Topic: Harman/ Ilford Photo Price Hike (AGAIN) on 1 june

[LT]

To warn Ilford devotees that Harman have announced yet another price hike in products as from 1st June 2011.  Not sure if this applies globally or just to uk.

Reasons given = increase in silver prices.  This is quite odd considering silver prices have been falling drastically in recent weeks with further falls predicted.

So - if you are still able to afford Ilford and Kentmere films/ paper, might be worth stocking up before 1st June, incase you cant afford it once the prices rise.



L.

[LT]

this is from another website.
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Dear All,

Yes we have a price increase on June 1st, Worldwide.

This is obviously deeply regrettable and we do not take increasing our prices lightly. Obviously it ultimately affect volume. You have all seen the rise in the price of silver, we put up prices on February 1st 2011 calculatedv and based on silver prices on December 24th 2010 ( $ 28.00 per troy ounce ) since then we have bought silver at anywhere between $ 28.00 and $ 48.00 so everything we have manufactured and put into stock since December 24th has been at a much higher raw material price, we cannot absorb that level of increase and we must increase prices. We have done everything in our power to mitigate the increase, including even more stringent cost control, as part of these measures we also had to take the decision to reduce our workforce by 58 which is about 20.00% otherwise our price increase would have had to be much higher, this is a real human cost for the speculation in silver.

The almost unprecedented ( it has happened once before Bunker / Hunt ) speculation in silver damages all people who need to buy it and use to make things, and of course those who buy products containing silver.

We can only hope silver reduces significantly from its current level ( $ 38.00 ).

Our philosophy remains the same, we continue to make all products, none will be deleted and we will remain totally committed to producing the widest range of monochrome film, paper ( including the new ART 300 ) and chemistry, from any manufacturer, anywhere.

We thank all our customers who use and value ILFORD Photo products.

Simon. ILFORD Photo / HARMAN technology Limited :
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I'm concerned.  Laying of 20% of staff is not a good sign at all

[gothamtomato]

Truthfully, I'm just so grateful that they are still making film and paper that I can't bring myself to complain about it.

[jojonas~]

I'm concerned.  Laying of 20% of staff is not a good sign at all

ditto! prices are one thing, cutting down on personel is/should always be a last resource.. sad to see ilford bleeding like this.

But this really keeps my chin up:

Our philosophy remains the same, we continue to make all products, none will be deleted and we will remain totally committed to producing the widest range of monochrome film, paper ( including the new ART 300 ) and chemistry, from any manufacturer, anywhere.

aiming high from the position they're in

[gregor]

the last time they had a hike they laid off workers as well.  makes it a hard call to keep buying their product if they keep telling us their loyalty to photography equals screwing over their employees.

such a shame as their products are among my favorites - especially their fiber papers, which already are not cheap.

[Fedo]

Well, a hell of a lot of companies have had to lay off 20% or so of their staff over this recession. I should know as I was one of them  .

I'm such a die-hard Ilford user that if you cut me in half it probably says "ilford" like a stick of rock. However as a rank amateur photographer , I have to watch the cash & I've pretty much moved to Kentmere film & paper as it seems to be their budget range know.

I hope things work out okay for them .

[LT]

I hope things work out okay for them .

My sentiment exactly.  Other sites have rumours on silver prices going up to $50 soon.  That would be devastating.

I really hope Harman can ride the storm and keep their Ilfordphoto department going.  Ilfordphoto are pretty much the only true player left - certainly the only one developing and introducing new products to their existing range.  If they were to fold ... well, I dont really know the effect, but I'm sure it would be very bad news.

My thoughts are mostly with those in Cheshire who are now jobless.  Not a good place to be right now.

I did think "sod ilford" for taking more and more of my money ... but now I'm thinking "support ilford".  I'll just take fewer pictures, make smaller prints and look forward to the day that I can shoot more again.



L.

[gothamtomato]

I really hope Harman can ride the storm and keep their Ilfordphoto department going.  Ilfordphoto are pretty much the only true player left - certainly the only one developing and introducing new products to their existing range.  If they were to fold ... well, I dont really know the effect, but I'm sure it would be very bad news.
L.

I think the should be able to. Film sales are actually rising (slowly) - much better than several years ago when they were dropping. Once they finished dropping, they leveled off and then started rising. I spoke to one of their reps about that at photoexpo.

So, I don't think it's about general lack of demand - just about the recession killing everyone. I'm sure they know this is temporary (which they might not have known if this happened 5 years ago.)

[original_ann]

So disheartening from so many angles...

[Francois]

So disheartening from so many angles...

Maybe it'll make our prints gain in value faster over time... they still contain silver...

[LT]

There are some interesting threads going on other forums about the value of recovering the silver from your spent fixer and selling it on. The funds from doing so will certainly help with the rising costs of silver-photo products.

Has anyone got any experience of doing this ... is it easy? I suppose the awkward thing is finding someone to buy the silver back?

The current prediction from the silver speculators is that it will peak at $100 dollars before things level out.  That will make it impossible to buy photo products without recovering silver!

GT - I understand that film sales were slowly rising, but the price of silver will have a marked effect on this.  With HP5+ already at nearly $10/ £5.30 a single 35mm roll, and set to rise (maybe even double), I cant see that the regular use of film will remain a viable option for most people.

[LT]

I wasn't expecting THIS much of a rise ...

I'm basing these figures on what I'm assuming to be the pre 1.6.11 rise prices on AG photographic and today's prices on Harman Express:

AG (old price) - 50 x sheets 10x8 MG Art = £58.40

Harman (new price) - 50 x Sheets 10x8 MG Art = £75.84

That's approx 28% rise.

Frightening.
___________

[gothamtomato]

GT - I understand that film sales were slowly rising, but the price of silver will have a marked effect on this.  With HP5+ already at nearly $10/ £5.30 a single 35mm roll, and set to rise (maybe even double), I cant see that the regular use of film will remain a viable option for most people.

Sigh. Please leave me my delusions. They're all I have.

[Francois]

The way I see it, people will simply move either to the big D or will use more and more expired and third world products even though quality is sometime iffy on those.

[seekingfocus]

Yeah, in light of all this and the price hikes, it seems less and less likely that I will ever get back to regularly printing in the darkroom again. 

I never made professional quality prints anyway, but I sure do miss those long nights in the darkroom. Sitting in front of a computer just isn't the same... If I ever have children though, I would definitely take that as a chance to get out the chemicals and buy a fresh stock of paper to pass on the magic developing and printing.

-Jason

[Fedo]

"I wasn't expecting THIS much of a rise ...

I'm basing these figures on what I'm assuming to be the pre 1.6.11 rise prices on AG photographic and today's prices on Harman Express:

AG (old price) - 50 x sheets 10x8 MG Art = £58.40

Harman (new price) - 50 x Sheets 10x8 MG Art = £75.84

That's approx 28% rise.

Frightening."




To be fair you have to factor in a 10% reduction that practically every user of the Harman Express website has access to.

I checked the prices there when I got the HE discount card from Focus and they were pretty much the same as Ags+10%. Ilford couldnt bee seen to undercut their sales channels by 10%.

Still an 18% rise though  
___________

[Fedo]

Please excuse the fact that I cant work out how to use the "quote" function properly above. How would I ever survive in a totally digital world 

[LT]

good point Fedo - I forgot about the discount code.  18% was more where I saw the price increase coming in at.

[Abdul Hye]

Sliverprint on twitter just posted this

The BAD NEWS - Ilford prices up this week; GOOD NEWS, we are running special discount prices on Ilford paper & film all Summer!

There is a shop in Aldgate, London, that sells HP5 (120) for £2.99 and FP4 (120) for £3.25. Should I go down there and buy a bulk load?

[Heather]

There are some interesting threads going on other forums about the value of recovering the silver from your spent fixer and selling it on. The funds from doing so will certainly help with the rising costs of silver-photo products.

Has anyone got any experience of doing this ... is it easy? I suppose the awkward thing is finding someone to buy the silver back?

I've got the Silverprint bucket going here but I've only filled it with 2 litres of used/dead fix so far. Roy up at RK Photographic informed me that Foma film is "rich in silver" so I've got my hopes up on some sort of payback if Silverprint are still running their Bring us your fix reclaimation.
http://www.silverprint.co.uk/pdf/Silver_r.pdf "applies only to fix returned via our London Waterloo trade counter. " Doesn't take me much to drag the 5litres on the tube to 'em.

[Fedo]

Doesn't take me much to drag the 5litres on the tube to 'em.

Apart from possible arrest under the prevention of terrorism act