$250.Astounded by the demand, she invested the money into more and sold 10 within a week.
The budding entrepreneur spent a year sourcing and reselling discontinued models on her website, 35mmco, but in the background she was hard at work developing her invention: Australia’s first-ever reusable film camera. The $99 Reloader has sold out twice since launching on August 15, shifting 5,000 units and earning Ms Stefanis a six-figure monthly turnover – all while doing its bit for the planet by creating an alternative to single-use disposable cameras.
Reflecting on her extraordinary success, the businesswoman described the interest in the first camera she sold on Facebook as a ‘lightbulb moment’ that illuminated her path to success.
‘It’s been incredible, I literally can’t keep up with the demand,’ she told Daily Mail Australia. ‘I’ve outgrown my manufacturing space in two months.’
Made in China from ABS plastic, the palm-sized camera has a 31mm lens and a focus of up to one metre, with a shutter speed of 1/120S and a built-in flash powered by a triple a battery which is brighter than what is used in traditional disposables.
Ten months in the making, the camera has a vegan leather strap and can be refilled with $14.95 Kodak Gold 200 film, which is also stocked on Ms Stefanis’ website.
Disposable cameras are cheap, retailing from $19 to $29.95 at the likes of Amazon and Officeworks, but their single-use nature creates a huge amount of plastic waste that winds up in oceans, rivers, and landfill.
Ms Stefanis says the Reloader – which has been designed to suit beginners with zero experience in photography – is also better value for money in the long run.
‘A roll of film only costs $14.95 so it ends up being less expensive than buying single-use cameras again and again,’ she said.
The camera is currently sold out but is available for pre-order, with shipping resuming from November 15.
TikTok has been the biggest source of sales for the business, according to Ms Stefanis, who says the website saw ‘huge’ traffic after a video about the camera went viral with more than 1 million views.
