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100 EDITIONS OF REEL DEALS
                              ( plus a few more )
                                                                 Mike Trickett

        Somewhere along the track, I lost count of the   Part of my frustration stemmed from the delays
        number of editions of  Reel Deals that have   involved  in having to buy films from  such a
        been produced. My Adelaide friends, Yuergen   distance. I dealt with quite a number of very
        Kellermann and David Donaldson have been   good collector/dealers  during that time, but
        on the trail and have produced a full list of all   there were always the few that would send junk
        Reel  Deals, right from  the first  edition, way   film – or even worse, would not send anything
        back in 1993.                       at all!
        Not only does the list show edition number and   Eventually, I decided to produce a modest few
        date, but also  the cover picture used. As an   pages of photocopied  advertisements  as a
        afterthought,  I have now started  to list  the   means for film collectors to communicate with
        articles contained in each edition.  each other – the “Keeping Collectors in Touch”
                                                          idea.
        You  might ask how I
        managed to lose count                             The first six or so editions
        and ignore such a mile                            were printed by  Barb and
        stone as the 100th edition                        myself using my work pho-
        -  I don’t have an answer.                        tocopier. I  was amazed at
        It seems that in my enthu-                        how quickly interest spread,
        siasm? to get another edi-                        and within a couple of years
        tion out, I lost track - well                     the circulation had exceed-
        that’s my excuse anyway!                          ed 200,  and often  reached
                                                          48 pages. It became neces-
        A Look Back                                       sary to have it commercially
        The first edition of  Reel                        printed, as the task was be-
        Deals was put together in                         yond us.
        February* of 1993  – a
        somewhat modest edition                           Many changes in the  way
        of 12 pages. It was pro-                          RD is produced have taken
        duced on  a photocopier                           place over time. The origi-
        and posted  free to  about                        nal editions  were “paste-
        20-30 people who I knew                           ups”, the material supplied
        had an interest in film                           by advertisers were reduced
        collecting.       *The publication month was later   in size if needed, and pasted onto an A5 sheet
        changed.                            of paper, which was photocopied and used by
                                            the printer to make the final print.
        At the time I started producing RD, buying,
        selling  or  swapping film (except for  maybe   Because I was working full time, running a
        Super 8, which I had no interest in) was either   business, RD run up against the posting dead-
        underground (you had to be in the “know”) or,   line, and invariably there was the odd grumble
        purchased from overseas. I  had  been  a sub-  about it being “late again”. Now retired, with
        scriber  to  the  American  publication  (allegedly) lots of spare time, it is generally in
        The Big Reel, and had made many purchases   the mail as per the statement on page three.
        from its  pages over the years, so I  thought
        something along similar lines might work here.

        4  REEL DEALS    March 2019
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