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Found: What To Do With Exposed Film?

110308-exposedfilm.jpg While getting things packed and sorted this weekend for our big move to downtown Kansas City, we came across some old film. We have NO idea what's on it, or how old it is, or if we want to spend the money on processing something we had no idea we had lost in the first place. What would YOU do with found film? Process it? Toss it? Or pack it and deal with it later on? Let us know after the jump!

 
 

Not knowing even what time the photos on the film might have been taken, we are unsure as to what might possibly be on the film. For all we know they could be from a High School football game, a college art show or of our first house. We just have no idea. There aren't any memories that we can think we are missing out on?
It would be $20 to process it all.... what would you do?

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organizing, organization, decluttering, 35mm film processing

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Comments (24)

well, if it doesn't bother you that you might throw away a few moments of fun memories, toss them. it might keep nagging you for a while, though, that you never found out what was on them :-P
i never left a film undeveloped for so long that i didn't know what was on it, so i cannot say what i would do.

posted by maike on November 3rd 2008 at 1:22pm
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Do you really have to ask? Process it silly.

posted by techgirl on November 3rd 2008 at 1:22pm
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process it! might be some hidden gems on it ...

posted by rebecca_f on November 3rd 2008 at 1:32pm
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Either process it or toss it, don't deal with it later, that's silly.
Are you ok with spending $20 on a "mystery"? If yes, then process, if no, just toss and go on living life as you were before you found them. :)

But if you do process it, tell us what was on the film!

posted by sparkle on November 3rd 2008 at 1:33pm
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Wait for a processing sale at Snapfish or another online developer - that way you won't be stuck with ttons of photos that you don't care about, but your curiosity will be satisfied.

posted by bepsf on November 3rd 2008 at 1:37pm
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I just had the same thing happen to me... I came across about 8 rolls of film that I had NO idea what/where/who or why..... I took 2 rolls in at a time, so the expense was limited. It was also so fun to see the picutures that came out, it was like unwrapping a present... great anticipation of what I might see and huge laughs as some of the pics were at LEAST 10 years old!

Go get them processed, but if cost is a factor just do one or two at a time.

posted by MelissaLeigh on November 3rd 2008 at 1:45pm
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what id do is get them put onto cds rather than having actual prints. its been years since ive done it, but at walmart its cheap, probably like 3 bucks to make a cd only. that way you dont have a ton of cruddy pictures taking up space and you can print only the ones that please you.

posted by deeboyayay on November 3rd 2008 at 1:48pm
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Process it! It's like finding a time capsule.

posted by Eve in Hochelaga on November 3rd 2008 at 1:57pm
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My parents ended up doing this and processed a roll of film from when I was 3 years old. At the time, it was 20 years old. It was neat seeing pictures that old.

posted by chusmabilly on November 3rd 2008 at 2:00pm
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Processing film like this can only lead to pleasant surprises and excellent memories! Just do it! Even a few great, forgotten pictures will make it worth the expense.

posted by brenjay on November 3rd 2008 at 2:14pm
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Process of course! Processing 35mm is dirt cheap now anyways (at least around here) and you can get them on CDs. I developed some film that was at least 10 years old a little while ago and it was well worth it!

posted by ephcee on November 3rd 2008 at 2:31pm
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Wait - check the circulars for deals at Walgreens etc. Every so often I see deals for cheap prints or they throw in a CD. But definitely process them, because there might be some really good shots on them!

-Ruth

posted by cptnruthless on November 3rd 2008 at 2:41pm
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Go ahead and process it! I took in some film a few years ago and ended up getting pictures over 15yrs old. It was so much fun. Of course, some of them had degraded (or wouldn't have come out anyway), but plenty of them did.

I think I got them done at Walgreen's or Bartell. And they didn't charge for pictures I didn't want or that didn't come out.

posted by tamiko on November 3rd 2008 at 2:51pm
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Process, no question about it.

posted by Tse Moana on November 3rd 2008 at 3:00pm
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Yep, wait for a promotional sale and process them.

posted by Daniel Poitiers on November 3rd 2008 at 3:02pm
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Only someone really incurious could ask this question!

posted by sarahlily on November 3rd 2008 at 3:54pm
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I recently found five rolls of undeveloped film. I spent $75 getting the photos (special B&W film), and it was WELL worth it. I found pictures of sights and cities that I had long forgotten.

posted by kessyud on November 3rd 2008 at 4:46pm
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are you SERIOUS? process! or spend less money and send it all to me and I'LL process them!

posted by closertotheocean on November 3rd 2008 at 4:49pm
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you should totally process it. you never know! and its not that expensive anymore. you could use york (www.yorkphoto.com) they are usually really cheap. and you can give them your address and they will send you the mailers to put your film in. They are based in maryland somewhere but i think they will do anywhere.

posted by beesknees on November 3rd 2008 at 5:09pm
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ahh.. the last time I moved I seriously found 40 undeveloped rolls of film (I am a photo major, not a stalker) it's comforting to know someone else shares my plight. Anyway, it's so much fun to process things late, you should totally do it!

I brought mine to wal-mart (a necessary evil) in shifts as suggested above and asked for negatives and a cd only. It wasn't that bad, totally worth it! :) They also don't make you pay for anything that doesn't turn out, I had a couple rolls that were worthless.

posted by Kalei on November 3rd 2008 at 7:15pm
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No question on this one. Definitely process it......it will absolutey be worth it!!

posted by anotherDCfan on November 4th 2008 at 5:05am
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Sell it on Ebay

posted by iaintgoingthere on November 4th 2008 at 7:23am
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Process it, of course. I'd take it to a pro lab and tell them it has been sitting around for a while; then they can adjust the processing accordingly.

posted by gryt on November 4th 2008 at 7:48am
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process it! (just found this article haha im a bit behind in the comments) process process process. OR find someone you know who can process it for you... its cheap.. easy and lots of fun to agonise over what kinds of things might be on it! Hopefully it wasn't from the bawdy vacation you took 5 years ago! and decided to snap everyone you snogged!

posted by Robot<3sMonkey on July 17th 2009 at 11:57pm
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