Supasnaps

[absinthe_boy]

A quick look at Companies House reveals that Supasnaps Ltd was dissolved in 2010. A lot of the photo dev & print industry was shocked at the speed that digital photography took over, and when phone cameras and social started to become ubiquitous nobody wanted to print their photos any more.

Max Spielman and Snappy Snaps just about survived and are still around to ride the resurgence in film use. But people are still not typically having prints made. The local camera shop in Luton now pretty much survives on selling second hand film cameras and film. Truprint stopped doing film processing in the 2010s and I think the brand only survives today as a website for photo gifts such as coasters etc.

Dixons owned Supasnaps at one point. They had been a *huge* photo business, owning Photo Trade Processing (PTP) one of the biggest photo labs in Europe which was based in Stevenage. I remember having a little tour of it in 1980 as a kid (already a keen photographer) and it seemed impossibly large with so many processing and printing machines which in those days were only semi automated.

[Gillkdp]

I worked at SupaSnaps from 1986 to 2002. We were taken over by Dixons in the late 80s and then sold onto Sketchleys dry cleaners. We proceeded to put photopoints into dry cleaning branches and went into some Sainsbury branches under both brands. (Johnson did a similar thing with Klick photopoint) as well as continue our prescence on the High Street. Things changed as digital photography became more popular. Both brands were bought by the owners of Mr Minit and things went downhill then due to the new management and increased competition. Both brands then appeared within Mr Minit branches. I believe Timpsons bought out Mr Minit (our local MM turned into a Timpsons. The brand names of SupaSnaps and Sketchleys have now gone; Johnsons bought some Sketchley branches and SupaSnaps all but disappeared. Max Speilmann was our main competitor on the High Street and their machines are in some Timpsons branches. All very confusing - but SupaSnaps heyday was definitely late 80s/early 90s and it was a brilliant company to work for then. The point of giving out those little plastic cameras was because the customer had to buy different film for it. We had incentives to sell as much of this film as possible. My branch won on our area, and I won a lovely holiday.

[trisstock]

I was watching old ad breaks from the mid 1980s on YouTube and I came across one for Supasnaps, the photography processing shop, and I have wondered whatever happen to them? - did they become part of Max Spielman or did they just go into liquidation in the early 1990s or something? The advert had a very yellow themed one with the words or logo in red everywhere, even on the back pocket of two people's jeans or trousers when they were together.

I know that when one handed in your photographic film to be developed, they gave you a free camera of any choice of colour (even though I didn't use mine) or something with the prints, or a free film. It does remind me of my first trip to the American Adventure in May 1989 and my late father nipping in our film to a branch of Supasnaps while I was at school, so they were done before the end of the day and I could see the pictures as soon as I got home. The photograph wallet was yellow as well, so I assume that it was the same firm.

Since the 1990s I have always favoured Boots for their one hour or overnight service, and so other shops like Supasnaps have been forgotten about - they are not to be confused with Snappy Snaps which I assume are still around?

Are they still around, even if it is under another name, these days?

My dad's friend, Ted Kerr, was one of the founders of Supersnaps. Sadly I've lost track of him; probably deceased by now, I'm afraid. I'd certainly like to know what became of it.

[Grimfather]

I worked at supasnaps in the late 80s in Aylesbury. I know there was one in Telford when I moved there in the 90s but it's now a subway. No idea where they are at now

[RobySul]

Mann, the good old days were so interesting. Everyone was still discovering new things, and everyone had respect and love for each other. Even these old photos that you have and videos are very precious, and I think they remind you of the times you were happy. Now everyone has a phone, but no one values the photos they take as much as we value our old ones.

[sindi21]

Re: Supasnaps

I was watching old ad breaks from the mid 1980s on YouTube and I came across one for Supasnaps, the photography processing shop, and I have wondered whatever happen to them? - did they become part of Max Spielman or did they just go into liquidation in the early 1990s or something? The advert had a very yellow themed one with the words or logo in red everywhere, even on the back pocket of two people's jeans or trousers when they were together.

I know that when one handed in your photographic film to be developed, they gave you a free camera of any choice of colour (even though I didn't use mine) or something with the prints, or a free film. It does remind me of my first trip to the American Adventure in May 1989 and my late father nipping in our film to a branch of Supasnaps while I was at school, so they were done before the end of the day and I could see the pictures as soon as I got home. The photograph wallet was yellow as well, so I assume that it was the same firm.

Since the 1990s I have always favoured Boots for their one hour or overnight service, and so other shops like Supasnaps have been forgotten about - they are not to be confused with Snappy Snaps which I assume are still around?

Are they still around, even if it is under another name, these days?

I still see those Supasnaps in a big town, but they are more like a vintage store mow and also for those enthusiats who are still using old cameras

[George 1978]

Re: Supasnaps

Of course, Supasnaps were not spelt "Supersnaps" (one company is listed on Google when searched), or even Snappy Snaps which was a different company.

[George 1978]

Re: Supasnaps

Also Truprint, are they still a thing?

They were always a "pop your film in an envelope and post it" company, the same as Bonusprint - they often fell out of the Sunday magazine supplements back in the 1980s.

I know that Max Spielman are very much still around, but I was wondering whether they took over Supasnaps?

[Richard1978]

Re: Supasnaps

I think there is a Max Spielman still open in Manchester.

Quite a few photo shops installed machines for printing your digital photos, I used in Boots when I wanted a wedding photo for my desk at work.

[Heather74]

Re: Supasnaps

Also Truprint, are they still a thing?

Yeah I use truprint online

[tex]

Re: Supasnaps

Also Truprint, are they still a thing?

[amethyst]

Re: Supasnaps

Did they go out of business when digital cameras became popular not sure

[George 1978]

I was watching old ad breaks from the mid 1980s on YouTube and I came across one for Supasnaps, the photography processing shop, and I have wondered whatever happen to them? - did they become part of Max Spielman or did they just go into liquidation in the early 1990s or something? The advert had a very yellow themed one with the words or logo in red everywhere, even on the back pocket of two people's jeans or trousers when they were together.

I know that when one handed in your photographic film to be developed, they gave you a free camera of any choice of colour (even though I didn't use mine) or something with the prints, or a free film. It does remind me of my first trip to the American Adventure in May 1989 and my late father nipping in our film to a branch of Supasnaps while I was at school, so they were done before the end of the day and I could see the pictures as soon as I got home. The photograph wallet was yellow as well, so I assume that it was the same firm.

Since the 1990s I have always favoured Boots for their one hour or overnight service, and so other shops like Supasnaps have been forgotten about - they are not to be confused with Snappy Snaps which I assume are still around?

Are they still around, even if it is under another name, these days?