phototec.de/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=1532

8.90 Euros are US $10.43 for the half litre bottle.

Wayne · Nov 28, 2005

philldresser said:
OK so whats mine worth?

The last roll of film I shot (in a cathedral ) of a wooden cross, when developed, had an image of Christ on it.The undeveloped film definitely did not. And you guessed it , it was developed in Rodinal.

I have about 300 ml left in the bottle so that has to worth thousands.....eh!

Phill

I spilled Rodinal on a grilled cheese sandwich and the stain took the form of the Virgin Mary. I'm starting the bidding at $10,000

BruceN · Nov 28, 2005

Gosh, I will admit to having stocked up just a little bit - I probably have 10 or so of the 500ml bottles left. Do you suppose I could sell it for enough to get that new Mamiya 7 II I've been wanting?

Bruce

avandesande · Nov 28, 2005

Things move slow here in albuquerque. you can still get it off the shelf.

pentaxuser · Nov 28, 2005

chiller said:
I have a half used bottle that is at least 15 years old so based on appreciation my half bottle has to be worth at least $500.00

Well it is nearly a classic

I have slightly more than half a bottle and when I developed my last film- all negs of sunflowers - in Rodinal, I also cut my ear off. So if yours is a classic..... I was going to auction the prints at Sotheby's of London but at these prices, I'll give away the sunflower prints and auction the bottle instead.

The branch of Jessops, once a reasonable U.K. photographic chain store, near where I live was practically giving it away. It was taking up space needed for digital.

Pentaxuser

derevaun · Nov 28, 2005

I didn't stock up because I was confident that clones were plentiful. After reading the "Rodinal Substitutes" thread, I'm not sure I'm tough enough to obtain and use an clone

Donald Qualls · Nov 28, 2005

Deveraun, I made up a clone from stuff that's easy to buy the other day. I used sodium sulfite (which you can get from sausage making supply houses, best price on the Internet is one of those), Red Devil Lye (sold as a drain opener), and (drum roll, please) Costco generic acetaminophen, 500 mg tablets. I got 250 ml of concentrate that's supposed to work just like Rodinal for about 45 cents in materials.

Only test so far gave an extremely thin negative, but the 1:100 working solution stood in the graduate for about an hour before I managed to actually use it, and changed color as it stood -- I suspect it partly went off from standing. Next test, I'll dilute just before using.

firecracker · Nov 28, 2005

derevaun said:
I didn't stock up because I was confident that clones were plentiful. After reading the "Rodinal Substitutes" thread, I'm not sure I'm tough enough to obtain and use an clone

Despite all I hear, in Japan I still see Agfa products being sold in photo supply stores for the same prices as they were six months ago. I think I saw a bottle of Rodinal in one of the stores last week, and no one was taking it.

At some point I was overly concerned about its products going to disappear very soon because I'm still using its FB paper. But it looks like there's a few more months that I don't have to rush so much. And even it suddenly vanishes from the market, I've been to told so many times that I'm ready to get over it.

The only brand of which prices change rapidly almost every other week is actually Ilford. I paid about 7 or 8 USD less for a 25 sheet pack of 8x10" RC last week than I did a few weeks before that.

jim appleyard · Nov 28, 2005

derevaun said:
I didn't stock up because I was confident that clones were plentiful. After reading the "Rodinal Substitutes" thread, I'm not sure I'm tough enough to obtain and use an clone

Yes you are! I've been using the roll-your-own version from Anchell's "Darkroom Cookbook" for almost 3 years now. I can't tell any difference in negs from this stuff or Agfa Rodinal. If I can do it, so can you!

I bought the p-aminophenol from Formulary, the pot carb from my neighbors at Artcraft Chemicals and the Red Devil Lye at the grocery store.

It's easy and fun. In the back of "Darkrom Cookbook" is a chart which tells you how to convert grams to tea/tablespoons.

All you need is a little Evil Scientist in you!

srs5694 · Nov 28, 2005

derevaun said:
I didn't stock up because I was confident that clones were plentiful. After reading the "Rodinal Substitutes" thread, I'm not sure I'm tough enough to obtain and use an clone

Don't get turned off by that thread, which has included a lot of rather esoteric discussions of the minutiae of photochemistry. Various "clones" (or perhaps "close cousins") of Agfa's Rodinal are available commercially, such as Calbe R09. Photographer's Formulary is rumored to be planning one, as well. (They used to sell a kit with the ingredients in powdered form, but that seems to have been discontinued.) Although the sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide (depending on formula) is more dangerous to handle than most photochemicals, it's not like handling plutonium; as long as you follow the basic precautions about water temperature and personal protection (gloves, eye goggles, etc.) mentioned in the formulas, you should be fine. Depending on what you use, you might need to recalbitrate your dilutions and times, but that's a pretty minor task unless you're a perfectionist about such things.

derevaun · Nov 29, 2005

Actually, I'm interested to try the acetaminophen recipe, because it just seems like fun. One problem: Red Devil lye is practically impossible to find around here, because it's a raw material for methamphetamine, the production of which is a serious problem in the Pacific Northwest. I read about substituting ammonia for the lye, but that's also a popular ingredient for meth. Maybe there's a clandestine stash kept by local soapmakers

Rodinal now almost the same price as crude oil?

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