HP5+ price increase

[gevalia]

Needed to buy another box of HP5+ 4x5 100 sheets so I started with Freestyle then B&H then Adorama. Freestyle was $128+ where the other 2 were around $94! Sent an email to Freestyle thinking it was a typo and was told that it was not. They said Ilford increased price recently and this film was the current batch and B&H/Adorama likely were not. Both FP4+ and HP5+ at freestyle are $128. Obviously I did not buy from freestyle.

I've had a few strange charges in the past with Freestyle so I'm not sure if I'm buying there answer. Can anyone confirm this increase from their travels? It is a huge increase. What is it like 28%?

Regards,
Ron

[Michael Kadillak]

Given the price of silver and the likely industry consolidation the reality is that the cost of sheet film will continue to go up at annual increments. My suggestion is to purchase as much as you can and use a freezer as a physical hedge to insure continuous emulsion qualities and to guard against future and unannounced price increases. Ansel made these recommendations back in 1975 and they still hold true today.

[gevalia]

Given the price of silver and the likely industry consolidation the reality is that the cost of sheet film will continue to go up at annual increments. My suggestion is to purchase as much as you can and use a freezer as a physical hedge to insure continuous emulsion qualities and to guard against future and unannounced price increases. Ansel made these recommendations back in 1975 and they still hold true today.

I asked "Can anyone confirm this increase?".

[Michael Kadillak]

Yes, it is confirmed from multiple sources. Anyone that has been online in the last month already knows about the price increase. That said, there may still be some older film at the lower price that is still available at some of the resellers.

[Tim Gray]

Here's a big thread on it at APUG:
http://www.apug.org/forums/forum172/...-2011-a-4.html

And here is where Simon Galley (from Ilford) first speaks up (it's post 67):
http://www.apug.org/forums/viewpost.php?p=1188686

[Leigh]

The current price at B&H is $94.95.

- Leigh

[amac212]

Yes, the increase has been confirmed and (no surprise) is affecting all products made with or of silver. Still... that is a huge difference in price between Freestyle and the others...

[John NYC]

B&H probably buys a lot of film in large batches and are selling it at the older prices until they run out. They did this on the last price increase also, I noticed. Don't worry it will go up. ;-)

Also, B&H just recently sold me 120 film that was a year out of date, so check your dates!

[Jim Noel]

Check the daily vale of the dollar against the pound and the euro. The value of the dollar continues to fal and results in our paying higher prices. When I was in Italy this summer one euro cost me $1.48.

[John Kasaian]

Same story with 8x10 Ilford. Right now B&H is the least costly, Badger Graphic a close second, Freestyle the highest. I try to keep two unopened boxes of Ilford in the freezer "in reserve" as a hedge.
News flash!
I just checked and
it looks like Badger Graphic curently has the 8x10 edge over B+H by about a buck.