How Many Individual Still Film Stockpilers Worldwide (Estimate)

[tkamiya]

Why would ANYONE stockpile film now?

Something changed in the market place right around EK declared bankruptcy. Today, one of my (only) large local camera store now sells Tmax400 for $8.00 where it was $4.50 few months ago. Amazon has some Kodak products limited 4 per customer. Some online stores are having difficulty keeping stock. News are mixed on if they are still producing. I have no ways to tell who's information is accurate. It is possible suppliers or middle men are hording but to me, the end result is the same.

Availability and prices of Kodak films are less favorable.

So I went out and purchased what I will need for next year or two. Beyond that, I'll either switch or the market place will return to more stable state.

[newcan1]

Availability and prices of Kodak films are less favorable.

So I went out and purchased what I will need for next year or two.

Yes, it's sometimes silly. I bought a bunch of 35mm Kodak Proimage 5-packs for $9.99 on amazon not so long ago. It's not a brilliant film. Last I checked, the Amazon price is $35!!

I could not afford to buy my stockpile now. I have a lot of ECN-2 movie stock, and even that stuff typically sells (on the auction site) for a lot more now.

[jp498]

I bought more fuji fp100c45 than I needed two years ago and the prices have doubled since. Polaroid hoarders are being rewarded, especially the people who saved their 8x10 processors after knowing Polaroid would never make the film again.

I've bought plenty of Kodak 4x5 and 8x10 film that has gone up 25% in the past two years; such that I would be hesitant to buy it now, but gladly use what I've got.

[flatulent1]

I wouldn't have believed it, but I'm pretty close to becoming one of 'those' hoarders. Except for the dedicated freezer, I'm nearly there.

1. I hoard because something is about to become unavailable.
2. I hoard because I'm tired of running out of a particular film, and want more than 20 rolls on hand.
3. I hoard because something's on sale and I'm an idiot.

I don't hoard chems, exactly, I just panic-buy when rumors start to fly. See no.3 above.

[jp498]

There's no real need to hoard chemicals unless it's something totally obscure like technidol, which I sold for 10x what I paid 20 years ago, upon finding some cleaning my garage. Color might be another matter, but I don't know how that keeps.

For B&W, most of the common developers have competitive equivalents (like many of formulary's variety), or use "open source" style developers which are available both commercially and DIY (like pyro variants). Fixers are common chemicals and available from many sources as well. B&W chemicals are easy to acquire or mix.

[railwayman3]

There is no equivalent digital gear!

tim in san jose

I know! That's why I'm stocked up with enough film to last me out! QED

[ndrs]

1. I hoard because something is about to become unavailable.
2. I hoard because I'm tired of running out of a particular film, and want more than 20 rolls on hand.
3. I hoard because something's on sale and I'm an idiot.

I don't hoard chems, exactly, I just panic-buy when rumors start to fly. See no.3 above.

Sounds like a description of me. I have moved on though -- I've had a dedicated freezer for two years.

[StoneNYC]

Two stockpilers per US state? Then I must own eastern Tennessee! I have two 7 cu ft freezers full, and more in a refrigerator. I'll probably be getting a third freezer for paper. Or maybe paper does better in a fridge

Why stockpile? Well if nothing else, the return on investment probably beats the stock market. Go back and look at film prices from say two years ago and you may be shocked.

Anyone starting to stockpile chemicals?

The argument COULD be made that the cost of running a freezer over a years period would outweigh the savings of the increase in film cost.

However I know my MINI-fridge and NON-frost free freezer only costs about $80-$100/year to run. So I'm saving marginally depending on how much I shoot. Larger freezers may take up more energy. The frost free ones are HUGE energy consumers, however those are bad for film storage anyway a the fluctuations in temperature are worse for film than storing them at room temperature...

Anyway I still have about 2 cubic feet of film as I just checked. I'm low though... There's almost room for one tub of Ice cream again in my freezer!


~Stone

Mamiya: 7 II, RZ67 Pro II / Canon: 1V, AE-1, 5DmkII / Kodak: No 1 Pocket Autographic, No 1A Pocket Autographic | Sent w/ iPhone using Tapatalk

[newcan1]

My freezers each have a sticker that says the estimated cost of running each is $30/yr. $60 to "freeze" the price of the equivalent of over 3,000 rolls of film can't be bad.

[StoneNYC]

My freezers each have a sticker that says the estimated cost of running each is $30/yr. $60 to "freeze" the price of the equivalent of over 3,000 rolls of film can't be bad.

Oh my mini fridge has the same thing, I'm wondering how accurate those are, I estimate DOUBLE their info. But yours must be the NON-frost free versions at that price...

Like I said its the frost free ones that cost a lot and again also damage the film with the temperature fluctuations.

Also, technology advances might make my info obsolete... New frost free fridges might be better, I don't know.


~Stone

Mamiya: 7 II, RZ67 Pro II / Canon: 1V, AE-1, 5DmkII / Kodak: No 1 Pocket Autographic, No 1A Pocket Autographic | Sent w/ iPhone using Tapatalk