Newsgroups: rec.photo
Subject: Re: Outdated Kodachrome (re: Freezing Film)
From: swayzed@brandonu.ca
Date: 12 Oct 92 16:09:54 CST
Organization: Brandon University, Brandon, Manitoba, Canada

In article <588@tsw.UUCP>, ray@tsw.UUCP (Ray Izumi) writes:
> In article <1992Oct7.115603.2447@brandonu.ca> swayzed@brandonu.ca writes:
>>I have stumbled across a drug store which has some outdated Kodachrome at a 
>>steal of a price. They are selling it for $9.99 (CDN$) per 36 exposure roll 
> 
> Just out of curiosity - is that really considered a good price for Kodacrhome
> in Canada? It's really high relative to US prices. Kodachrome can be had by
> mail order for about $6 US (about $7 Canadian).
> 
> -- 
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Ray Izumi, The System Works, Redmond, WA     206-823-4685      uunet!tsw!ray
> "No amount of not finding something proves it doesn't exist."

Just for background information. A fresh 36 exposure roll will run anywhere
from $15.00 to $20.00, at a retail store. That includes processing by Kodak
Canada, NOT Kodalux or a Canadian equivalent. In other words, the processing is
fantastic!

As far as US prices go, it may be cheaper if one looks at the per roll cost
with processing, only. But once taxes, duties, shipping charges, the new 
$5.00 per shipment fee levied by customs, and the dropping exchange rate is
factored in I think the prices are comparable. 

For example at Adorama a 36 exp. roll of KR with processing is $9.19 US.
Suppose we buy 10 rolls, which comes to $91.90. Add in shipping costs of $7.50.
(I get this figure based on an order for 5 rolls of Ektapress 1600 I bought
from them this summer.) The total is now $99.40 US$. Exchange at 1.20% comes
to $119.28 in Canadian dollars. Add GST (7% tax) on the C$ equivalent of 91.90
($110.28) and the price goes up $7.72 to $127.00. Of course there is the $5.00
customs fee and various duties which probably only amount to a few dollars, so
$135.00 is probably a good number. As a result each roll is now costing about
$13.50 per roll. This of course does not include the postage involved in send
each roll back to the US for processing which would easily add at least
$3.00 per roll. Total is now at about $16.50 per roll, comparable to Canadian
costs.
 
I would really like to thank everyone who responded to my original post. I have
had many suggest that I buy from US mail order. I have done this before with 
the Ektapress I purchased this summer. By the time I was all done, I estimate
that I paid close to $10.00 per roll in Canadian dollars. It retails for $5.49
US at Adorama. To be honest I don't know how this compares to Canadian prices
as I have never purchased it here. I also realize that costs per roll decrease
with larger orders.

I do appreciate the friendly advice, and trust me if it was cheaper to get it
from the US, I would.

-- 
 
David Swayze        | SWAYZED@BrandonU.CA    | Reading furnishes the mind only
Brandon University  | Canada (pokey) Post:   | with materials of knowledge; it
Brandon, Manitoba   | 56 Wilnor Bay          | is thinking which makes what we
Canada              | Brandon, MB, R7B 3H1   | read ours.           John Locke
Newsgroups: rec.photo