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Should I try to develop these ancient rolls of film?


bzymom
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When we moved, I found a ziploc bag filled with film and single-use cameras.  I love the idea of possibly finding some wonderful photos of moments forgotten, or people we've lost, but looking online the cost is quite high for me.  $11 for a roll of 35 mm, plus tax, plus $5-6 return shipping.  I thought I could at least avoid the shipping if I chose only to have the images scanned to me, but nope.  You still pay it so they can return your negatives.  Can't opt out of that.  The single use cameras are a few dollars more, and I have about half a dozen of those.

I am continuing searching online for options, but thought I would ask if anyone here has experience with this type of lost treasure so I can weigh the expense against how realistic it is to expect any salvageable images from these old films.

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Ex did some of them a few years ago, some of them had been sitting around for many years. We ended up with some treasured photos, things I had totally forgotten about. I think he went through Walgreens and was only charged for photos that turned out. Here's the info from Walgreen's website. http://custhelp2.walgreens.com/articles/Information/Film-Developing-Negatives-and-Disposable-Cameras-Options-and-Pricing-2-0

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11 hours ago, bzymom said:

When we moved, I found a ziploc bag filled with film and single-use cameras.  I love the idea of possibly finding some wonderful photos of moments forgotten, or people we've lost, but looking online the cost is quite high for me.  $11 for a roll of 35 mm, plus tax, plus $5-6 return shipping.  I thought I could at least avoid the shipping if I chose only to have the images scanned to me, but nope.  You still pay it so they can return your negatives.  Can't opt out of that.  The single use cameras are a few dollars more, and I have about half a dozen of those.

I am continuing searching online for options, but thought I would ask if anyone here has experience with this type of lost treasure so I can weigh the expense against how realistic it is to expect any salvageable images from these old films.

 

YIKES!  That is expensive!  But I can understand, the process is a lot of work for something not common anymore.  

I would get them developed, but those single use cameras.......argh!  Does it show all the photos were actually taken on them?  I had friends who put those on their wedding tables for people to take pics back in the day and they ended up with 10 out of 25 pics taken on each one (or whatever.)

I hope you get some wonderful pictures.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Just wanted to update for anybody else who may find some old film.

I picked up the first photos today from CVS, and they are fine!  I am shocked!!  They are my daughter's 5th birthday. (I thought she was older in the photos.  My kids had to set me straight on what year they were!)

She is 20.  So, yeah.  

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This encourages me.  I have a 10 or 12-year-old single-use camera sitting here on my desk, just waiting for me to take it in.  I have no idea what's on it.  It belonged to my 19 yo, so I'm sure all of the photos will be from a very low angle, LOL!    

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I wouldn't call $11 expensive at all. The shipping does stink, but I suppose that's just the price to pay for something nearly obsolete.  The lab I worked in just before the turn of the century ? charged about that for a roll of 24. (I think it was $7.99 for developing, plus 10 cents/print.) I know it stings compared to the nearly-free cost of digital we're used to, but it doen't sound like inflation has touched the old process at all, even with its obvious reduction of volume and equipment.

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