Tri-X price drop

[Radost]

XX is $4.20 a roll.
Still have HP5 that I got $80 for 100’

 

[gorrrbb]

Thanks for mentioning this. At some point, the price of Tri-X got too expensive for my taste so I switched to Ilford HP5+. But now they seem to be about the same (here in Seattle… Glazers store locally) I’ve been looking at some old negs of Tri-X fondly so I think this is good enough reason to buy a few rolls again.

 

[Richard Man]

When Arista 400 was used to be Tri X a decade ago, I'd buy 50x for about $3 a roll. La sigh...

 

[Cubao]

XX is $4.20 a roll

Where to get? Buying 1.000 ft?

 

[pentaxuser]

In the meantime price drop has arrive Europe as well. Tri-x (135, 36 exp.) is available under 10 Euro a roll. Today prices @ nordfoto.de

So is this an indication that retailers in general who charge what they think the market will bear have now discovered that the market will not bear this price? If this is the case then it suggests that the lower price, now more in line with HP5+ is here to stay

Does that seem a reasonable conclusion? If not then what else might account for this substantial reduction and whatever this "what else" is, could that give or at least indicate to us a reason to believe it may not last?

Thanks

pentaxuser

 

[Radost]

Thanks for mentioning this. At some point, the price of Tri-X got too expensive for my taste so I switched to Ilford HP5+. But now they seem to be about the same (here in Seattle… Glazers store locally) I’ve been looking at some old negs of Tri-X fondly so I think this is good enough reason to buy a few rolls again.

I think bulk rolling HP5 is still a lot cheaper.

 

[Cubao]

Does that seem a reasonable conclusion?

It’s hard to say. Fact is that many users including me are not willing to pay twice as much for Tri-x as for HP5. It would be another story if both negatives will be within the same price range. Fot the time being Tri-x is marked as “on sale”. The question is for how long..

 

[lamerko]

Where to get? Buying 1.000 ft?

400 ft is much more comfortable. You can order directly from Kodak (they ship from Germany) or from Frame24 - UK. They currently have stock.

 

[Cubao]

You can order directly from Kodak (they ship from Germany) or from Frame24 - UK. They currently have stock.

I am located in Germany. Does Kodak in Germany operate the retail market?

 

[lamerko]

No, but you can place an order by email or phone. They work fast.

 

[MattKing]

I am located in Germany. Does Kodak in Germany operate the retail market?

Eastman Kodak operates in the "retail" or end-user sales market with respect to motion picture films - which XX is.

If you are comfortable with bulk/long rolls of film optimized for motion picture (not still photography) film without frame numbers, you can buy from them.

 

[Radost]

Where to get? Buying 1.000 ft?

I buy from Kodak in Hollywood.
I invested in a 400ft loader a few years ago and I love it.

 

[pentaxuser]

It’s hard to say. Fact is that many users including me are not willing to pay twice as much for Tri-x as for HP5. It would be another story if both negatives will be within the same price range. Fot the time being Tri-x is marked as “on sale”. The question is for how long..

Yes it is the "on sale" part that I am simply wondering about. Even if the film has not been selling well at the former price and the retailers are in effect having to reduce the price to prevent them having stock that is about to reach its expiry date then I have difficulty seeing why it shouldn't change the retailers' prices to us for good

As far as I can see they, the retailers, would have no reason to believe that they can simply increase the price back up to its former level unless they want to experience again the whole cycle of the current sales or lack of sales situation

I may be completely wrong and my reasoning may be flawed but if so I'd be happy to hear why it is flawed

pentaxuser

 

[gorrrbb]

I think bulk rolling HP5 is still a lot cheaper.

I’ve never tried. But have been tempted!

 

[Cubao]

Yes it is the "on sale" part that I am simply wondering about. Even if the film has not been selling well at the former price and the retailers are in effect having to reduce the price to prevent them having stock that is about to reach its expiry date then I have difficulty seeing why it shouldn't change the retailers' prices to us for good

Maybe I am wrong but I don’t think that the price dropping was retailers idea. Otherwise the film would be on sale but with no special announcement of Kodak on social media as in this case. We will see. I also hope that it would be a stable price reduction onwards and not only for a couple of weeks.

 

[Radost]

I’ve never tried. But have been tempted!

It does not make sense for trix but makes sense for hp5

 

[juan]

Ten bucks a roll. When I first started using it, it was 72-cents for a 20-exposure roll at Kmart.

 

[Radost]

Around $6 a 36 exposure roll bulk.

 

[pentaxuser]

Maybe I am wrong but I don’t think that the price dropping was retailers idea. Otherwise the film would be on sale but with no special announcement of Kodak on social media as in this case. We will see. I also hope that it would be a stable price reduction onwards and not only for a couple of weeks.

Thanks. That's an interesting thought. It would seem from this that Kodak may have been the prime mover in the lowering of the price. So would this suggest that it is Kodak who was able to lower its price to the retailers and in doing so persuade them to lower their prices to increase their sales and thus Kodak's sales. I use the word "suggest" because as far as I know Kodak has no direct control over what we pay as consumers - that's entirely within the retailers control

pentaxuser

 

[MattKing]

Or more likely, there are a bunch of contributing factors that together make a lower price practical.
In particular, some improved efficiencies in the distribution chain, that make it possible for local distributors and retailers to obtain larger volumes at somewhat lower per roll cost.
We can hope that those efficiencies continue to be available.

 

[Radost]

Or you can just find out film shooters and buy their short ends

 

[Anon Ymous]

Hmmm, I used to shoot 400TX years ago, but switched to HP5. This price reduction, won't make me buy any, it still is more expensive and frankly don't see the point in buying any. The same would apply for TMax 100, where I'm fine using Delta 100, if and when a reduction would take place. If there's one film I would be tempted to buy if the price was reduced, it would be TMax 400. But truth be told, I haven't shot any Delta 400, so I can't have an opinion...

 

[brbo]

Or more likely, there are a bunch of contributing factors that together make a lower price practical.
In particular, some improved efficiencies in the distribution chain, that make it possible for local distributors and retailers to obtain larger volumes at somewhat lower per roll cost.
We can hope that those efficiencies continue to be available.

It would be very strange if Alaris found improved efficiencies in handling Tri-X 135 boxes only. What's so different in moving TMax 135 boxes from A to B?

There's a much more sensible explanation for the price drop. It simply didn't sell well enough at previous price point and they need to move a bit faster now or they will face a problem with expiry dates.

 

[Anon Ymous]

There's a much more sensible explanation for the price drop. It simply didn't sell well enough at previous price point and they need to move a bit faster now or they will face a problem with expiry dates.

This!

 

[Lachlan Young]

Or more likely, there are a bunch of contributing factors that together make a lower price practical.
In particular, some improved efficiencies in the distribution chain, that make it possible for local distributors and retailers to obtain larger volumes at somewhat lower per roll cost.
We can hope that those efficiencies continue to be available.

Wholesale energy costs - and how quickly Kodak/ KA have to react to them (or chose to react to them - Harman may have simply got lucky with their deal - Adox stated that it had impacted on their ability to run their Marly machine) - and the impact it has elsewhere on component manufacture/ synthesis are completely ignored on here as essential to the price of the end product. There was a recent video of Harman's coating control room which had a very clear sign stating how much per minute the driers in M14 cost to run.