Eastman Kodak, which weeks ago made headlines when its financial viability was called into question over debt obligations, has a hot seller on its hands.
Kodak Charmera Keychain Digital Camera Blind Boxes released Sept. 9 sold out on the kodakfilm.reto website within 24 hours, Vivienne Tsang, sales and marketing director for Reto Project, told USA TODAY Sept. 16. The brand sold 10 times more of the devices — miniature digital cameras that also serve as keychains — than it expected to, but Tsang did not provide a final number for how many of the boxes sold.
Reto Project is a company that partners with Kodak to produce retro-style cameras and accessories.
“Dying for a restock,” one Instagram user wrote on kodakfilm.reto’s announcement post of the blind boxes. “I need this.”
In the wake of the excitement, kodakfilm.reto will open pre-orders for the blind boxes at 11 p.m. Sept. 17. Pre-orders can be placed on the kodakfilm.reto website. Customers will be limited to one single box per order.
Here’s what to know about the Kodak Charmera Keychain Digital Camera Blind Boxes.
More about Kodak Charmera Keychain Digital Cameras
The miniature digital cameras are styled after the Kodak Fling, a disposable camera first launched by the company in 1987. Compact enough to fit on a keychain, the digital cameras take both photos and videos and are compatible with a Micro SD card.
There are seven styles of the camera, but buyers are not informed which one they’ll get because the cameras are sold in blind boxes. Of the seven designs, one is a “secret edition,” which consumers have a 1/48 chance of getting, according to the kodakfilm.reto website. This “secret edition” camera features a transparent shell that displays the camera’s internal hardware.
The six other styles include a red and white shell, a blue shell, a black and rainbow shell, a grey shell with purple, pink, red, yellow and black stripes, as well as a white shell with red, blue and yellow geometric shapes. The digital cameras also come with built-in digital filters, including a film negative picture frame and a black-and-white filter.
What does a Kodak Charmera Keychain Digital Camera Blind Box include?
A blind box includes one digital camera, a key ring, a USB-C charging cable, a retro-style identification card and a retro-style leaflet.
Kodak Charmera Keychain Digital Camera specs
For those interested in the finer details of the digital cameras:
How much is a Kodak Charmera Keychain Digital Camera?
A single Kodak Charmera Keychain Digital Camera Blind Box is $30 on the kodakfilm.reto website. A set of six boxes, which includes each of the different digital cameras, is about $180.
Reporter Marcia Greenwood covers general assignments and has an interest in retail news. Send story tips to mgreenwo@rocheste.gannett.com. Follow her on X @MarciaGreenwood.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Kodak’s viral keychain camera sells out in 24 hours: See why they’re so hot
Reporting by Marcia Greenwood and Greta Cross, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
