Did you ever reach a point of giving up the hobby?

#1 by Douglas Warren , Mon May 28, 2018 9:08 am

Per the subject title, I almost did a couple of years ago. I hit something of a wall, and (regrettably) sold off a lot of prints. I've been fairly steady with the hobby since then, but do take breaks occasionally to recharge my batteries so to speak.


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RE: Did you ever reach a point of giving up the hobby?

#2 by Robert Crewdson , Mon May 28, 2018 9:59 am

Never, Douglas. After the demise of the home cine magazines in the UK, and many of the dealers went out of business, I stopped buying; then I stopped using the cine camera. I didn't watch any of my films for years, and went on to other things, like book collecting. I never thought of selling up. Films were always something I had wanted from about the age of 5 or 6, when I saw a complete cine outfit being given as a prize on a game show. I'm happy to say that my interest was rekindled 11 years ago. I enjoy the hobby just as much as I did in the beginning, it's just that I can't shoot film now, due to cost. I don't think my interest will ever wane now, especially since I got into 16mm , which I like even more than Super 8.


 
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RE: Did you ever reach a point of giving up the hobby?

#3 by Mark Mander ( deleted ) , Mon May 28, 2018 10:44 am

Pretty much what happened to you Douglas happened to me,sold a huge amount of films about 10 years ago but not all,didn't touch any film for about a year then started buying again and really getting back into it but not so obsessive,I'm happy to buy and sell on films now which I wouldn't have done before. I make a rule to watch all films I buy ,again something I didn't always do, for me it's an enjoyable hobby that I dont take too seriously, If I pick up a better than expected film then that's good enough.

I must also say being sold crap films that were described as good has finished off many a collector and that's part of the hobby I hate,it still goes on and probably worse because of the price of decent prints,went through a stage last year of buying films that were awful and from a dealer,it really does put you off,Mark



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RE: Did you ever reach a point of giving up the hobby?

#4 by Mats Abelli , Mon May 28, 2018 11:06 am

I have never given up the film collecting, but in the 80´s and 90´s I didn´t know, where to find more films. Stores had finished film sales and I Imported just a couple of prints, from dealers abroad. I have sold films, but never my favourites, Classic Disney and Laurel & Hardy , except if I have had more than one print
In 2000 i found Ebay and started importing again. Decent prices and low shipping costs, where available..
I will not give up as long as I can lift a 6000 ft 35mm reel/spool a load a projector. I´m a stubborn one, so I hope and believe, that it will go on for many years yet.



 
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RE: Did you ever reach a point of giving up the hobby?

#5 by Vidar Olavesen , Mon May 28, 2018 12:23 pm

I blame my leaving the collection to youth stupidity ... I guess at 17 or 18 I sold it all for getting VHS. Dumbest (?) I ever done

Now I am reaching a point where I think downsizing is necessary, but will keep most, just the ones I likely won’t watch again will go.


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RE: Did you ever reach a point of giving up the hobby?

#6 by Robert Crewdson , Mon May 28, 2018 1:07 pm

Another reason that I stopped buying was the announcement that Kodak would cease production of B&W filmstock.. How long this lasted I don't know as B&W film is freely available today for both cine and still photography. I didn't want my B&W prints on colour stock.


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RE: Did you ever reach a point of giving up the hobby?

#7 by Maurice Leakey , Mon May 28, 2018 1:08 pm

Only once.
When I sold up to buy one of the new colour TV sets. Very expensive when first introduced. (Early 70s).
Soon regretted it as only a few programmes were in colour.
But slowly and slowly I got back into collecting and have never looked back.


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RE: Did you ever reach a point of giving up the hobby?

#8 by Martin Dew , Mon May 28, 2018 1:16 pm

I gave up in about 1982 but not purposefully. I just drifted away because I thought the game was over and remained blissfully unaware for years that Derann and other companies continued to carry the torch. I never sold any of my small collection of films, though.

But after years working professionally in cinema and residential AV technology, I just started dabbling in film as a hobby again two years ago, and I'm loving it. I've actually just written another article for Cinema Technology magazine, Europe's #1 professional cinema industry periodical published here in Blighty, about Super 8 and 16mm collecting. It leads with the context of Christopher Nolan's recent creation of a number 'unrestored' prints of 2001: A Space Odyssey for limited theatrical release. I'm determined in my own small way to raise the profile of this hobby, because it's fascinating, and it's interesting that the editor of a business magazine would be so keen for his industry-only audience to know about this revival.



 
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RE: Did you ever reach a point of giving up the hobby?

#9 by David Ollerearnshaw , Mon May 28, 2018 1:44 pm

Never thought about giving up, but like lots of collectors at the time slowed down on films buying at times due to funds or rather lack of. Never really bothered with pre-recorded video just used for taping off TV. Got Laservision and a few hundred titles. But glad to say never stopped with film.


I still love the smell of film in the morning


 
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RE: Did you ever reach a point of giving up the hobby?

#10 by Panayotis Carayannis , Mon May 28, 2018 1:53 pm

I never thought of "giving up",just stop for a while! Once,when I was at the univercity (late sixties-early seventies) Then, when Walton released the first Tom & Jerries,I bought my first talkie machine and as I was by now economically independent,( and my cinematic knowledge grew),I left behind the silent Castles and Film Offices and started collecting in earnest. I had an economic slump in 1987 and stopped buying for a while.( I remember writing my favorit "pirate",Steve Villarino,to stop semding me his mouthwatering lists !). Thankfully,it was not long before I started again.All went well until the early teens and the big economic recession,in all Europe and especially in Greece! Gone were the travels to the BFCC and the many orders. Soon followed the meteoric rise of the american postage rates and recently,the heavy customs taxing here,for out of the EU products,so US is out! So now I buy selectively from Europe only. But I am not complaining.All these years I have amassed so much that will give me joy for years to come!


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RE: Did you ever reach a point of giving up the hobby?

#11 by Mats Abelli , Mon May 28, 2018 4:10 pm

# 6. I agree with you, Robert. B/W on colour stock, doesn´t make me happy. I have some Laurel & Hardy, probably made by Derann. They look like faded Eastman prints


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RE: Did you ever reach a point of giving up the hobby?

#12 by John Hourigan ( deleted ) , Mon May 28, 2018 4:11 pm

Similar to Martin, when the halcyon days (with multiple “legit” film distributors, projector manufacturers, etc.) of Super 8 were coming to an end in the early 1980s, I thought that was it. I kept all my films, but my priorities turned to entering graduate school and starting my career. I, too, didn’t know about Derann, but it didn’t matter — you could say that after being knee-deep in the hobby in the 1970s, I was a little burned out with it and needed to focus on other, more important things.

Fast forward to the 1990s and my interest in the hobby was rekindled. Actually, I’m glad I took a break from it as I now take a more mature approach to the hobby as I clearly see it for what it is — a hobby. Unfortunately, for some collectors it’s all-consuming.

I actually enjoy the hobby much more now with everything available to us today, and I think there’s not been a better time to be in our “screening” hobby. I don’t live in the nostalgia for the past, and I would encourage all collectors to do the same. 🙂



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RE: Did you ever reach a point of giving up the hobby?

#13 by Tim Duncan , Mon May 28, 2018 5:29 pm

In a short answer, yes! But thankfully I've stuck with it and no longer worry about whether any of the projectors I own are going to chew up my film or malfunction! I can say Doug has been very helpful in educating me as to which machines are going to be my best bet. ;-)


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RE: Did you ever reach a point of giving up the hobby?

#14 by Del Phillipson , Mon May 28, 2018 5:55 pm

I did in 97, sold all my collection to Derran. I started up again in 2005 and never really looked back, I am completely happy with the films I have now and if I never bought another film I'd be equally as happy, I love the hobby as much if not more than I did in the 80's/90's.


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RE: Did you ever reach a point of giving up the hobby?

#15 by Eivind Mork , Mon May 28, 2018 6:01 pm

I guess I haven't been in the hobby long enough to have come to that point, but I don't think I will either. I have many interests, and which one gets the most attention varies. But I have never considered it so far.


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RE: Did you ever reach a point of giving up the hobby?

#16 by Bill Phelps , Mon May 28, 2018 6:21 pm

Back in the 1980's I was shooting super 8 so by the beginning of the 1990's I started using video because I could no longer buy film at the local stores anymore. I could have kept buying film had I searched it out better but I didn't. I started dabbling in projecting 16mm later in the 90's and then started collecting packaged films in 2005 as well as started shooting film again. So I did abandon film in the early 90's until coming back in 2005. I have no future plan of leaving! It really is a fun hobby that I enjoy. I do enjoy the medium as much as the movies themselves.


 
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RE: Did you ever reach a point of giving up the hobby?

#17 by Tom Photiou , Mon May 28, 2018 9:46 pm

We have never left the hobby, but,
Just over a year ago i came very close to calling it a day. It was because,at that time, i was getting peeved at buying one film after another that were below the standards they were advertised as and i got fed up with receiving one faded or damaged print after another.
Then i decided to revive our 16mm. We gave that up around 15/20 years ago but i kept the projector and a couple of reels. The rest on 16mm for us is history. I wish i had kept that going.
Fortunately, when i started a thread suggesting i was considering getting rid of it all i received various replies on both forums from other members and you saved me. I re-thought it and had a new serge of buying in 2017 and were back in the swing. Now its almost a full time job home here sorting it all, looking after it and now i am looking to recoup some dosh for what ive spent in the last 12 months by moving some items on.



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RE: Did you ever reach a point of giving up the hobby?

#18 by John Hourigan ( deleted ) , Mon May 28, 2018 11:21 pm

Agree, Tom — it’s now why I only buy black and white prints, given fade is so prevalent in this day and age.


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