Crazy film pricing on "the" auction site...

[Martin Courtenay-Blake]

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 This is always out of date and sold on a single roll basis at ludicrous prices.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 One guy was selling a single, beat up roll of 620 approx 50 years out of date for £20 ($30+), describing it as very rare as if it had acquired some magical mojo in the intervening half century.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]

It's actually o.k. to use the term "e-bay" if that's "the" "infamous auction site" you're talking about.

[BrianShaw]

... or "ebay"... unless it is some other famous auction site to which is being referred.

[Corran]

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 Adorama advertises film all the time on eBay at their normal price, and then right along with that are people selling out-of-date film for twice as much.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]

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]

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]

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]

Its not Ebay, its FeePay....

[David R Munson]

Do I hear FleaBay?

[toolbox]

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.