Kodachrome 64 Price Gouging at B&H ??

<p>Well - I suppose an increase from $8.50/roll yesterday to over $11.00/roll really is not as bad as can be, but I note that B&H seemingly changed their price right after the news was announced. Although it is apparently out of stock as of this evening, this is not something I would expect B&H to be doing.<br>

<br />I love B&H and will continue to shop there because I've always had great experiences with them, but this is slightly disappointing.</p>

<p>Supply and Demand... Obama knows this...... Blame no one but the law of Supply and Demand.</p>

<p>is it possible that kodak is selling the last of kodachrome for higher price? does anybody know?</p>

<p>I ordered 3 rolls from Adorama this morning for $7.99 each (standard KR64). Although B&H was out of stock, I did notice that the price was higher than other times I'd checked.</p>

<p>...and I just checked B&H again and it is higher than this morning. At about 9:00am Pacific it was $9.95. Adorama has also raised their price to $9.49 during the day and is now out of stock.</p>

<p>If they are do you blame them? I don't it is my fault I did not order it yesterday .....</p>

<p>yeh, whoever it is it's understandable - why not make a few extra thousands very quickly? </p>

<p>Supply is now limited. So of course the price will rise. Econ 101.</p>

<p>I just ordered it at a little less than what you all are saying... back ordered but locked into the price when it is delivered. I can wait all year.. I have untill the end of 2010 . Or close to it LOL</p>

<p>I was unclear, from the article I read, if everything had been produced and it was a done deal, or if they planned to produce the film a bit longer. I.e., is what's on the market all there ever will be, or will there be additional stock manufactured for awhile.</p>

<p>The master reel is not all un-cut It will be released until it runs out.. then it is all gone. Kodak predicts the last cutting of it will be in October.</p>

<p>I ordered from Adorama this morning at $7.99, having checked B&H, who were out-of-stock. But- the film at B&H for $12-13 was the professional, I believe, whereas that at Adorama was consumer. Looking around the web, it looked like the pro version was running about $3/roll more than consumer.<br>

According to the Kodak product manager on Inside Analog (or Digital) Radio podcast, not much difference if you're not shooting in a studio and/or under very controlled conditions. Given it has only 18 months of life, probably not a big deal.</p>

<p>Isn't it amazing how easy it is to justify a rapid price increase: ie supply&demand, yet the demand for film by most estimates was on the decline since the digital boom, yet the price of film stayed the same or went higher!!!! Where was the s&d then? Oh, I know, cost of production; yeah right....</p>

<p>Rich... I have Stock in Fiat... Want some of that PT Cruser they just got on Fire Sale? Rich.... If you had something like the last glass of clean water after you just drank 3 of them and another man needed water... you did not give it to him you were not only evil but a gouger. If he had muddy water to drink then you are not a gouger just evil.</p>

<p> Nothing bad here ... Why did you not buy it Friday?</p>

<p>Speaking of supply and demand, at least the processing is also being discontinued at the end of 2010. That way, people can't horde it and sell it for 10x the cost on eBay.</p>

<p>They can sell it at high cost on Ebay between when the film supply runs out and when the processing stops.</p>

<p>Simple answer. Don't pay their price. Do without like you have for the last few years.</p>

<p>It's almost good that they raised the price. That way the horders won't buy it all up.</p>

<p>Saw on the news that Kodachcrome is being discontinued. The photographer that will have the last roll, will be the National Geographic photog that shot that famous Afgan girl decades ago.</p>

<p>Steve McCurry</p>

<blockquote>

<p>Saw on the news that Kodachcrome is being discontinued. The photographer that will have the last roll, will be the National Geographic photog that shot that famous Afgan girl decades ago.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Actually, I believe that the very last rolls will go to the Eastman House for posterity. But McCurry will have one of the last few to come out of the factory to shoot. Of course, I'm sure that will happen sometime in 2009 and many of us will have some supplies we are using up for quite a bit longer than that.</p>

<p>I think you should also get at least 1 too Josh. But then you would shoot it like it was ment to be used and not let to get moldy as may happen in a museum.</p>

<blockquote>

<p><em><strong>Posted by Larry Dressler , Jun 22, 2009; 10:23 p.m.</strong></em> <br /><em>Rich... I have Stock in Fiat... Want some of that PT Cruser they just got on Fire Sale? Rich.... If you had something like the last glass of clean water after you just drank 3 of them and another man needed water... you did not give it to him you were not only evil but a gouger. If he had muddy water to drink then you are not a gouger just evil. Nothing bad here ... Why did you not buy it Friday?</em></p>

</blockquote>

<p>Larry - I think everyone understands your POV. You have posted it above about 4 times now: "the law of supply and demand makes everything OK". From a purely economic perspective, what you say about price gouging is right. In the same way that, for example, from a purely economic perspective selling toxic waste to poor countries who will take if off your hands cheap is fine. However, from a human perspective, both practices are disreputable.<br />Your example of the glass of water is of course BS. The last rolls of Kodachrome that a retailer has in stock are not remotely the same as the last glass of water that a man holds. If a retailer was making a good profit from selling Kodachrome at $X yesterday, they will still make a good profit from selling their last rolls at $X today. Life goes on. Pushing up the price simply because they can is profiteering pure and simple. It is greed. It is true that businesses need to make a profit to survive, but that profit is already built into the normal retail price of Kodachrome.<br />The time will eventually come when people will realise that the creed of economics can no longer be the answer to everything. I hope to be around when they do. It will mean a lot of economists out of work and quite a few greedy a-holes having to adjust to a slightly different way of life. Both good things.</p>

<p>David; Karl Marx predicted what you said a while ago, last I checked he's dead, along with the Soviet Union. If people aren't happy with the price of Kodachrome they can simply buy alternative goods such as Velvia or Astia. Would I like a 5D MKII for a 100 dollars? Sure I would, but thats not my call. Accusing a great business like BH of profiteering is a pretty nasty accusation.</p>

<p>I find it hilarious that people never talk about social justice until they want something and can't afford it. This is film we're talking about here, not life and death politics.</p>

<p>OK, I am not even going to get into a discussion of Marxism vs Capitalism here :></p>

<p>Someone on Amazon is selling it for $24.95, "reduced" down from $49.95.... LOL.</p>

<p>I just ordered a few rolls at Adorama, as the price will probably go up. Interestingly, PKR is still the same I think, but out of stock, too :(</p>

<p>Ryan, I am not accusing anyone of profiteering. I don't know what B&H are charging, as I do not need to buy any Kodachrome and have not looked. I am simply saying that Larry's (much repeated) view of the world seems to be an unfortunate one. (And if B&H are in fact gouging, perhaps they are not as great a business as you think.)<br /><br />Not sure what Marx has to do with what I posted... The world is not a black and white place, Ryan. It is possible to embrace a profitable business model without profiteering. Believe it or not, some profitable businesses used to run that way. Some still do, probably even in the good ol' US! It does not involve embracing a socialist economy. It just involves an ethical stance that does not place the dollar above <em>every</em> other consideration.<br /><br />You are right that most people don't complain until they personally are affected. That's why businesses continue to get away with this sort of thing... because Joe public doesn't care much until he finally works out that he personally is being screwed. Film is just one of many commodities. You may not understand it, but business practices regarding commodity pricing are a significant matter. Do you ever buy anything, Ryan?<br /><br />I can certainly afford Kodachrome, but I rarely use the stuff.</p>