From a private collectors stand point throwing anything out was not an option. Many a lost film was found by jumping into a dumpster outside a studio or network trash cans retrieving the celluloid gold. I acquired a large collection of live television shows and commercials from the Dumont Television Network, when a man pulled the prints from a garbage can outside the Channel Five offices where he worked. The networks' major concern was making space in their closets for new product.  Another time I got a phone call from a friend telling me that the owner of the Cleo awards, which was the highest honor you could win for making a commercial, was a drug addict, and because he owed his drug dealers money, so they torched his town house. The building also housed his collection of Cleo award commercials. So I rented a van and drove over and made a deal to buy as many film reels as I could from the burned out building.