Are all the people who sold cheap Chinese imported non regulated Hover Boards at Christmas, that set on fire, going to prison now then?

i thought we were putting this subject to rest. i see from all comments there are differences of opinions. everyone will have their own views. i just hope that common sense and inteligence will win the day. THE END.

Yes! Let´s end this. And it wasn´t even about reel films.

No Paul, you might want to put it to rest, but a valued dealer has been lost, through whatever means, our hobby can't sustain itself
with no dealerships, if you are weary of the subject, then comment on another subject, simple.

I agree that that this will have a big effect on our hobby. We all agree that it is sad that he will go to jail. But we do not necessarily agree on crime politics as such. I have my opinions, but I have no plans on writing them here. This forum is about film, and I would suggest that we hold general crime politics and heated debate elsewhere. We are very different people with different political views, different religious views, different age, gender and different background. What we have in common is our love for film and film collecting. You point at a very important thing: "a valued dealer has been lost, through whatever means, our hobby can't sustain itself
with no dealerships". That we can discuss; how the loss of a dealer will affect the hobby, but I suggest keeping the politics aside.

Very valid points Elvind, but the main thrust of the discussion was from some corners, the vilification of Paul Foster.
He put many collectors in touch with sought after titles, granted some of his prices were expensive, but then again,
film has never really been a cheap commodity. If some collectors had any problems, surely the first port of call is to
contact the seller. Notice on some ebay sales, the seller asks for contact before the buyer runs screaming to ebay, where
the problem can be sorted out amicably. The dvd side of his sales is another matter, I only bought his films, which as I
said, we have a man down, like projector repairers, we can't afford to lose any.

I don´t think he´s lost yet. Both Webshop and Ebayshop seems to be in business by now

Its sad what happened-he's only human and he made a mistake and got caught. But on the Super 8 front he had some very good titles and I always found him fair and his titles were always as described correctly. I hope that when all the dust settles he continues on with Super 8. One less dealer is not a good thing I believe as well.

My opinion: a) The biggest crooks are the governments and the banks.
b) Let's not mix the Foster case with immigrants and jihadists. This is totally another case caused by all bigger governments and it is a world problem caused because international capitalism has reached an over -the-edge level. I am stopping here because we must not talk politics in this forum.
c) If Foster made a mistake is that he overextended himself, arousing the suspicion of the courier company that delivered all those dvds at his home(s) and informed the police. If he is guilty,he is because he sold pirated dvds as original, and not much cheaper than the original ones. If governments wanted to catch "illegal" dealers, they should catch 90% of all the ebay users! Remember all those "white box specials","imports" and unique titles popping up among second hand lists, with "new film" prices! Nobody was asking... and how we always dread the time a package from another country passes from the customs and wonder how mush we will be taxed. I have bought complete series on multiple dvds for $ 10 or so, obviously knowing that they were duplicates. but ,if I had to pay $ 100, obviously they had to be originals.
d) If I will again buy from Foster,if he sets shop again? I certainly will!

Its madness, we pay twice over now as tax payers. Even those who have been stung.

Had Paul had taken a fine and a ban on e bay, the punishment would have been even more severe for him and the tax payer now wouldn't be paying for a relatively wealthy man in jail for another night by some of his so called victims!

Yet another example of how the world, in particular, the UK one, has gone completely bonkers.

Exactly Andrew, a suspended sentence would have sufficed, now if he had been a Banker or big business tax dodger, he'd be in his
favourite club now, but seeing as he is one of the plebians, then he must suffer. I read that a video on ISIS has various members of
HM Government in crosshairs, surely they'd be doing us all a favour.

Panayotis speaks for many, including me, a sensible chap, who sees the faults in this silly Globalisation rubbish. To make an individual
suffer, for relatively small potatoes, while the likes of GOOGLE can negotiate their transgressions over the last TEN years is fine, it would seem.
Well, it is NOT fine, we as collectors have lost a very important part of the film machine, love him or not, he made an impact, my very
good friend Robert Crewdson contacted me recently, to give weight to Fosters worth, he agrees that Paul was expensive, but he supplied
the films in his interest, always nice condition and in his hands within a few days. Robert was searching for a 2300' spool, Paul supplied same for minimal postage, what more can you ask for from anyone. Myself, I have dealt with him since he left Derann, I have had my differences with him, but I like the man, he might be the "Arthur Daley", I have a friend like that, but he knows when to pack it in, with
me, but that is their nature. Simmonds was a born "barrow boy" always on the look out for a dodge, I likened him to Private Walker
from TVs "Dads Army", the lovable rogue, he bent and broke the rules, he gave us films we should never have had, but he is likened
to the second coming, but a "bad lad" nonetheless, there is no difference, both these men gave us films we wanted, any" faux pas "
should have been dealt with at the time with him, not crying into hankies after the event.

Do you know what really angers me in this discussion, is where some collectors mention the loss to the Crown, through Customs
on Pauls DVDs, WHO THE HELL CARES, the bloody customs rob us continually on every overseas transaction from anywhere but the EEC.
I buy lots of features from the USA, some not the best colour, why should I be paying customs on stuff that you could not give away, just
to satisfy a bunch of self servers in Parliament that are serving the interests of a Family that live in houses filled with stolen goods, acquired from former battles etc, but still stolen. Justice my arse in this country, the sooner we rise up and sort them out, the better.
Just seen the News, another bunch of City Brokers have been cleared, how nice for the bastards, one law for us, one for them, I rest my case!

I 'd like to add, what I didn't like about Foster. That at the conventions he entered earlier than us,the "common" collectors, picked up the "creme de la creme" from the other dealers at a discount and sold them by himself at higher prices. (Well, if I was in his place,I wouldn't mind!!!!)
Also,let's not mix Foster with Bob Monkhouse or,in America, Roddy McDowall (forgot him?) ,who was also busted by the FBI who seized his film collection. Their case was even stupider in that pre-DVD era, and more horrific! The simple possession,not duplication,not reselling,not projecting to paying audiences, of films was illegal,a crime!!!
So,just in case,I have safely hidden my copies of SHANE,THE PRODUCERS, three fourths of FANTASIA and several rare shorts in a secret cave in the mountains........... just in case...!!!!

I agree totally there Panayotis, dealers should not be allowed first choice, that is not at all fair to the rest of the attendees. On Bob Monkhouse, he did pirate "Goldfinger", Roddy McDowall did have portions of films that did not belong to him, ala "William Tell", being
abandoned as a sequel of sorts to Flynn's Robin Hood, Roddy had them, so these chaps are not the "goody two shoes" the general
public think them to be, I still have prints of some of Jef Films trailers that were blatant copies done by you know who, complete
with soft focus, not to mention when Derann used the Bond logo without permission, and wondered why a guy from Eon threw the cases
over the floor, good job it wasn't Peter Grant, Led Zeppelins ex Manager, it wouldn't have stopped there. So there are always two sides
to the coin, granted we all have prints of things that have a murky past, are we such sticklers for the law that we would surrender them?

Just a foot note I see tonight that Fosters EBay site is closed says."the owners away".......
I assume that's it no 16mm 8mm etc as site not updated,unless you know different.

I've not seen any film products recently from Paul's web pages on e bay Gwyn

Andrew,well I guess that's that,personally I have not had any dealings with Paul foster for many years now so I assume that is the end
I'll say no more.

my last purchase was in mid november, my 4x400 footer of revenge and its a perfect print.

Paul was a renegade, he left Derann under a cloud, I suspect Paul blocked a sale from DFS I wanted of two features on their 3 month payment scheme,that I suspect he wanted for himself,
when I mentioned it to Tony Churcher in conversation, he said I should have got in touch with Derek, but that is supposition. My dealings with Paul over the years has been positive, films sent for arrived, what more can we ask. Are there any members on here that
didn't get their orders? The DVD mob does not concern me in the slightest, commerce, is Paul any worse than our own Government that undercuts or worse sells off our assets, I think not. Overall, I speak as I find, Foster delivered the goods, only a week before this carry on, he still sent off my order of a very rare trailer to a film, is he a monster, I think not, a certain person who ran CEC, was an out and out thief, he ripped me off for £350.00, but is no doubt revered because he is deceased. I am a forgiving person to a point, Paul put some nice films my way on his lists, I even forgive him for bypassing me on "City of the Dead", which he knew I was after, but I'm not bitter.The lad did not deserve the sentence given, the judge was an arsehole.

Hugh I also bought a film from CEC. It was so obvious too that the film was never sent. The package was ripped, but not enough for the 600ft reels to come out. Bond Spy Who Loved Me.

Back to Paul other than a couple of films. I bought *&% The Derann Harryhousen at Blackpool.

Damm just learned an important thing don't eat pasta with spicy sauce and type. My glasses just fell in my dinner.

I have just imagined that in my head

Hugh, arnt they all?

I have the same vision too Tom, poor Dave, it sounds like an ad for "Shoulda gone to Specsavers!" On David's predicament with his film, mine was the feature "Indy & The Last Crusade", which going by the number of different parcel numbers and excuses, Indy had time to go on another! Anyway, I managed to get it from a more reliable source, I wonder how many more unwitting victims fell foul of this scammer.

Sorry guy's who is this CEC ?, sound like one to avoid .

Hi Paul, yes he was definitely one to avoid, he operated a film hire company of sorts, then issued a sales list when he was closing
down, Barry of Indy 8 took over the reigns so to speak, Barry honoured any deals made under previous management reshuffle and Indy 8
was born, as I had credit for film that Barry sorted. I received a typed list of great titles from Watson, none of which existed I fear, I sent in my order
for "Last Crusade", which never came, Derek Simmonds contacted me!!! So obviously something was wrong, Derek gave advice, but the
small claims courts are less than useless, I would have had to travel at my expense to the court at someplace in Birmingham, inc. loss
of work, ( it is supposed to be at an equadistant point, Cumbria is like another planet to southern judges, too far to calculate ) so I just let it go, CEC, or Cinema Entertainment Company was the company of one Gary Watson, dead and best forgotten, which is why I am defensive of Paul, or any other dealer, they delivered the goods, he did not.