to sell some of my/your film stash or not?

destroya · May 5, 2022

over the years I managed to acquire lots of film enough to fill a large chest freezer. I have sold very few rolls over the last 20+ years, mainly hard to get film to people who I felt deserved to shoot some, who have sold film on this site and others at very fair prices and sold it at slightly higher than my cost. it was not to make a profit, just a fair and below market price.

somehow a friend had a friend who found out i had a lot of film and is now willing to pay crazy ebay like prices for some film. Now, I bought the film to shoot it and plan to shoot it. But I do have quite a few rolls, honestly more than I likely will or can shoot (this is based of the last 18 months amount of shooting, which has been an anomaly). I really dont want to sell any, at what price do I say enough is enough to make me change my mind. personally I dont see an invnetory rebound in film for a few years and prices will only get higher, maybe even much higher (this is NOT the point of this thread, just an opinion which is influencing my thinking).

so, what do you think? if you have a stash of film that you shoot, would a high enough price get you to sell some?

john

Nitroplait · May 5, 2022

destroya said:
..... But I do have quite a few rolls, honestly more than I likely will or can shoot (this is based of the last 18 months amount of shooting, which has been an anomaly).

No point is keeping what you know you will not use.

destroya said:
...
so, what do you think? if you have a stash of film that you shoot, would a high enough price get you to sell some?

It is false economy to sell anything at a high price that you know you will want to buy back in the future, which at the time will probably be at an even higher price.

4season · May 5, 2022

Film degrades regardless of whether it's stored in a freezer, and said freezer is costing you $ every month to operate.

mohmad khatab · May 5, 2022

4season said:
Film degrades regardless of whether it's stored in a freezer, and said freezer is costing you $ every month to operate.

It does not degrade over time (if it sits in the freezer). I have had rolls 10 years ago, and they are still top quality.
- The freezer does not cost a single cent because it works in all cases, as it contains meat, poultry and other foods, and in all cases, the freezer will work in all cases.

jnamia · May 5, 2022

sell it all,
Be generous, and with the $$, give some to charity that does good works (food bank? UNICEF?) and then with the rest buy film as you need it and be part of the current photographic economy instead of sitting on a stash that you might never shoot that will degrade in your freezer from muons.

Alan9940 · May 5, 2022

I've wrestled with this question a bit myself, but not to sell for high profit; rather I just don't like stuff sitting around that I don't use enough. But I finally concluded that 1) I have stock that isn't available any longer, and 2) I really can't afford today's very high prices for film. Therefore, I plan to simply use my stash until I'm gone, then my children can sell of what's left.

4season · May 5, 2022

mohmad khatab said:
It does not degrade over time (if it sits in the freezer). I have had rolls 10 years ago, and they are still top quality.
- The freezer does not cost a single cent because it works in all cases, as it contains meat, poultry and other foods, and in all cases, the freezer will work in all cases.

Background gamma radiation nevertheless degrades film over time per Kodak:
https://www.kodak.com/content/produ...-and-Handling-of-Unprocessed-Film-tib5202.pdf

gone · May 5, 2022

I wish that I had your "problem".

NB23 · May 5, 2022

Don’t sell.

My films in the freezer are what keeps me going. Everytime I open my freezer I look at the films and they make me daydream. I go like “okay this stash will be for that Greece trip, this stash for Iceland, these bulk rolls for Cuba, these rolls here for some crazy nudes with a few babes”... and I’m so satisfied.

Saganich · May 5, 2022

I would be worried they would come back and pester you for more. Barter a few rolls for nice double malt.

Cholentpot · May 5, 2022

I'll trade some for homebrew beer.

Andrew O'Neill · May 5, 2022

Nope.

Sirius Glass · May 5, 2022

4season said:
Film degrades regardless of whether it's stored in a freezer, and said freezer is costing you $ every month to operate.

No film does not degrade at an appreciable rate in the freezer. The cost of the freezer is constant whether or not there is film in it, however a full freezer has less air to keep cool and therefore is less costly to run when filled. So you are wrong to both counts.

mohmad khatab said:
It does not degrade over time (if it sits in the freezer). I have had rolls 10 years ago, and they are still top quality.
- The freezer does not cost a single cent because it works in all cases, as it contains meat, poultry and other foods, and in all cases, the freezer will work in all cases.

Again 4season is shown to be wrong.

4season said:
Background gamma radiation nevertheless degrades film over time per Kodak:
https://www.kodak.com/content/produ...-and-Handling-of-Unprocessed-Film-tib5202.pdf

Again, the background gamma radiation is extremely low to begin with and the freezer ever so slightly reduces that radiation.

Sirius Glass · May 5, 2022

Now as far as selling some of the stored film: I brought the film for myself and to keep it from the hoarders. If I were to sell off film then the hoarders could get some of it. Hence I will keep the film for myself.

mohmad khatab · May 5, 2022

4season said:
Background gamma radiation nevertheless degrades film over time per Kodak:
https://www.kodak.com/content/produ...-and-Handling-of-Unprocessed-Film-tib5202.pdf

Where will the gamma rays come from?
The rolls are inside a black bag. No, and no radiation will pass through it.
I have many examples of photos that were filmed on stored rolls from 2014, they were taken a few weeks ago.,

mohmad khatab · May 5, 2022

Sirius Glass said:
Again 4season is shown to be wrong.

I don't care about those documents.
What interests me is the practical results.
These are Kodak ColorPlus ISO 400 photos that have expired since 2014 and have been living in the freezer since 2015 and were filmed on the third day of Ramadan, that is, about four weeks ago.

It was developed using the (AGFA - CNS) process with copper bleach at 20°C.
I don't find any problem with those pictures.

Sirius Glass · May 5, 2022

mohmad khatab said:
I don't care about those documents.
What interests me is the practical results.
These are Kodak ColorPlus ISO 400 photos that have expired since 2014 and have been living in the freezer since 2015 and were filmed on the third day of Ramadan, that is, about four weeks ago.

It was developed using the (AGFA - CNS) process with copper bleach at 20°C.
I don't find any problem with those pictures.

Nicely done, thank you.

jnamia · May 5, 2022

4season said:
Film degrades regardless of whether it's stored in a freezer, and said freezer is costing you $ every month to operate.

completely correct.

mohmad khatab said:
It was developed using the (AGFA - CNS) process with copper bleach at 20°C.
I don't find any problem with those pictures.

nice photographs, but it doesn't matter that you don't perceive anything wrong with the photographs your exposure and chemistry have compensated for the degraded film ( 7 or 8 years really isn't very expired but that is a small matter that can easily be ignored ). To some people it seems like a long con run by the film industry and refrigeration companies to get people to buy all sorts of stuff they don't need, and burn up as many fossil fuels running that stuff as possible. I don't refrigerate or freeze anything, I find it to be a complete waste and have found no difference between film and paper that has been in cold storage and on a shelf. I have better things to spend my money on and put in my icebox.

mohmad khatab · May 5, 2022

jnamia said:
completely correct.

nice photographs, but it doesn't matter that you don't perceive anything wrong with the photographs your exposure and chemistry have compensated for the degraded film ( 7 or 8 years really isn't very expired but that is a small matter that can easily be ignored ). To some people it seems like a long con run by the film industry and refrigeration companies to get people to buy all sorts of stuff they don't need, and burn up as many fossil fuels running that stuff as possible. I don't refrigerate or freeze anything, I find it to be a complete waste and have found no difference between film and paper that has been in cold storage and on a shelf. I have better things to spend my money on and put in my icebox.

Yes, I get your point.
I may agree with your point.
But I would like to point out that the cold development would have the effect of magic, and could restore the film to its original splendor. Believe me .
God bless you

NB23 · May 5, 2022

2014 isn’t exactly old.

jnamia said:
completely correct.

nice photographs, but it doesn't matter that you don't perceive anything wrong with the photographs your exposure and chemistry have compensated for the degraded film ( 7 or 8 years really isn't very expired but that is a small matter that can easily be ignored ). To some people it seems like a long con run by the film industry and refrigeration companies to get people to buy all sorts of stuff they don't need, and burn up as many fossil fuels running that stuff as possible. I don't refrigerate or freeze anything, I find it to be a complete waste and have found no difference between film and paper that has been in cold storage and on a shelf. I have better things to spend my money on and put in my icebox.

What better things to put in your icebox?
If you don’t believe in the benefit of freezing organic things, which film is, then you’re not supposed to believe in the benefit of freezing food, either.

jnamia · May 5, 2022

NB23 said:
2014 isn’t exactly old.

What better things to put in your icebox?
If you don’t believe in the benefit of freezing organic things, which film is, then you’re not supposed to believe in the benefit of freezing food, either.

food in your icebox goes bad after an amount, shouldn't keep thinks in there for years, it's bad for the "food" and bad for you, and it's bad for the FILM. What do I keep in my freezer? Usually some ice and pieces of metal and stone, home made paper, sea-glass and sea-stones, ocean water and pieces of driftwood. Not much use to put other things in there.

NB23 · May 5, 2022

Nah, I like my film in the freezer.
Once, I forgot my Leica in my HOT car for 4 hours. The camera was impossible to hold as it was so burning hot.

The fresh film inside, once developed, came out with really weird colors. This was proof that heat is detrimental to film, even if Fresh. And if Heat is bad, cold is good. There is no other way to put it.

NB23 · May 5, 2022

jnamia said:
What do I keep in my freezer? Usually some ice and pieces of metal and stone

You see, there is a good reason to
Freeze film: Pieces of metal! For the film canisters’ sake, please keep them in the feeezer. Do it for them.

Patrick Robert James · May 5, 2022

My philosophy on selling things is to figure out how much something is worth, then ask myself if I didn't have it, would I buy it at that price? If the answer is no then I sell. If yes then I keep it.

Personally I think most old film isn't worth it so I'd figure out what I'd like to keep then just sell the rest. I have a bunch of film myself that I need to sell.

Of course it may be that film prices will keep going up for a while, but as soon as color film becomes available again in quantity, there goes the value of your freezer. People are pretty desperate for film right now.

mohmad khatab · May 5, 2022

Patrick Robert James said:
My philosophy on selling things is to figure out how much something is worth, then ask myself if I didn't have it, would I buy it at that price? If the answer is no then I sell. If yes then I keep it.

Personally I think most old film isn't worth it so I'd figure out what I'd like to keep then just sell the rest. I have a bunch of film myself that I need to sell.

Of course it may be that film prices will keep going up for a while, but as soon as color film becomes available again in quantity, there goes the value of your freezer. People are pretty desperate for film right now.

Patrick Robert James

You raised a really important topic.

to sell some of my/your film stash or not?

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