San Fernando Valley Classic Film Library Asset Sale For Sale

Business description

After a lifetime spent collecting 16-millimeter films, the owner of this phenomenal classic film library is looking for a new home and new owner for his film treasures.

The owner first got his start as a youngster when his father gave him a toy film projector and some film clips. He began collecting films as a hobby. He shortly found out that he had picked a very expensive hobby. In order to make his hobby pay for itself, he made a list of the films that he had and sent it to all the schools on the West Coast. Soon thereafter, he was in the film rental business.
Over the years, the majority of his clients have been teachers and professors who teach film history classes (primarily at the college level), film societies and theaters, and on occasion, private individuals. The owner states that to teachers who teach film classes, showing a film on the screen is superior to showing a video or DVD.

The film library contains over 6300 titles including such rarities as “Kean” which was made in 1922 in France and “Love Never Dies” by King Vidor, also from 1922. There are one-reel comedies, two-reel shorts and numerous feature films. If you like comedians, there are a number of films by Harry Langdon and Mabel Normand. There is also a huge Charlie Chaplin collection as well as films with Buster Keaton, Laurel and Hardy, etc.

Many of the films in the collection are now public domain and can be digitized and distributed without copyright infringement concerns.
There are several universities that would very much like to acquire the film collection; however, they would like to owner to find an “angel” to purchase the film library and donate it to the school.

The owner is asking $1,000,000 for the entire film library. Additionally there are approximately 950+ volumes of cinema related books, film inspections machines, 400+ U-matic videos, bookcases, film racks, desks, equipment, etc.

The asking price reflects only the cost of the films, not the content of the films. If you are a private collector or if you would like to make a wonderful contribution to the film industry of the future, this may be the perfect film collection for you.

Other information

Reasons for selling:

Retirement