Why the Fear Over Buying Used DVDs? (1 Viewer)

[Stephen_J_H]

The only time I ever buy used is if I'm not willing to pay full price for a title. The stores that sell used around here have pretty solid return policies, and if a title is obscure enough, I can get it "used" for as low as $7.50 Cdn and the disc will look like it's never been touched. that was the case with Possession, The Importance of Being Earnest, and Eight Legged Freaks.

 

[Scott Kimball]

I have about 250 titles. All of my purchases are new.

Same reasons others have mentioned:
Newness, Untouched
New is often only marginally more expensive than used...
etc...

-Scott

 

[Jeff]

Half the DVD's I've bought in the last year are used. When I can get a used one for $9.99 vs a new one for $29.99, it's a no brainer. I'm talking about rentals that is. No one has previously owned these, just rented them.

 

[James Bergeron]

Well I WAS of the mindset that I would never buy used. Then I started buying them and getting good ones, I've only had 1 bad it skipped a bit and it was easily replaced no questions asked.

For the price of 1 disc I can get 2 sometimes 3 discs depending on the deal and age. I simply buy previously viewed discs from rental stores.

I usually make sure the case is in good condition etc. Some video stores actually shrink wrap the original case back up and put a fake case up for display for rental so the case is pretty much brand new.

As long as the disc plays fine I'm happy. It took me a few years to realize that it was all in my head, and besides most of the movies I own I only watch once or twice anyways!

 

[Larry Talbot]

"It took me a few years to realize that it was all in my head"

This pretty much sums up my take on this thread...I have to say I'm really surprised at how many of you insist on buying new strictly for "psychological" reasons...It would be different if we were talking about, oh I don't know, used underwear or something...Then all this talk about hygene would make sense...but these are digital video discs! It's not like they soak up germs like sponges...or past users carry them around in their crotches. And if there's a fingerprint on one and that bothers you, why not just wash it off?
As for getting "untouched" discs, what about the factory workers? Don't they hire some guy at five bucks an hour to pack these things? What about his hands? You think he's under strict orders to wash them with anti-septic every two seconds?

I guess I should be GLAD so many of you feel this way though. Maybe that means more used discs available for ME. But now I'm afraid I might be treated like a leper. "Sssh. Don't talk to HIM. He buys...(careful whisper) USED discs!"

 

[Marty M]

I have no problem with used CDs -- own tons of them. But for some reason I want my DVDs to be new

I feel the same way about this. I also started buying DVDs in 1998 when there were tons of coupons and you could buy most DVDs for around $10.

I even don't rent DVDs. I will buy a DVD and never watch it again. Most of my friends think I am crazy, but I have become the main source for their DVD viewing.

 

[Simon_Lepine]

I don't mind buying used discs. The problem is the discs I see at used DVD stores are terrible movies. I never find the discs I want used, that's the main reason I mostly buy new. I sometimes get a new release used at Blockbuster, but that's about it.

 

[MartinTeller]

Yeah, I agree with Larry. Some of you guys sound like my girlfriend. She's currently taking medication for her obsessive-compulsive disorder.



I looked at your collection, and although you do have more discerning taste than the average Joe, I've seen a bunch of those discs used.

Criterions have sadly become a lot harder to find used than they were 2-3 years ago. I've bought at least a dozen Criterions for $14 or less, but you can rarely find them these days (except for the usual stuff like Chasing Amy and Royal Tenenbaums).

 

[MarkHastings]

---

 

[Greg Black]

I even don't rent DVDs. I will buy a DVD and never watch it again. Most of my friends think I am crazy, but I have become the main source for their DVD viewing.

This sounds like an all too familiar problem.

 

[Frank@N]

I buy almost everything used, primarily for financial reasons.

I *really* hate to see stuff being sold for less later.

Case and point, bought the recent Bond and Star Trek movies for about $15 each day one.

Later, Hollywood Video was having a 2 for $20 sale (any recent title you can think of).

Sure you might miss the insert, but alot of movies don't ship with those anymore.

Bond had a nice slip case, but those start to get in the way after awhile anyway.

In short, I almost always regret not buying used later.

===========================

I've also seen the highs and lows of buying used.

If you know where to go and what to look for, the deals are great.

I recently scored a used copy of LotR:EE for $10!

Someone got it confused with the theatrical edition and priced it wrong.

I've also had alot of success restoring used products to look like new.

Mostly, this just means using blowdryer to remove any stickers and cleaning away any visible dirt.

Sometimes a black marker can be used to cover imperfections.

I draw the line at buying new keep cases, because it would blow part of my margin.

On the other hand, I have purchased some used products and was disappointed later to never be able to get the product looking the way I wanted it to.

Snappers, for example, are potentially problematic; if a sticker tears the heavy paper cover, you're screwed...and stuck with it.

 

[Larry Talbot]

"If you guys want to get into a heated discussion, I can talk about how 'cheap' people are."

No no no, Mark, I don't want to get in a heated discussion. I asked a question, I wanted an answer, and you were polite enough to provide one. I tried to keep my response polite as well, although I did crack a few jokes in my last post. I did not intend to seriously offend you. When I think of all that's wrong with the world, whether someone buys used or new DVDs doesn't really matter. I do think it's a little funny, but I don't think it's worth getting into a serious argument over and I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings.

Now as for my being cheap, well, there's being cheap, and then there's being cheap! Tipping a waitress ten percent (like my mom does) THAT's being cheap! Buying used DVDs? That's being thrifty.

 

[Rocky F]

Probably half of my collection was bought used, and many are movies that I wouldn't have bought if they weren't really cheap, but I've only had a few problems. In fact, my wife called as I was reading this thread and said she just bought Kangaroo Jack. Sometimes she buys movies I wouldn't consider, but we do have a large kids collection too. The Hastings we usually buy from usually opens up the box and lets us inspect the disc at the register, but one time we picked up the Vista Series Roger Rabbit for $7.50, and didn't check it at the register. Got home, opened it up, and there weren't any discs in the box! That was the worst problem we've had, but they took it back no questions asked.

 

[Jeff Adams]

Heck, I barely like to rent movies due to their poor quality. I always clean the disc before I put it into my dvd player. A lot of people really don't care about how they treat their dvds, I see scratch marks, finger prints and all kinds of other stuff all over these discs. It's like someone picked up some movies then went to 7-11 for a Slurpee and Hot dog and got that crap all over the disc. I take very very good care of my dvd's. One of my oldest dvd's that I have is Eraser and I have watched it a lot and it still looks like I just opened it yesterday. Plus the price of used dvd's are not that much diffrent than new ones. I picked up the widescreen version of Vegas Vacation yesterday for only $8.44.

 

[Jeff Adams]

Got home, opened it up, and there weren't any discs in the box!

And on a side note, thats weird. I just had a dream last night that I bought a dvd and there was no disc in the case. I even think it was Vegas Vacation. I better go home and open it!

 

[Frank@N]

what's another 5 bucks when you can get something brand new

If you know what you're doing, the margin should be much higher.

Never pay more than half the going retail price for a used product.

For example, I love the STTNG sets but won't pay more than $59.

So far I have seasons 1-5, but time is on my side.

Sopranos seasons 1-2 for $25 each, same philosophy.

Sex and the City seasons 1-2 for $25 together.

Obviously, you can't play this game if you want everything day one.

 

[StevenA]

I never buy used DVDs...

...nor do I buy used CDs, books, furniture, clothing...

I always buy new. If you enjoy used products, great, I'm happy for you.

 

[MarkHastings]

---

 

[Larry Talbot]

"I never buy used DVDs...nor do I buy used CDs, books, furniture, clothing...
I always buy new."

So, if say, the Hope diamond came up for sale at an auction, at a great price, you would never buy it? It is "used" after all. Same thing with fine antiques I suppose? No 17th century armoires for you?

 

[Jack Shappa]

When I buy a paper, I almost always buy the copy UNDER the top copy, because, I guess, like you said, it seems "newer" or less exposed somehow, even though there's really no difference between it and the top copy, which was - after all - the copy UNDER the top copy just a little while ago.

Not if everybody is doing the same thing you are

Actually I always take the third one down, then move the 2nd one to the top, so the next guy who grabs the second one down actually gets the filthy tainted one that was on top and *gulp* previously viewed!

- JS