Old Photo Paper

<p>HI,<br>

Wondering if I should buy this item on ebay. <br />Its been stored in the cupboard for the last 40 years.<br>

Have a look at it.<br>

Here is the link http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/221796460332?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT</p>

<p>I want to know if you think the paper would be still good to use.<br>

Thanks<br>

Andrew</p>

<p>Maybe, maybe not. You may have to use some anti-fogging agent in the developer.<br>

But photo paper doesn't have great shelf life.</p>

<p>No. Buy new buy fresh buy often. It is the only way to keep our craft alive.</p>

<p>If you buy it, you can test it by running it through the chemistry without exposing it. The emulsion side should match the paper base (back side) in brightness.</p>

<p>I have had old paper that was just fine, and not so old that wasn't good at all. </p>

<p>After you add the shipping cost, it isn't so obvious whether it is worthwhile.</p>

<p> Fresh and new is good enough for me. If I see something at a yard sale I ask about storage and light. One time the lady told me, "I opened it and counted the sheets". Sigh.<br>

If you want to risk it go for it but Photo paper new is cheaper than film theses days.</p>

<p>Most likely not good, or at least heavily fogged. While new Ilford paper might seem expensive compared to the old paper, there are some new choices that are more economical. Freestyle sells rebranded paper under the Arista name and can be quite good.</p>

<p>The Ilford MG III will be heavily fogged with a tan finish. I bought some expired MG III RC around 12 years ago and it was already heavily fogged back then. It was a developer incorporated paper, okay for convenience in school darkrooms and casual snaps from commercial labs, but not good for anything serious. It had an interesting faux-retro look for mimicking the appearance of a very old family print.</p>

<p>MG IV is much better, although I don't know how well it holds up after expiration. I have several boxes of MG IV RC and fiber papers, but haven't used them in a few years. No idea about the Agfa, I always used it up quickly.</p>

<p>I have some old, maybe 50 year, Agfa paper that someone gave me. It seemed fine when I tried it. If kept in a cool dry basement, most will last pretty long. <br>

Most often I want larger sizes, though. </p>

<p>A further note on the Agfa paper: as long as it is fiber based it won't fog as fast as the RC Agfa papers as they were also developer-incorporated. In fact the last Agfa RC paper I had would work in my Ektamatic processor. </p>

<p>I thought I'd chime in here...some years ago I found an unopened box of Ilford Multigrade in a *bookstore*, as in on the shelf among the books, for very little. So I've had it sitting around in storage against the day that I set up my own darkroom (which hopefully won't be too long) and still haven't opened it. I will guess that the paper is still fine, although the sensitivity or properties might have changed somewhat from all that time sitting. Assuming it's late '90s or early '00s vintage, what do you think I can expect compared to factory fresh paper?<br>

<br />cheers<br>

<br />Billy S.</p>

<p>Hope I'm not too late to put my two cents in. I had decided to do some printing in the darkroom and hadn't bought paper in years. I decided to use some paper I had lying around. I exposed and developed normally and I found that the paper had yellowed after all the years had passed. So the whites weren't white, they were yellow-white. Never used old paper since then and always had white-whites. </p>

<p>William, my thought on this..If you are building a brand new dark room and this will be the first time you print pictures, why not start with a brand new box to remove at least one variable.</p>