| rev:text
| - I was lured into the Polaroid Fotobar bar by a sign with cute digital Polaroids that said "Print your pics, $1 Each"
"Wow! $1 each!" I thought. There's a couple photos I'd like to print, let me stop in real fast, what's a couple bucks?
Let's just say, I walked in with the intent of spending no more than $2 and 5 minuets - and ended up walking out 2 hours later having spent over $100.
How did this happen you ask? Let's start with the awesome museum upstairs.
Under glass cases, they had lots of Polaroid cameras on display from over the years. It was cool to learn how the Polaroid camera has evolved over time. It also featured original prototypes of cameras that never came out and actual Polaroid pictures on display of celebrities like Madonna and Debbie Harry.
Just as I said "They should have a TV in here showing how all these older cameras worked" my friend Jorge pointed up at a TV showing vintage Polaroid commercials on loop from the 60's, 70's and 80's. I really got a kick out of watching those!
Feeling intensely (and temporarily) inspired by Polaroid, I walked downstairs to the retail area and saw a sign that said "Refurbished Vintage Polaroid Cameras on Sale, $100."
After seeing all those groovy cameras in the museum, I felt it would be an honor to own a refurbished vintage model. It really seemed like a great idea at that moment to shell out the money and take one home.
I asked the sales associate some questions about it first. He was a great salesman, touching on cool points about the particular 1984 Polaroid model I was interested in. He told me all the motors inside had been refurbished and that makes it good to go for the next 30 years.
It wasn't until after I made the nonrefundable purchase that all this crappy stuff he conveniently failed to mention came to the light.
As he was ringing me up I asked "How much film does this come with?"
"Oh, this doesn't come with film."
I asked how much the film was. "It's $30."
Surely $30 must get you a hefty amount of Polaroids I thought.
"You get 8 prints" he said.
WHAT! I couldn't believe my ears (or my calculator) which confirmed that each photo I took on this camera would cost nearly $4!
For the sake of being able to use the camera I just purchased, I requested to buy some of this high priced film.
He then enlightens me they DON'T carry Polaroid film because they stopped making it. He said another company makes film for the camera, and I should go to Urban Outfitters to get some.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME? The Polaroid Shop does not carry film for cameras they sell, but freaking Urban Outfitters does?!? What planet are we on?
I was super pissed that I had to later go out of my way to purchase film, but it somehow managed to get even worse before I left the store.
I remembered the reason I originally came in. I wanted to print a couple of $1 photos. I walked over to the "Fotobar" and began to upload the pictures.
After picking out the two I wanted, I was notified that I have to purchase a minimum of 6 photos. Wonderful. Now I have to pick out and pay for 4 more photos I don't even really want.
After all this BS, I am so ready get my pics and leave this place (it had already been 2 hours since I first walked in.)
A girl with an attitude at the cash register tells me without looking at me, "Your prints will be ready in 25 minuets."
Seriously!? I have to blow another half hour here waiting for prints?!
Isn't this a professional "Fotobar?" Isn't it just digital printing in the year 2015? This isn't the 70's where you have to wait for film to develop, and even then they had 30 minuet photo shops.
Congrats, they've matched the time it took to get your photos 40 years ago.
When I finally got my pics, I left - but I still had to drive to freaking Urban Outfitters (nowhere near the Polaroid Store) to purchase that expensive film.
I regret making such an impulsive purchase. I later found out I could've bought the same camera on Ebay for $30. Also, the extremely expensive film for it is made by another company and is nothing like the original Polaroid film. Almost every picture I took on this camera came out horrible because of the new "Eco friendly" film. Blurry, dark, sometimes even blank. What a waste of money.
I give this place 3 stars because I liked the museum a lot and Polaroid used to be cool.
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