Large DVD Collections. Is it worth it? (1 Viewer)

[BarryR]

As what some people have said, I like having many movies immediately available if the mood strikes--very much like my book collection. I have as many books as DVDs (around 500). Plus, why do I have to rewatch an entire movie? Many times I rewatch favorite scenes, or casually hop through the movie via its chapters just like a book. That way I tend to see many DVDs over and over in a casual way.

Still, I could probably jettison 1/3 of my collection without regret, and I have at least 25 DVDs awaiting first viewing that go back as far as two years ago. But it's not what I consider a big problem!

 

[Steve Christou]

I've been collecting films since 1980. I hit the 1000 film mark in 1990. With over 3600 different films on various formats within easy reach I've never once wondered what the hell I'm doing collecting all these films. I love movies. I love watching them and collecting them.

Never mind films what about the growing number of people who are addicted to collecting tv shows? I love Lucy? Bonanza? Hawaii 5-0? Dallas? Stargate? The Simpsons? Hundreds and hundreds of episodes. The people amassing all these shows know there's only a finite amount of time to watch every episode, it doesn't deter them. They want them all. Every series, every episode. And why not?

 

[Jon Martin]

I think collecting DVDs only becomes a problem if people are building up massive credit card debt to buy them. They don't realize the hole they are digging themselves in, just to acquire a DVD that they may or may not watch in their lifetime.

The good thing about DVDs though, it is a relatively inexpensive hobby. You can go to Wal Mart and the bins are filled with DVDs for $5. And, if you wait a few weeks from when DVDs are first released, you can get most titles for $10 at Best Buy or Circuit City.

It isn't like the old days of laserdisc, where single titles were $40, Criterions were $50-$150.

Plus, you can sell them very easily. I've listed DVDs to sell on Amazon and literally in minutes have sold them. I go through them every once in a while, sell off the titles I know I will never watch.

 

[Don Solosan]

I would love to have a huge collection, but space has always been a problem, so I'm limited to around 200 DVDs. This forces me to really think about how much I like any particular title (I tend to see pretty much everything I'm interested in theatrically, so there aren't a lot of blind buys going on). If it's something I think I'll watch over and over again, then I'll buy it. And if I lose interest in a title, I trade it. So my collection is a pretty good snap shot of what I'm interested in at the moment.

 

[Sean A]

I have about 300 DVDs. Since I only get films I already love, or at least like a lot, it's worth it to me to have the films I love in the best quality available. I've only had maybe 3 or 4 "blind buys", without seeing the film somewhere else beforehand, and most of those were OK (the only one I kinda regret is "Lost in Translation", which got great reviews, but I thought was the most overrated film of the last 10 years. But at leat I get a chance the check out Scarlett !!) A lot of my DVDs are concert performances, and my 3 favorite TV series: "Homicide", "Seinfeld", and "The Sopranos"

 

[Will_B]

I've got about 800 titles, and yet my list of favorite films is probably only about 20 or so. There's a contrast there, for sure.

I could easily ditch a third of those. I bought too many films that I thought were good enough to at least pick up used, but which haven't grown in my sense of appreciation since seeing them the first time.

One's film collection should reflect their personality. When it gets watered down with so many titles, it doesn't.

I think this discussion has prompted me to go over my collection. I think I'll make a kill list of films I don't need to have anymore.

Update: There. I just gave away Joe Dirt, CQ, Look Both Ways, Man With The Screaming Brain, and Napoleon Dynamite. If I get rid of 2 or 3 each week I should eventually have a collection that represents my interests better.

 

[Brent M]

After getting much more selective over the past year and thinning out some titles I knew I'd never watch again, my collection now sits at a little over 200 DVDs with an additional 30 HD-DVDs. I never do "blind buys" anymore(which is something I did a lot when I first started buying DVDs) and now I'll only buy titles that I really want, not just buy a DVD to be buying something. I think my collection is perfectly manageable now and I hope to keep it that way for the forseeable future.

 

[Paul D G]

I have around 400 DVDs and, yes, there are a few I wish I hadn't bothered to buy but not many. There are several I'd like to watch again (and some I'd just like to watch!) but I just don't have the time. I barely have the time to watch our regular tv (we're talking a hour a night tops, and occasionally an hour midday) and my wife doesn't like my kind of movies so I have to fit it in when she's doing something else. Hopefully when the kids are in school full time I'll have more free time to, um, lay on the couch in front of the tv.

Also, I just like having some movies at my disposal and not have to go rent it. You never know when the urge to watch something will hit.

-paul

 

[WilliamMcK]

Wow! This is a depressing thread. From my DVD collection (600+ -- not counting DVD-R's from TCM, IFC, Sundance and Fox) I probably watch around 5 movies a week. There are unquestionably certain movies that have made economic sense for me to purchase (Vertigo, Rules of the Game, The Sound of Music to names three that I have watched into the double digits), but the reality is that there is probably about a quarter of my collection that I haven't watched yet (that's if you include double-dipping upgraded discs). Of the remaining DVDs I've probably only watched about half more than once, and probably a quarter no more than twice. So why do I keep digging myself further into debt to buy these things? Honestly, I think I'm trying to fill certain voids in my personal and professional life; and owning a collection of "great world cinema" gives me some irrational satisfaction--sad, but true. But perhaps this post would be better suited for some kind of 12-step message board. LOL

 

[CineKarine]

I started collecting movies in 1985 when I was 12 after watching musicals like Singin' in the Rain and The Sound of Music. This immediately prompted my ever-lasting passion for movies of the Silver Screen and numerous stars. Musicals, which remain my favorite genre to this day, lead me to comedies, sentimental dramas, westerns, noirs and I can TRULY say that I have watched some films literally hundreds of times simply because I never get tired of them!!! As a repeat-viewer, there are some titles from which I could probably recite the whole script backwards, yet every time I put Singin' in the Rain or Oklahoma or Miracle in the Rain in my player, the excitement and thrill is the same as if I were watching it for the first time - that's how much they mean to me I guess. In late 2003, I started buying DVDs of my very favorite films; I have about 400 so far and I have watched every single one, some more than 15 times already. When it comes to films I enjoy, but not as overwhelmingly as the others, I stick with my VHS copies, usually taped from TV years ago!

My passion for films has been and remains one of my greatest joys and a most rewarding, positive experience. If I am not working at the office, or spending time with my family or friends, I am either watching a film, reading about one, writing about one, doing research, watching favorite scenes or singing!

So there is no question about it for me that I love every DVD in my collection and will continue to buy all upcoming releases of titles I so dearly love. I suppose that anyone who takes a look at my list of 100 favorite films would know me like a book right away; musicals representing my sunny outlook on life by all means!

Collecting films? Worth it and how!!!

 

[Viper]

I have over 1400 movies (a little over 600 are VHS). I've been collecting for probably 15-16 years. I got into DVDs a bit late though (2001?). I admit sometimes I wonder why I bought certain titles even though they were only like $5. It's nice to have them though. It just drives me nuts certain titles will probably never see DVD release (Steel, No Holds Barred, Peter Benchley's "The Beast", Fire With Fire). TV on DVD is more annoying to collect. You have shows that only 1 season is available of and the series was abandoned. You have shows that are sorely over-priced per season and never seem to go on sale. You shows that were big hits 'back in the day' but still have yet to see release (Nash Bridges!).

My collection spans 7 Sauder #2650(?) cabinets and a few other storage methods. I upgrade VHS to DVD when I can find them cheap. There's probably another 100 or so tapes I'd consider worth upgrading, and a few dozen that are unavailable on DVD.

Worth it? I dunno. Right now, I wish I had some spare cash, but I guess I never could save. It would've been spent foolishly no matter what.

 

[Barry_B_B]

In some circles that makes you a dinosaur but that's exactly why I started collecting movies, and later TV series. We TIVO maybe six shows per week including The Simpsons, but when football season is over there isn't much on for us. I've been able to resist most impulse buying so at around 400 DVD's my hobby still is very much worth it to me.

 

[Ruz-El]

I never regretted my collection, I own around 1500 DVD titles, and countless more in the "other format" category. 75% of the films I've spent money on are ones I always wanted to own. The other 25% or so are basically bonus films.

There's a bunch of boxsets in my collection where I was interested in 2 titles, but found the set of 5-6 films for less money. Most of the new release stuff I have bought, I've paid $10 for. I can flip these for $5 min, or trade them 2 to 1 at a pawn shop, which means I would basically be out of the rental fee. so while my collection doesn't appreciate in value, if I sold the whole thing I would either break even or be out the amount I would of spent either going to see them in the theaters or renting them.

And if you all thought that way, maybe you would feel less guilty about your own collections

Plus, I would of spent way more money on therapy if it wasn't for my movie watching. XD

 

[Billy Fogerty]

Actually I spend much less renting from NetFlix, $16 a month. that usually works out to about 12 to 15 dvds a month. Far less than when I was buying dvds every week. Don't get me wrong. I still buy dvds,but much, much less then I was. My next purchase will be Spiderman 3. I just find the NetFlix has such a vast selection, it makes viewing alot easier. Especially for tv shows, or films you know you will only watch once. Where I am,it is a one day turn around. If I mail a dvd on let's say monday morning, I have it by tuesday afternoon. Also, NetFlix is selling off dvds at between $5 and $10.

 

[Martin Teller]

Quality, not quantity. I feel SO much better about my collection since I decided to pare it down to my absolute favorites. Got rid of everything that I knew I wouldn't watch more than one or two more times. I've shaped a nice, concise collection that meets my needs and illustrates my tastes. And I'm always looking for ways to prune it down more (although with all the amazing releases over the next two months, it's gonna grow quite a bit!).

Only once or twice in my lifetime have I had a "sudden urge" to watch a particular movie that had to be satisfied RIGHT NOW. I might think, "oh yeah I'd like to see that again" but then I just put it in my Netflix queue or get it from the library. I don't understand this impatient need to have every movie you could possibly want to see at any given moment at your fingertips.

I usually allot most of my viewing time to movies I've never seen before, anyway. I'll rewatch something I love when there's a new release of it, but in general it's pretty rare for me to have time to devote to revisiting favorites. I'd rather spend it expanding my horizons.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

My story is very similar to others posted here -- and I am amazed
that Jason Smalley beat me on total owned DVDs. I own
approximately 2200 titles.

Back in the day, I collected films on VHS. Did the same for Laserdiscs.
I was fortunate as a HTF reviewer to have many complimentary titles
sent to me over the years. That's no longer the case, but it helped me
build my library fast!

There's no value in collecting these films other than having a huge
library that will never get watched. 60% of all my titles are still
shrinkwrapped.

You ask if it's worth it? For me, I look forward to my next home
where I can have a media room with shelves upon shelves of titles.

 

[Rhett_Y]

I have about 500 titles plus or minus.... I like having the ability to pick a movie that I have and pop it in... even if I don't finish it, I don't have to worry about sending it back to avoid late fees etc... I just like having them...... To me it is worth it.. I admit that I am much more picky on what titles I do pick up thou....

Ron.. where is your sig on why you switched to apple!!!???

 

[dana martin]

the answer is yes, i can watch what i want when i want, and not worry about it, and if i have items i dont like, i either swap them at game stop or some place local, that trades for cash or titles on the shelf, ( best deal i got UE Bond set Vol 1 for $20) or give them to friends that like them,

 

[troy evans]

I own 2569 dvds including HD/Blu dvds and have no regrets. I have B movies such as "Trancers" Collection( 5 dvd box set),"Spiders" 1&2, "Boa", Etc. Then I also have "North by Northwest","Casablanca",Etc. and everything in between. I can enjoy cheesy,effects ladden movies as well as classics. I've traded in movies I thought would be better than they were, but, that's par for the course when you collect on this level. I've always been a collector at heart. I have over 35,000 comic books that I'll never read again and I also enjoyed collecting Star Wars figures and ships. I have all original Thundercats figures in thier packaging and so on. Sometimes I look at my dvds just to see the cover. I feel it's worth it. Friends comment on my collection all the time. They say things like,"This is a waste of money" to " Nice collection ,but, I'd never do this". I get good comments as well ,but, these kind are the ones that get me. The same friends seem to have no problem putting thier money into classic cars or playing pool,drinking,smoking and so on. To me drinking and smoking are a waste of money. I have one friend who has a library of books. Some of those books are great and some may very well blow, but, she's happy and enjoys them. My point is simply this, for those that collect no justification is needed and those that don't seem to never understand. I enjoy this hobby of mine and only get to live once so, I have as much fun as I can. Worth it? By far.

 

[Tarkin The Ewok]

I've got about 300 movies and TV shows on DVD, and I'm starting to think about paring it down. Space, time, and money are all big considerations. There are some that I won't part with because they are part of a collection, but there are some that I should sell off. In the future, I will only buy a DVD if I think the movie is worth 4.5 to 5 stars or is necessary for a collection, such as Disney animated features. I do like having the great movies available. Even though I know I won't get to all of them again, I don't know which ones will get skipped and which will get watched, so I keep the DVDs I'm on the fence about.