Re: [AMIA-L] Reply: Nitrate print being Ebayed - shipping safety concern

[Ted Langdell <preservation@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Just for fun, I searched for "Nitrate" in listings and descriptions  
of the ebay film category and turned up this piece of 1943 footage  
showing the exterior of Paramount's arch entrance

Paramount Exterior on ebay

The seller states:
"Rare footage of Paramount Studios from 1943.

This 35 mm black and white film is in excellent condition. It is  
nitrate - therefore it has to be shipped through another service,  
which we can arrange. It can not be sent via USPS."

He says the same thing about one item in another lot
Searchlights and Cathay Circle Theater premiere footage

And another seller's listing has USPS in the shipping section for  
what's billed as a 10" reel with a nitrate IB test reel from RKO  
(with booming sound).  No mention of any safety issues.

For what he/she's asking, he can afford to provide proper shipping.

There's a nitrate print of "There Goes My Heart" with Frederic March  
being offered by another seller.

Seller says: "Very nice 35MM nitrate print - quite rare. Will ship  
anywhere in the world! The price for shipping will actually be  
determined by where you live - shipping nitrate can not be done by  
standard mail services - it requires special handling and can only be  
done by a soecialized courier. We will bill the exact shipping amount  
after it has been determined."

This same seller has a 35mm nitrate print of BERGKRISTALL.

 On this listing, he/she says: "I can ship this worldwide but  
outside the USA you will need to pay a lot for shipping and I can't  
quote exact charges until I know where you live - 35mm is VERY HEAVY  
- 1949 - NIRATE 35mm PRINT"

So there's no uniformity.

If any of this goes by airplane, one has to wonder whether any of the  
TSA people are aware of the issues involved.

Ted Langdell
Ted Langdell Creative Broadcast Services
Marysville, CA
Main:   (530) 741-1212

representing flashSCAN8 high quality, gentle, real-time 8/Super8  
Sound film transfer systems and flashtransfer 16 and 35mm systems.   
Watch our website for a new product, soon (I hope!) flashscan8.us

tedlangdell.com. Storytelling through Broadcast Coverage and Creative  
Services since 1974