One problem with Kodak was that it made it almost impossible to be a Kodak dealer. I know many labs that dropped Kodak because Kodak demanded they make purchases beyond reason. The MBAs must have had a death wish or something because such a demand was sure to lessen their market presence. Doug Nygren ---------- Original Message ---------------------------------- From: Marc James Small <msmall@xxxxxxxxxxxx> Reply-To: rollei_list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Date: Thu, 16 Jun 2005 18:55:34 -0400 >Kodak is getting out of the B&W paper business; the ending of its B&W film >and chemistry offerings is only a matter of time. > >Many have commented on the reality that other companies will continue to >fill this market, perhaps for the long haul. The problem with this is that >Kodak dominated the US market so thoroughly that AGFA and Ilford were often >hard to find in camera stores, though Fuzzy had bullied its way into the >door of many of these shops over the past ten years. > >Given the explosion of digital in recent years, most local camera stores >have gone over to the Dark Side. And, with Kodak out of the picture, they >are not going to fill the gap with Ilford, Agfa, Berger, or Forte products: > they are just going to reduce their film offerings to consumer color >films. They have seen the light and will simply concentrate on digital >cameras and accessories. > >Within five years, only those living in a megalopolis will enjoy the >existence of a local store stocking any analog film materials. For the >rest of us, it will be suppliers from some large city, ordered over the >Internet and delivered by mail. > >I miss the days when I could get a large variety of developers and >chemicals and films and papers at a photo store two blocks from my office. >Now, it is all digital, and as Kodak recedes from the analog market, so >shall they. > >(And I have had nothing but snarls and problems with B&H: they fouled up >three orders in a row a decade back, and I swore that I would never again >do business with them. But, now, I probably will have no choice ... and I >will hate myself for going back to drink from a polluted well.) > >Marc > >msmall@xxxxxxxxxxxx=20 >Cha robh b=E0s fir gun ghr=E0s fir! > >NEW FAX NUMBER: +540-343-8505 > > > >--- >Rollei List > >- Post to rollei_list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > >- Subscribe at rollei_list-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'subscribe' >in the subject field OR by logging into www.freelists.org > >- Unsubscribe at rollei_list-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with >'unsubscribe' in the subject field OR by logging into www.freelists.org > >- Online, searchable archives are available at >//www.freelists.org/archives/rollei_list > > ________________________________________________________________ --- Rollei List - Post to rollei_list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx - Subscribe at rollei_list-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'subscribe' in the subject field OR by logging into www.freelists.org - Unsubscribe at rollei_list-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the subject field OR by logging into www.freelists.org - Online, searchable archives are available at //www.freelists.org/archives/rollei_list