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View Full Version : Crazy film pricing on "the" auction site...



Martin Courtenay-Blake
13-Dec-2012, 10:41
It has been a very long time since I bought film off the infamous auction site. Today I thought I would have a browse...just to see what was available. If there was ever confirmation of the addage "There's one born every minute" then this must be it. Whilst most modern films are freely available it now seems normal for suppliers to break up multi-packs and try to sell individual rolls at vastly inflated prices. Even more astonishing is the preponderance of film being sold as "perfect for Lomography". This is always out of date and sold on a single roll basis at ludicrous prices. It seems that the older the film the more these scam merchants are asking for it. One guy was selling a single, beat up roll of 620 approx 50 years out of date for £20 ($30+), describing it as very rare as if it had acquired some magical mojo in the intervening half century. Same goes for a very old box of 5X4 FP4 also sold for Lomography, again at a highly inflated price, although I am unaware of a Lomo large format camera.

I have bought a lot from auction sites over the years and haven't been stung to date (touch wood).However it is clear that you have to be far better informed than in the past and a lot more sceptical of the integrity of the sellers.

Martin

perhaps this may have neen better posted in the lounge - sorry to moderators.

Brian Ellis
13-Dec-2012, 12:23
It's actually o.k. to use the term "e-bay" if that's "the" "infamous auction site" you're talking about.

BrianShaw
13-Dec-2012, 12:28
... or "ebay"... unless it is some other famous auction site to which is being referred.

Corran
13-Dec-2012, 14:01
I don't get it either. Adorama advertises film all the time on eBay at their normal price, and then right along with that are people selling out-of-date film for twice as much. Or in date, either way, it's always like $15/roll of 120 or something stupid.

I don't know WHO buys it, or if it ever even sells.

The good thing is that most of the film that is being sold out of a pro's freezer at auction (starting low I mean, like 99c) goes for a lot cheaper than retail. I've gotten some REALLY good deals, including a large quantity of TMX for about 1/4 retail, and it was still fresh and not expired.

adelorenzo
13-Dec-2012, 17:28
If you're only shooting a roll in your Holga every now and then, dropping it off at a lab and cross-processing it for some wild results why not spend $15 on a roll of oddball expired film? I don't see any problem with it and its seems to fit in with this whole lomography thing. After all, you are likely to get results that nobody else does.

adelorenzo
13-Dec-2012, 17:31
Also I should add that by far the cheapest place I can get new, fresh-dated Fuji chrome film is from a seller on eBay located in Asia. I can get black and white stuff at reasonable prices here in Canada but for whatever reason when it comes to Fuji I I can save many dollars per roll on eBay.

David R Munson
13-Dec-2012, 17:33
It's actually o.k. to use the term "e-bay" if that's "the" "infamous auction site" you're talking about.

This. Seriously, this. I didn't understand it 10 years ago, I especially don't get it now. It's eBay. Just say so.

Fourtoes
13-Dec-2012, 18:04
Its not Ebay, its FeePay....

David R Munson
13-Dec-2012, 18:17
Do I hear FleaBay?

toolbox
14-Dec-2012, 00:20
I used to buy a ton of expired film on ebay, but yea...the prices are just crazy now. The only cheap expired film I've found in the last year or so is 35mm drug store branded color print film or Kodak Gold 200, for which there seems to be a never ending supply. And I do actually shoot a bunch of that stuff (I can usually find it for less than a buck a roll). The prices on 120 are just crazy though...I've been looking all year and haven't found a single deal worth bidding on. I did get a box of expired Ektapan in 4x5 there a while back though for a good price. On the bright side, maybe this is a signal that there's been a surge in interest in shooting film, which can only be a good thing... When I finally run out of my Ilford and TMY in 120, I'll probably just go to Freestyle and buy whatever is cheapest...it's probably not much more than the old stuff on ebay anyway.

Mister Sith
15-Dec-2012, 04:40
I think it's because of the whole Lomo user crowd who are generally clueless on the actual prices of film. If you go to the Lomo online store, they sell fresh rolls of several popular B&W films, such as Delta 100, but for exorbitant prices. And people will pay for them because they don't know any better. What's sad is that I encountered a Lomo shooter who actually believed that film was no longer produced, and that they had to buy from Lomo since that was the only supply available.

As far as why eBay sellers hike up prices on past-date films, I thinks its just capitalization on what's in demand right now, and currently, for hipsters everywhere, its past-date film.

WayneStevenson
15-Dec-2012, 15:56
cheapest place I can get new, fresh-dated Fuji chrome film is from a seller on eBay located in Asia.

Care to share the seller's name?

203Ektar
15-Dec-2012, 17:03
I think it's because of the whole Lomo user crowd who are generally clueless on the actual prices of film. If you go to the Lomo online store, they sell fresh rolls of several popular B&W films, such as Delta 100, but for exorbitant prices. And people will pay for them because they don't know any better. What's sad is that I encountered a Lomo shooter who actually believed that film was no longer produced, and that they had to buy from Lomo since that was the only supply available.

As far as why eBay sellers hike up prices on past-date films, I thinks its just capitalization on what's in demand right now, and currently, for hipsters everywhere, its past-date film.

Did you enlighten the Lomo shooter about the availability of film?

adelorenzo
15-Dec-2012, 20:25
Care to share the seller's name?

Check out 'films-festival' they have really good prices on Fuji chrome especially if you watch their store for sales or free shipping. Last time I bough from them it was 30 rolls of Provia 400X (120 format) and it was $2/roll cheaper the next best price I could get in Canada (which was from B&H).

Mister Sith
16-Dec-2012, 02:47
Did you enlighten the Lomo shooter about the availability of film?

Of course! They thanked me by buying me 2 rolls, too!

photobymike
16-Dec-2012, 13:45
The reason i dont buy film on ebay feebay fleabay ect... is number one.... the post office xrays everything because it goes on comercial passenger flights. number 2 ..if anything is wrong with the film good luck returning it.

B&H has been good to me about defective film. When i order film i always have it overnighted with signature. I live in Florida where 95 degree temperatures are common most of the year. A year ago i ordered film from B&H and they forgot to send it signature required... it sat on my front porch for 3 or 4 hours before i found it. The inside of the box i am sure was over 100 degrees ... any film would be bad at that cooking..... called B&H and told them my story ...said they were very sorry and would send out new box right away. oh and keep the "cooked film" we dont want it back.... you cant get that kind of service from ebay sellers.

And a word on "good" film.... i dont use outdated or "cooked film" because my time to photograph and process is more valuable to me than waisting it on possibly bad film. Been there and done that ..have the negs to prove it..... so buying cheap film ...no not a chance ...getting good consistant photographs is more important than saving a couple of shekels.