The Polaroid company, back from it's second bankruptcy, has an interesting concept store in the works. It's called' Fotobar and it's a sleek type store, like Apple, and you go in and have photos printed. Sort of the old fashioned way. Only you do it from your electronic device -- iPhone, iPad, etc. What's old is new again! Now you can manipulate your Instagrams to your heart's delight and then have the work of art printed out on paper, posters and various gift items.
The first of the stores will be opening in Delray Beach.
They do all sorts of styles and sizes from the famous Polaroid look with their old-fashioned border around the photo and all, and even large blow ups on canvas, that can fill a whole wall.
When I was in high school, I worked for a department store and I remember Polaroid came out with a sort of home movie thing, before camcorders. It was a weird looking box-shaped thing and you would take a video, or whatever it was called at the time, you would then stick the cassette-type thing into the slot on the box-shaped thing, and you would see videos.
I can't remember the cost now, but it was quite expensive. I think we only sold two of them the whole four years I worked at the store.
I am hoping Polaroid's concept works, after all, most of us just have our photo images digitally. In fact, I had this argument on Christmas Eve with one of my sister-in-law. I took a photo with my iPhone of her and another relative and she loved the photo and wanted a copy. So I said, "OK, I'll text it to you," to which she shrieked, "I want a 'real' picture!"
She went on, "Don't be so cheap! Go to Walgreens or CVS and print it out for me!" To which I replied, "I'm not being cheap, it's only about 35 cents, but it's a bother and a project to do that!"
So the photo still sits in my iPhone and I never did get around to printing it out. And this is what I am hoping doesn't happen with the new Polaroid Fotobars. I hope people use them.
I have an app on my phone called Photos to Art, which basically does the same thing as the Fotobar stores will and it seems easier. You upload the photo, decide on style, size, etc. and just send it electronically and in a few days (maybe weeks), you get your photo(s) back as posters, framed art or whatever.
I post photos and cartoons on Instagram daily (under "Tomversation"), so I am sure to check out the new Polaroid Fotobar and experiment with a bunch of images I have.
I still liked the old fashioned Polaroid camera days, when it was something unique; the sound, the excitement of seeing the pictures right away and the shaking. Yes, the shaking of the Polaroid picture, to get it to reveal itself faster!
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