How Do I Find Film for my Polaroid Instant Camera?

It would be hard to find anyone over the age of 25 (maybe even younger) whose childhood does not involve the click and whirr of a Polaroid camera and the waiting-with-bated-breath for an image to materialize on the print.
Polaroid instant cameras have been a part of all of our lives since the instant camera reached the market in 1948.
And although the Polaroid company went bankrupt in 2009 and no longer produces cameras or film…there is still a huge following.
There are many artists and photographers who are loyal to the style, who have expanded on the process and are creating something new.
There are serious camera collectors who look for the more rare Polaroid versions to add to their collection. Check out the trade on Etsy or Ebay and you might be surprised at the market for these ‘outdated’ cameras.
Vintage Polaroid Cameras on Etsy
Vintage Polaroid Cameras on Ebay
Of course there is also the nostalgia factor. People are recapturing their childhood and there is just a ‘look’ to a Polaroid picture that is hard to duplicate.

So where is everyone getting their film?

Well, an obvious answer would be Ebay or Amazon. Unopened packs of film are found occasionally and put up for sale.
Vintage Polaroid Film on Ebay

Another option is The Impossible Project. 
I’ll let the Project itself tell you about itself.

“Edwin Land, the founder of Polaroid and the inventor of the world’s first instant camera and film, once said,“Don’t undertake a project unless it’s manifestly important and nearly impossible.” The founders of The Impossible Project took him at his word when, in 2008, they purchased the last factory in the world manufacturing Polaroid instant film. Their aim was simple: to save 200 million Polaroid instant cameras from becoming utterly useless.
Two years later, the fledgling start-up began producing its own re-formulated versions of classic Polaroid instant film formats, including SX-70, 600, and Image-Spectra, as well as 8×10, at plants in Enschede, in The Netherlands, and Monheim, Germany.
Today, Impossible is no longer a ‘project’ but a fast-growing company with around 130 employees in Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Britain, France, the USA and China. Its core products are analog instant film, refurbished Polaroid cameras, and its own-designed range of analog instant cameras. But Impossible’s ambitions are bigger: from its new creative headquarters in Berlin, Germany, Impossible is intent on creating the future of analog instant photography.”
You can shop for Polaroid film right on their site, or I also found some on Ebay and Amazon.
So what about you? Which Polaroid Instant Camera did you have?

5 thoughts on “How Do I Find Film for my Polaroid Instant Camera?”

  2. I'm not sure the exact models used vs the type of film they carry, but believe it or not, Urban Outfitters carries instant film. I'm not sure if it's compatible, but it might be worth a look! http://www.urbanoutfitters.com

    There has been a recent resurgence of the Polaroid brand lately. This is likely due to the influence of Instagram filters. I love the immediate gratification of Polaroids… and of course the graininess, the slight sepia tone, and the tangibility factor.

    <3 Jackie @ Let's Go Thrifting
    http://www.LetsGoThriftingBlog.com

    Reply

  3. thanks for the link to your blog. Yes! I've sold my share of it as well…it is harder to find..and my last ones didn't even sell. Good thing too because i opened a pack to test a camera and it didn't even work. Yikes. 🙂

    Reply

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