P3D The cost of stereo...

[fj834@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Dr. George A. Themelis)]

So, I shot 131 rolls of film in 1997.  Let's look at the cost:

    Price of film bought in 1997: $ 617
Cost of processing for this film: $1151
-- Total for film and processing: $1768

And where is this film mounted?  My records show various purchases of
mounts in 1997:  $380 RBT, $138 Spicer (plus $74 for the famous "jig"),
about $400 Albion (I got a few thousands to last me for a few years), $360
EMDE (mainly glass and frames from Dennis).

Total cost of mounting supplies is $1352.  But I did not use all these
mounts in 1997.  I have inventories for the following year(s).

Now, education... and use of film.  My records show that I spent $380 for
memberships in various stereoscopic organizations and subscriptions to
related magazines and also for entering PSA competitions, etc.  I also
spent about $350 to attend the PSA convention (I did not make it to the
NSA convention).

Adding all the numbers I reach the figure $3850.

This figure DOES NOT include all the money spent in equipment that I use,
or collectibles (VM, TruVue, Discover, Stereo cards, Realist slides, etc.)
that I bought through the year.  I consider these items an investment...
while the $3850 is mostly gone with nothing left behind (except if you
consider that my slides might have some value later in time).

Another thought.... This sounds like a lot of money but it is about what I
spent on computer equipment the last two years!  So, don't tell me about
"digital stereo" being cheap.  (If I were to sell all the computer
equipment I bought two years ago, I might not even get $1000 today!)

I am proud to say that the $3850 figure was absorbed entirely from my 3d
account (i.e. I did not use any money from family funds).  Now you know why
I am still working on viewers and buying/selling/trading stereo equipment!

I just bought a Brackett Di$$olver... 
which means I will have to "dump" plenty of goodies in S3d to cover this
purchase.  Stay tuned!!! (in S3d) :-)

-- George Themelis, stereo financial adviser....


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