When Did Metal Slide Storage Cases Get So Expensive?

DF · Aug 1, 2020

So I finally want to get my thousands of old slides organized, and I cant believe these old things that house 150 35mm 'chromes are going for as high as $40 - $50 ! ! !
I used to see them at thrift shops all the time for just a few bucks - wish I had grabbed them.

AgX · Aug 1, 2020

I did not even know of such metal cases. Can you hint at a photo of such?

Aside of those more modern plastic cases that contain plastic trays, loose slides were stored over here in wooden cases:
https://www.google.com/search?q=diakästen&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjLj46ozPnqAhVFDOwKHRWJCuUQ_AUoAXoECAwQAw&biw=1366&bih=671

Here no one is interested in slide cases...

guangong · Aug 1, 2020

I have several. Keep in mind that the $4 or $5 pre Carter dollars is the same as $40 or $50 today. I bought my first Leica M4 new including 50 mm Summicron for a total cost of $400 even.

miha · Aug 1, 2020

AgX said:
Here no one is interested in slide cases...

I, for one, am interested in such cases.

BAC1967 · Aug 1, 2020

They still make the Logan slide boxes. The one linked below holds 750 slides, that’s the type I used. It’s the best value if you have a lot of slides. I kept an eye out for deals on eBay and got them much cheaper. My father gave me 38 slide carousels of our family photos from 1965 to 1992 that I went through and scanned the good ones. I put them into the boxes so they would take up less room.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...MI6JSD6v_56gIVUxh9Ch19tQgNEAQYAiABEgI3tfD_BwE

Anyone have any ideas what to do with the carousels other than this clock I made? I put them on eBay but nobody wants them, I’d hate to throw them away. I have an idea to make a lamp.

AnselMortensen · Aug 1, 2020

Coin collectors and dealers use them for storing coins in 2×2" mounts.

mgb74 · Aug 2, 2020

guangong said:
I have several. Keep in mind that the $4 or $5 pre Carter dollars is the same as $40 or $50 today. I bought my first Leica M4 new including 50 mm Summicron for a total cost of $400 even.

More like $20-25 today. So I think a large part of the cost increase is that it's now a low volume, specialty item. And probably pretty labor intensive relative to creating plastic cases.

cjbecker · Aug 2, 2020

Is there a good reason to store in metal boxes instead of plastic print file sleeves?

MattKing · Aug 2, 2020

cjbecker said:
Is there a good reason to store in metal boxes instead of plastic print file sleeves?

Space - the cases take up a lot less.
And if you have a stack loader, it is a lot quicker to project a batch of slides.

Sirius Glass · Aug 2, 2020

Well built metal slide cases always were a little pricey, but then they were worth the price and not a large production item.

AgX · Aug 2, 2020

I see the space advantage of stacks of slides versus trays of slides. But then there is the hassle of re-inserting them into trays. (There is not one german projector that handles stacks of slides.)

Sirius Glass · Aug 2, 2020

AgX said:
I see the space advantage of stacks of slides versus trays of slides. But then there is the hassle of re-inserting them into trays. (There is not one german projector that handles stacks of slides.)

Store slides in metal boxes and slide trays. I have not touched them for years.

eli griggs · Aug 22, 2020

Slides in metal boxes are less likely to be acted upon by wood, plastic, card stock, etc, out gassing.

This ignores the use of paper or plastic holders, but just as fine art papers suffer from the effects of outgassing in non-metal (or ceramic/glass) storage, so can films, or at least this is what I've read.

When Did Metal Slide Storage Cases Get So Expensive?

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