Poseur
So, over the weekend run-up to Polaroid Week, I was going through my repository of obsolete cameras and came across a Non-Polaroid Instant Camera.
Yep, one of the outlaw Kodak Handles. I popped out the crank and gave it a spin and voila! A vacant print in the distinctive matte finish (Polaroid film is exposed through the front, necessitating a clear glossy finish. Kodak prints were exposed from behind, enabling kodak to utilize a trendy-at-the-time matte finish).
For those of you who don't remember:
In October 1985, after nine years of patent litigation with Polaroid, Kodak was banned from making and selling instant cameras and film. The ban took effect January 1986, at which time Kodak announced a trade-in program. The owners of 16.5 million cameras were given the chance to trade in their cameras for a share of Kodak common stock, a new camera, or $50 worth of Kodak merchandise. The obvious immediate effect on the value of used Kodak instant cameras was that they were now useable for chocking tires or creating artificial reefs. By June of 1986, several class action lawsuits had been filed against Kodak by instant camera owners. The courts brought Kodak's rebate plan to a halt pending the outcome of these suits, which asked, among other things, for a cash rebate option. The final settlement called for owners to return the camera's nameplate for a refund of cash and credits. This turn-in has been completed, and it appears that of the over 16.5 million Kodak instant cameras once in circulation, certainly there are more than enough examples, complete with their original nameplate, for all of the world's collectors at less than US$5 each.
Poseur
So, over the weekend run-up to Polaroid Week, I was going through my repository of obsolete cameras and came across a Non-Polaroid Instant Camera.
Yep, one of the outlaw Kodak Handles. I popped out the crank and gave it a spin and voila! A vacant print in the distinctive matte finish (Polaroid film is exposed through the front, necessitating a clear glossy finish. Kodak prints were exposed from behind, enabling kodak to utilize a trendy-at-the-time matte finish).
For those of you who don't remember:
In October 1985, after nine years of patent litigation with Polaroid, Kodak was banned from making and selling instant cameras and film. The ban took effect January 1986, at which time Kodak announced a trade-in program. The owners of 16.5 million cameras were given the chance to trade in their cameras for a share of Kodak common stock, a new camera, or $50 worth of Kodak merchandise. The obvious immediate effect on the value of used Kodak instant cameras was that they were now useable for chocking tires or creating artificial reefs. By June of 1986, several class action lawsuits had been filed against Kodak by instant camera owners. The courts brought Kodak's rebate plan to a halt pending the outcome of these suits, which asked, among other things, for a cash rebate option. The final settlement called for owners to return the camera's nameplate for a refund of cash and credits. This turn-in has been completed, and it appears that of the over 16.5 million Kodak instant cameras once in circulation, certainly there are more than enough examples, complete with their original nameplate, for all of the world's collectors at less than US$5 each.