Xixax Film Forum

Film Discussion => Digital Streams & Criterion Dreams => Topic started by: Stefen on November 12, 2010, 05:41:55 PM

Title: Is collecting movies a worthless art? (hoarders need not apply)
Post by: Stefen on November 12, 2010, 05:41:55 PM
My collection used to be epic. Mac and Silias esque. But when I moved away and got strapped for cash I had to sell most of them. Now it's down to the basics. Most essentials, but slowly it's getting bigger.

Do you guys think video collecting is a worthless art? I mean, remember when you were a kid and started collecting VHS? Those are worthless. Then DVD and those are becoming worthless and now Blu-Ray which when everything goes digital, will probably be worthless.

Is it even worth collecting anymore?
Title: Re: Is collecting movies a worthless art? (hoarders need not apply)
Post by: Pubrick on November 12, 2010, 09:58:24 PM
that's worth its own thread.

(split stefen's post from I Just Bought)
Title: Re: Is collecting movies a worthless art? (hoarders need not apply)
Post by: Stefen on November 12, 2010, 10:21:47 PM
Good topic.

There is just something fun about collecting films. Admit it, when you go to a friends house the first thing you check is their movies.

There was a time when it wasn't even really an expensive hobby. You could get the weeks new release for super-duper cheap at a chain and then remember the days of deepdiscountdvd.com? The first time I bought online was from them. Radioheads Meeting People Is Easy. They sent me a Dave Mathews Band live concert. Remember how long it used to take for them to send stuff? WEEKS, but shipping was free.

It's a cool hobby.

It will be a sad day when you can't buy books or movies and have an actual physical copy. It already happened with music, but that's different since it's not visual.
Title: Re: Is collecting movies a worthless art? (hoarders need not apply)
Post by: Gold Trumpet on November 12, 2010, 10:56:29 PM
It's a delicate thing for me. There are movies I like a lot and think about a lot, but I know if I buy them, I will never watch them. Yet I know if they are on TV, I will make it a point to watch it. There is a satisfaction in waiting for me. Other movies really don't deserve my purchase but I do it anyways. Those are the movies I believe I will want as background enjoyment if I am working on something and watch to occasionally look at. These movies I know by heart. Lately, it's been The Hunt For Red October and (surprisingly) The Time Traveler's Wife.

The films that stir my imagination are the high standard dramas you watch once a year, but I need to have them because even though I watch them the most infrequently, I find myself going back to quote them if an idea pops into my head and I have to watch the movie. I think about these movies like I think about the ones I can wait for on TV, but these movies appease my critical imagination. The other movies appease my general movie memory. For instance, the last two weeks I have been thinking about Tarkovsky's Solaris. Nothing serious. The film is just streamlining my memory and I am hoping my series of thoughts will yield a new critical idea I think may be fun to explore further by writing about. Something may happen, something may not. Who knows?

Then I do own an excess number of movies I don't even care about. Whenever I can, I find people who can love them, I will hand them over. If a movie doesn't fill my two previous brackets, I try not to buy them. I have become a better economical buyer with rules.
Title: Re: Is collecting movies a worthless art? (hoarders need not apply)
Post by: Ravi on November 13, 2010, 11:07:53 AM
Quote from: Stefen on November 12, 2010, 05:41:55 PM
Do you guys think video collecting is a worthless art? I mean, remember when you were a kid and started collecting VHS? Those are worthless. Then DVD and those are becoming worthless and now Blu-Ray which when everything goes digital, will probably be worthless.

Is it even worth collecting anymore?

What do you mean by worth, monetary value?  Anyone who buys movies in the hopes that they'll be worth a lot of money is a fool.  Buy movies to enjoy them.

I find that the more DVDs I have, the fewer times I watch each one.  When I had three or four DVDs, I watched the shit out of them.  Now that I have probably a couple hundred DVDs, I watch each one once, move on to a new one I haven't seen, and maybe revisit some every now and then.  I remember when I used to watch all the extras and even listen to commentaries multiple times.

I've curbed my DVD buying over the past few months, but for a while I did buy a ton of dirt cheap DVDs at places like Big Lots (they're usually $3 there) or Blockbuster's 4 for 20 used DVD sales.  I sell the ones I don't want to keep to used DVD stores for store credit.  I don't lose much money on them since they were cheap to begin with, and sometimes I break even.  I tend to buy the more expensive titles (TV show seasons, Blu-Rays, etc.) only when they go on sale for a particularly good price.  I like to think my collection is down to essentials and favorites, though I don't know anyone who would consider "Vice Versa" an essential...
Title: Re: Is collecting movies a worthless art? (hoarders need not apply)
Post by: Reel on November 14, 2010, 08:55:19 PM
You're avoiding the real question here: is it a sin?
Title: Re: Is collecting movies a worthless art? (hoarders need not apply)
Post by: cronopio 2 on November 14, 2010, 10:34:21 PM
i've noticed that i buy movies out of politeness. i bought where the wild things are because i know that, in a way, if i buy it, spike jonze will find a way to fund his next movie. or the futurama dvds. or the lovely indie film 'once'.  even the rubber johnny dvd, which i could've seen on the internet.. am i an idiot?
Title: Re: Is collecting movies a worthless art? (hoarders need not apply)
Post by: Pubrick on November 15, 2010, 03:07:46 AM
Quote from: cronopio 2 on November 14, 2010, 10:34:21 PM
even the rubber johnny dvd, which i could've seen on the internet.. am i an idiot?

even i regret that one.

and i suck at the tit of cunningham.

i've since decided that until he makes a damn film, he's not worth a damn cent!
Title: Re: Is collecting movies a worthless art? (hoarders need not apply)
Post by: Stefen on November 15, 2010, 07:09:00 AM
I went to three different countries looking for a copy of Rubber Johnny. I thought it would be a collectors item.  :doh:
Title: Re: Is collecting movies a worthless art? (hoarders need not apply)
Post by: socketlevel on November 15, 2010, 03:18:48 PM
It's not worth to collect for future monetary gain. DVDs, like most things factory made, only become rare if there was a recall or end up going out of print (low original prints add to this factor); though if it's out of print that doesn't mean it won't one day be in print again, it's digital afterall.

It's also not worth collecting if quality of product is a factor for you. Again, it's digital and you can get a "copy" of the actual film at the same standard. Furthermore, there will always be a new improved technology that will make the standard obsolete. If you were buying 35mm prints that would be a different issue because it's analog; there is wear and tear on other prints and you can bank on future prints not being produced.

It is worth collecting if you see your collection as an expression of your tastes. Especially if you like to put your taste on display; some form of stamp on your personality. In that case, you getting down to the essentials is, in my opinion, a much more concise expression of what you dig. Even though it gets borderline pretentious to collect with the intent to show your stuff off, it still is expression.

Most importantly, it's worth collecting to support the artists you like. In an age of piracy, it's important to support the people you want to see the value of continuing to do what they do. Even though it's probably inappropriate for me to say, the little guys need your help. I'm at a point where I'd much rather DL something that's mediocre hollywood fare to directly effect the industry; by not supporting it with my wallet. I know it's wrong because i'm still watching it, i guess i just don't care.
Title: Re: Is collecting movies a worthless art? (hoarders need not apply)
Post by: Pas on November 15, 2010, 04:52:31 PM
Quote from: socketlevel on November 15, 2010, 03:18:48 PM
It's not worth to collect for future monetary gain.

HAHA can you imagine someone doing that! That reminds me of Liz's ex boyfriend in 30 Rock, who says pagers will come back in style because technology is cyclic haha
Title: Re: Is collecting movies a worthless art? (hoarders need not apply)
Post by: Stefen on November 15, 2010, 05:34:55 PM
^DENNIS! Prob. my favorite 30 Rock character.
Title: Re: Is collecting movies a worthless art? (hoarders need not apply)
Post by: Reel on November 30, 2010, 01:16:04 AM
I gotta sell some of my dvd's so I can go get high.
Title: Re: Is collecting movies a worthless art? (hoarders need not apply)
Post by: Stefen on November 30, 2010, 01:33:01 AM
You'll regret it! TRUST ME.
Title: Re: Is collecting movies a worthless art? (hoarders need not apply)
Post by: tpfkabi on November 30, 2010, 10:07:53 AM
Quote from: Ravi on November 13, 2010, 11:07:53 AM

I've curbed my DVD buying over the past few months, but for a while I did buy a ton of dirt cheap DVDs at places like Big Lots (they're usually $3 there) or Blockbuster's 4 for 20 used DVD sales.  I sell the ones I don't want to keep to used DVD stores for store credit.  I don't lose much money on them since they were cheap to begin with, and sometimes I break even.  I tend to buy the more expensive titles (TV show seasons, Blu-Rays, etc.) only when they go on sale for a particularly good price. 

This is a lot like me. I have about 4 sacks of $1 DVD's I bought when Movie Gallery went out of sale. A couple sacks of Big Lots DVD's I bought when I first 'discovered' they had cheap dvd's. I bought the first season of Who's the Boss just because it seemed like such a good deal - haven't opened that in 2 years! I did the Blockbuster thing, too. I would wait till there were a handful of movies I wanted to see got down to their lowest price tier and then buy.

I think part of it is this thinking - if I spend the money I want to be able to have something tangible, as opposed to just renting something and that money being gone forever - even if I only watch the DVD once.

I have stacks of DVD's and CD's and don't really know how to store them. Any good ideas? I've filled various shelving units, etc.
Title: Re: Is collecting movies a worthless art? (hoarders need not apply)
Post by: ᾦɐļᵲʊʂ on November 30, 2010, 06:39:17 PM
My goal is to only buy rare movies or movies I know I'll watch repeatedly, everything else falls into Netflix territory.  At $10 a month, it is far cheaper than cable and serves the same purpose.
Title: Re: Is collecting movies a worthless art? (hoarders need not apply)
Post by: Pas on December 01, 2010, 05:36:29 AM
What sucks with dvd collections is that you end up losing your favorites. You lend our favorite movies to friends who haven't seen them and what they do is not watch it and never ever bring it back
Title: Re: Is collecting movies a worthless art? (hoarders need not apply)
Post by: SiliasRuby on December 01, 2010, 05:47:11 AM
Thats why I never lent out movies... No matter what. Been burned too many times.
Title: Re: Is collecting movies a worthless art? (hoarders need not apply)
Post by: Stefen on December 01, 2010, 01:23:15 PM
Half my collection is from burning people.
Title: Re: Is collecting movies a worthless art? (hoarders need not apply)
Post by: socketlevel on December 01, 2010, 03:29:02 PM
Quote from: Stefen on December 01, 2010, 01:23:15 PM
Half my collection is from burning people.

maybe you're the modern day bob dylan, that's how he made his record collection when he was poor.
Title: Re: Is collecting movies a worthless art? (hoarders need not apply)
Post by: ᾦɐļᵲʊʂ on December 01, 2010, 03:47:06 PM
Quote from: SiliasRuby on December 01, 2010, 05:47:11 AM
Thats why I never lent out movies... No matter what. Been burned too many times.

Don't you just end up buying the special edition that comes out soon after losing it?  I'm not sure how you've been burned yet.
Title: Re: Is collecting movies a worthless art? (hoarders need not apply)
Post by: Ravi on April 17, 2011, 05:38:47 PM
I recently traded in a bunch of DVDs for store credit. I'm replacing some of them with Blu-Rays eventually, but others I hadn't watched in years and I decided to get rid of them.
Title: Re: Is collecting movies a worthless art? (hoarders need not apply)
Post by: Stefen on April 17, 2011, 05:52:48 PM
How did you do?
Title: Re: Is collecting movies a worthless art? (hoarders need not apply)
Post by: Ravi on April 17, 2011, 06:39:17 PM
$135 store credit. It won't cover all the Blu-Rays I want to get to replace certain DVDs, but its a good start. I plan on further clearing out titles that I haven't watched yet. My DVD collection right now is like a depressing monument to where I spend a lot of my money.
Title: Re: Is collecting movies a worthless art? (hoarders need not apply)
Post by: Pas on April 17, 2011, 07:19:14 PM
Where do you do that?
Title: Re: Is collecting movies a worthless art? (hoarders need not apply)
Post by: Ravi on April 17, 2011, 10:17:13 PM
There's a chain in the Dallas area called Movie Trading Company.
Title: Re: Is collecting movies a worthless art? (hoarders need not apply)
Post by: Robyn on October 06, 2011, 12:43:21 PM
Quote from: Ravi on April 17, 2011, 05:38:47 PM
I recently traded in a bunch of DVDs for store credit. I'm replacing some of them with Blu-Rays eventually, but others I hadn't watched in years and I decided to get rid of them.

I do this all the time. When my dad gave me his huge DVD collection of action movies starring Sylvester Stallone, etc I was like "Halleluljah! I will trade this shit for some weird pretentious stuff!" and went crazy in the store. I don't even buy movies anymore.
Title: Re: Is collecting movies a worthless art? (hoarders need not apply)
Post by: Stefen on October 06, 2011, 05:17:37 PM
I was going to put all my Criterion DVD's on Ebay but found out I could only get $3-$4 for each one. It's not even worth it. Collectors items my ass.
Title: Re: Is collecting movies a worthless art? (hoarders need not apply)
Post by: tpfkabi on October 06, 2011, 09:40:24 PM
Quote from: S.R. on October 06, 2011, 05:17:37 PM
I was going to put all my Criterion DVD's on Ebay but found out I could only get $3-$4 for each one. It's not even worth it. Collectors items my ass.
$3-$4? I have never seen even used Criterion at that price. If you have any OOP there are a lot of people (I think?) who would pay a nice sum.
Title: Re: Is collecting movies a worthless art? (hoarders need not apply)
Post by: squints on October 06, 2011, 10:26:28 PM
i sold a good amount of mine on amazon for reasonable prices.
Title: Re: Is collecting movies a worthless art? (hoarders need not apply)
Post by: O. on October 06, 2011, 11:52:43 PM
I don't have enough money to watch all the movies I like, and will buy DVDs only in Blu-Ray if I really like the movie. That new Kubrick DVD collection that came out in May is kind of what I'm referring to, although I don't think I'll buy it [anytime soon] because $100 and some odd dollars is a bit more than I can justify spending on DVDs when I can spend it on more practical, essential things at the moment.

So I'll do what Ebert does. See if Netflix has it on instant, then check Hulu, then if it's old enough, I'll check if it's streamed on public domain sites, then I'll see if I can rent on Amazon. If I can't find it by then I'll pirate it.
Title: Re: Is collecting movies a worthless art? (hoarders need not apply)
Post by: Pwaybloe on October 07, 2011, 08:58:16 AM
Quote from: tpfkabi on October 06, 2011, 09:40:24 PM
Quote from: S.R. on October 06, 2011, 05:17:37 PM
I was going to put all my Criterion DVD's on Ebay but found out I could only get $3-$4 for each one. It's not even worth it. Collectors items my ass.
$3-$4? I have never seen even used Criterion at that price. If you have any OOP there are a lot of people (I think?) who would pay a nice sum.

I think he means a NET income of $3-4 (after ebay commissions, shipping, etc.).  Or he is just selling his most prized possessions of Chasing Amy, Armageddon, and The Rock. 
Title: Re: Is collecting movies a worthless art? (hoarders need not apply)
Post by: Stefen on October 07, 2011, 05:52:46 PM
Oh, wuteva.

I had some OOP ones and they aren't fetching very much coin on the open market. Silence of the Lambs is only going for like $4 (http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/6305050058/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&qid=1318027285&sr=8-11&condition=used)

The other ones I was getting rid of are...

Rashomon
Sanjuro
Autumn Sonata
George Washington
(this one I almost don't want to part with, but a BD upgrade is inevitable I suppose)
The Red Shoes
Last Temptation of Christ
39 Steps
Fear and Loathing
Rushmore
Traffic
Solaris
Brazil


Some of my non Criterions were actually fetching a better price. Company of Wolves and Forgotten Silver were worth more than any of the other ones.

DVD collecting was a worthless art.
Title: Re: Is collecting movies a worthless art? (hoarders need not apply)
Post by: squints on October 08, 2011, 08:20:19 AM
Quote from: S.R. on October 07, 2011, 05:52:46 PM
DVD collecting was a worthless art.

mmmmm hmmmmm


Title: Re: Is collecting movies a worthless art? (hoarders need not apply)
Post by: Ravi on October 09, 2011, 04:05:37 AM
Quote from: S.R. on October 07, 2011, 05:52:46 PM
I had some OOP ones and they aren't fetching very much coin on the open market. Silence of the Lambs is only going for like $4 (http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/6305050058/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&qid=1318027285&sr=8-11&condition=used)

Who wants a 13-year-old non-anamorphic DVD now that better DVDs and a Blu-Ray have been released?
Title: Re: Is collecting movies a worthless art? (hoarders need not apply)
Post by: tpfkabi on October 09, 2011, 12:49:32 PM
Quote from: Ravi on October 09, 2011, 04:05:37 AM
Quote from: S.R. on October 07, 2011, 05:52:46 PM
I had some OOP ones and they aren't fetching very much coin on the open market. Silence of the Lambs is only going for like $4 (http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/6305050058/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&qid=1318027285&sr=8-11&condition=used)

Who wants a 13-year-old non-anamorphic DVD now that better DVDs and a Blu-Ray have been released?

There are Criterion diehards who want every version of every release ever released.
Title: Re: Is collecting movies a worthless art? (hoarders need not apply)
Post by: Stefen on October 09, 2011, 01:19:20 PM
Quote from: Ravi on October 09, 2011, 04:05:37 AM
Quote from: S.R. on October 07, 2011, 05:52:46 PM
I had some OOP ones and they aren't fetching very much coin on the open market. Silence of the Lambs is only going for like $4 (http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/6305050058/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&qid=1318027285&sr=8-11&condition=used)

Who wants a 13-year-old non-anamorphic DVD now that better DVDs and a Blu-Ray have been released?

One of these chumps.

Quote from: tpfkabi on October 09, 2011, 12:49:32 PM
There are Criterion diehards who want every version of every release ever released.
Title: Re: Is collecting movies a worthless art? (hoarders need not apply)
Post by: 72teeth on October 22, 2011, 08:21:33 PM
I like having a special relationship with whatever copy i've had longest...
i gave away all of my 200+ VHS collection as soon as i started buying DVDs, and it'll be the goddamn regret im screamin about on my death bed. Never again, i buy for keeps.