How do you feel about secondhand / used film prices in general. Taking into account some may have already faded or are starting to fade or even scratched ? What is your top price you would pay for a feature or cutdowns ?

I feel eBay, particularly has sometimes insane prices for sure. Blade Runner was listed a while ago, I do not remember 100% price, but think it was 15000 dollars or something like that. Also a Vertigo was listed for 1500 GBP I think it was. Waaaay to high. Even though the titles are great, still too much.

Also on the other forum, there listings of Jurrasic Park and newer titles like that, 400+ Euro and NO sound track? Overpriced. If most titles stopped on 200 GBP, that would make more sense

eBay has been my main source and the prices can often be unrealistic. U.S. $30 is the most that I am willing to pay for a 400' sound digest. $15 is the highest that I will go for a 200' silent or sound reel and $5 for a 50' reel. I may be cheap but those are my limits and to pay that much I'd have to want the title pretty badly. But I've been known to buy a title on occasion simply because it was a great deal too. An example was "Easter Parade" 400'/color/sound for $7.00. I'm usually not a big musical fan but that title was well worth it which included the clamshell case in nice condition. I've noticed that U.K. prices tend to be better but the high shipping cost to the U.S. drives the total cost up considerably. I have however done that twice because of the titles available. I don't know what I'd pay for a feature as I've never bought one. I did see "Day of the Triffids" (super 8 format) go for around $95 (maybe less, i dont remember exactly) last year and that seemed like a very good deal for that particular title.

In scandinavia full featuers sell for 25-100 £. I think thats a fair price´. I´m not a big fan of digests, so I don´t pay more than £ 10 for a 400 ft print. Some people think they have found a treasure in the attick, but know nothing about films such as fade, VS, lines etc.. But we don´t have to bid, correct? I prefer to my from fellow collectors. They use to know the value and I know that I will recieve what I´m expecting

Do you think prices are going up?. I managed to get some first class prints for under £50, but the chances of getting them at that price seem less and less now. A colour print may be worth the £300 plus in terms of rarity, but the customer base is getting smaller over the years. I think the price of prints should either remain stable or reduce, not increase.

I agree that some prices on used prints tend to be up there. The chances of finding a used digest (mainly what I collect) in a very good,barely used condition is rare these days. Most digests released in the 1970's and early 1980's will now almost certainly have color fade to various degrees. I felt very fortunate recently to find a full episode of the old TV series "Sky King" (on a 600' reel) for under $20 (USD) in mint condition. That's the exception,not the rule these days.

Lets be realistic on film prices, you are never in your lifetime going to see the prices on film reduce, One member of a forum even asked for a Derann price list to make his prices. Those days of picking up your film for a song are now sadly gone. We must take the overview
that film is more or less dead in the water, a simple 200' film costs a small fortune, consider the "Capt. America" film, 600' if you were lucky, for a lot of money, therefore is it not right that a collector sells his copy of "Jurassic Park" for a bit more? I bought mine from Derann for about £350.00 THEN, I of course if I had to sell my print, would want to do so at no significant loss, I would probably sell at the price I paid. Then there are the predators that would buy and then sell on ebay at many times what I sold for, there is the rub. I might add that I have never made a profit on a film sold, but there has always been a reason for sale, be it another title wanted or vets bills, I don't regret the loss, the time dictated the sale.

I only collect 16mm to add to my collection of Super 8s. I couldn't afford or wouldn't be willing to pay the prices I see being asked for that guage.

I appreciate that Robert, although I have give in to my collector side when a title I crave pops up. On the
super 8 side, the prints from Derann and the German company are going to command a high price, low fade prints
for a start. So I would think that prints of their stuff will only increase in price, I still kick myself at selling "Silence of the Lambs"
for £100.00, but at least it paid for a film of my choice "Jason & the Argonauts" on later FUJI film, no contest there.

No contest Hugh.

It is a fact though, that films purchased in the past, are never ever , going to be reprinted, so we have got to resign our selves to the fact that the seller holds sway, Example, There is a book that I crave, but the prices range from £300.00 to £3000.00. How can anyone
justify such prices. Answer, I don't, these are ridiculous prices, by dare I say crooks. Likewise with some of the "pardon me but I'm out of it" prices for great prints of lets face it, a silent film, who s going to buy this stuff? It is limited to owners of Elmo GS1200s that are getting less by the day, so films without sound to me are a non starter to my way of thinking, People accepting non soundtrack prints
are going to be left high and dry. If I pay exorbitant prices, I want a soundtrack too, never mind the crap of linking into some bloody dvd,
sound on film!

Wenn Sie hier auf Links zu eBay klicken und einen Kauf tätigen, kann dies dazu führen, dass diese Website eine Provision erhält.

I am sometimes dumfounded at prices asked for features, one collector even asked for a DFS price list! and the idiots gave him one!
Myself, lets keep it reasonable, I have never asked more for a print than what I paid, many times losing out, not that I'm complaining,
far from it, it paid bills for my little doggie pals and sometimes a title on ebay. Although let us be fair, prints lately from labs are going to command a high price, I certainly would have to look at what the German labs would charge for a 200' snd/ col clip. Which lets be honest, the Germans have always taken us for a ride. Yes they are over priced, they should wear mask's, they are robbers.,

I feel very fortunate that I was around during the heyday of Super 8, and all but one of my films were purchased new; I have looked after them, protected them with 2.22 cleaner; the boxes are still in the condition they arrived in. I cleaned the gate before every showing. I am happy to buy 16mm films with faults, as they were not commercially available, but secondhand Super 8 doesn't interest me. I don't want a scratched film in a tatty box, because the original owner didn't care for his films as much as I have. Of all the features I bought from Portland/Mailmaster in the early 70s, only 2 came delivered in stout cardboard boxes, and those features are still in those boxes 40 years later.

Wenn Sie hier auf Links zu eBay klicken und einen Kauf tätigen, kann dies dazu führen, dass diese Website eine Provision erhält.

The thing is that these films are now described in the terms of antiques specialists as "survivals" so expect to pay top dollar, there
won't be any more any time soon, so if you want' em , there they'll be, on ebay. When you think of it, is it not out of the question that you pay a bit over the odds what the seller paid? Anway, whatever we say, ebay rules.

I realise that a lot of people have no choice, and by using the right dealers you can get hold of copies as good almost as the day they came out. I'm just lucky that I managed to get most of what I wanted, there were a few more L&H silent I would have liked, but I can live without these now.

Films have always been expensive even when new. However I feel this "antiques" value thing is one big scam.
As for ebay that's just as bad. Thank goodness we still have a few film dealers with common sense prices for secondhand
prints. If / when it gets to the stage that I have to depend on ebay and rip-off so-called collectors prices then my film collecting days will be well and truly over.

In the early days of collecting I could only put aside £5 a week, as I needed cash for other things, so, a £40 feature from Mountain would take me two months to buy. My father said it was only right that he heped with the cost as he enjoyed them as well, so I got it down to a month.

Hugh's philosophy on what he expects to sell his films for, and what they can be expected to be purchased for now, exactly mirrors my own opinions.

I don't tend to sell any of my films this time around in the hobby as I always regretted doing so when I moved over to the latest format in 98'.
However, if and when the time ever comes, then I would be more interested in seeing them go to a genuine collector who will look after them, preserve and treasure them in the manner I've always done my very best to, rather than try to move then on for big bucks to make any sort of profit.

I would be more than happy just to get somewhere near to what I've paid for these prints. I'd also have to accept that I'd never get back the extortionate amounts I've generously donated to our UK Customs offices!

I would hope that after my time, they would go to someone who would appreciate them. I don't see them as an investment, and I have no intention of ever selling them.

I do not hope to be buried with them, but buried still owning them. Then someone hopefully can get pleasure out of them. Hope I don't run out of space too quick :-)

I got my 16mm projector from a man in his 80s who used to travel giving talks on films and showing some, obviously it was becoming too much for him; not surprising, as you need to work out in a gym before you can lift one of these projectors on to a stand. I hope I don't become that feeble, or suffer from dementia, to stop me from enjoying this fantastic hobby.