"Sponge-Worthy?"

Last week while spring-cleaning at home we discussed the demise of Polaroid film, set to be discontinued by year's end, but we made the decision to hang onto our nifty little Polaroid instant camera — "hey, you never know what will happen with this technology so let's not toss it just yet" — while we contemplated whether to snarf up some Polaroid film while we can. It reminded me of the Seinfeld episode where Elaine stockpiles boxes of Sponges and then has to decide whether subsequent dates are "Sponge-worthy." (If you need an explanation for that ... never mind, you're too young.)

Then we saw a piece in yesterday's New York Times Magazine that officially reminded us how, for instant-camera film, time is short.

The piece is in the Consumed column by Rob Walker, a personal friend (I hired Rob eons ago as a reporter for a Texas newspaper and I've steadily watched his writing career ascend ever since). Each week the column is all about trends in marketing and consumption, sometimes not in that order, and Rob rightly points out that Edward Land's invention of Polaroid instant pictures led to its modern digital ancestors — which rendered it obsolete.

"It’s true that new technologies have marginalized instant photography," Walker writes. "But it was consumer-friendly innovation — easy, fun, instant — that made Polaroid cameras and film into mass hits in the first place. In a way, the company’s products were the digital photography of their time." Other recent pieces have lauded the innovations of Land's invention just as they firmly eulogize it's demise.

While announcing their discontinuation of instant film last month, Polaroid Corp. held out the possibility that a third party could take over its manufacture. I e-mailed Rob to find out if he'd heard any news on this front. "I haven't," he replied. "There are various rumors that maybe Fuji etc. [would take over], but honestly I'm assuming Polaroid tried hard to line something like that up before their announcement. It's not an easy proposition for a third party."

In a reaction to other rumors that B&H Photo had quickly sold out of Polaroid film, I just checked and B&H has several Polaroid film sizes available, a couple discontinued, and a few on back-order. For those so inclined, this might be the time to "stockpile those Sponges," as Elaine would say.

Meanwhile, Websites like savepolaroid.com and polanoid.net are keeping the flame alive. Remember what happened with vinyl records? (Some lucky dude got crates of mine for next to nothing.) Or bell bottom jeans? (Hey, they're coming back too, just wait.) Our unofficial guess: Polaroid instant pictures will return. Let's just hope they're not only museum pieces. — Jack Crager