The (in)sanity of collecting DVDs (1 Viewer)

[Jesse Skeen]

I'm so obsessive I won't get rid of ANYTHING! The movie I have on disc the most times is "Nightmare on Elm Street 3", on the first Image laserdisc release, the Elite laserdisc, and the DVD box set. The only DVD I have duplicated is "Halloween"; I bought the much-maligned original Anchor Bay disc then got the limited edition. But I won't part with any of these (who else would want them anyway?)

 

[John M Miller]

My DVD collection, which currently numbers 76, is always in flux. I constantly get rid of movies I like but aren't quite worth having in the collection. In all, I buy about 20 movies a year and sell/trade all but a few of them.

 

[Joe6pack99]

Guys I SOOOO hear you! Since the EVIL Dec of 99 I have spent WAY to much money on this hobby. I went from having a simple 25inch tv and crappy vcr to a full-blown home theather. Lets see new tv,6.1 speaker setup,Denon 3801,Dual SVS 16-46,Pioneer Cld-704,Demod, and dvd player. As far as dvd's go at last count I am over 200 ahhhh! Not to mention my laserdics which cost me a fortune like India,Staw Wars SE's,etc. I have been thinking lately about slowing down also and have noticed I can go a few weeks without buying as long as i am not in the store...but as soon as I go to pick something else i see all the ones I missed and then buy them to DOH! There MUST be a cure!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Mikah Woodward]

I try to spend $100/month on DVDs, but I usually end up spending about $200. No willpower, I tell you.

There are just so many good DVDs I don't have yet. My wish list is up to well over 300 DVDs. Even though I'm spending $200/month, my wish list is getting bigger, not smaller.

Oh, and don't even mention the special features. I'm so far backed up on those, it's not even funny. Someday I'll watch them all, someday.

 

[Dave H]

I only buy a DVD that I know I will re-watch at least once a year. As a result, after nearly two-and-a-half years of DVD buying, I only own around 105.

 

[Josh_Hill]

If I like the movie, I'll buy it. That simple. If I love the movie, I'll buy 2 different versions if they exsist. I've had my DVD player for 2 1/2 years and Ive enjoyed every second.

 

[David Ruiz]

This thread has really got me thinking about my "collections". Movies have always been a part of my life, and I don't regret buying any of my DVDs, because I know that if I don't like a movie, I can always sell it, and get one that I do like, which I have done many times already, when new "Special Editions" come out, or when I don't like the movie any more. Ever since I was about 7 or 8 years old, I would record movies from TV, or even movies that we rented, I would record them. Right now, I am 20, and I only *bought* 5 VHS tapes in my entire life...I would always be recording. Thank god, I never bought that many, because I'd have a ton to sell right now.

With DVDs, it was different, because they are finally in their OAR, and they have kick-ass sound mixes! PLUS the fact that they don't degrade after each viewing, is a nice bonus. But what about my other collections?

I too, have collected comic books over the years. I have over 100 "Alien" comic books, that I have never even read ONCE. I don't even think I will EVER read them. I have no idea why I even bought them. At the time that I bought them, I actually thought that I wanted/needed them, but looking back, I regret buying them, because now they are sitting in boxes collecting dust, and no one will ever want them.

I have also collected Stephen King books. I have about 50 of his Hard-cover books, that I wish I had never bought, because they too, are all sitting in boxes waiting to be read. I have never even read them once, but yet, I wasted money on buying them!

Now, with the Internet, I hardly ever get bored. There is so much information to be found, and so many new and cool things to learn. I would MUCH rather read every message on the Home Theater Forum, than to open up one of my comic books and read them! I have no idea what I was thinking when I bought them.

After reading everyone's posts, I see that only movies, I can truely take advantage of. I have watched my DVDs, multiple times, and will continue to collect more, and watch them, but I will stop buying comics, and regular books, becuase the ones that I have, I have never read, nor have any desire to read them in the future!

 

[Greg_Y]

I made a little rule for myself: I don't buy any DVDs until I've watched all of those I already purchased. That way, I don't spend too much money and I always have something to watch.

I commend you for your ability to do this. I wish I could. I tend to be an impulsive person and, if I really want something, be it DVD, CD or book, I'll go out and buy it, and sometimes it sits on a shelf for a few weeks until I get around to it.

 

[Josh_Hill]

I was just looking at my collection, Ive only bought like 11 discs in Feb. Im slowing down. Hmmm....Im gonna have to pick up more discs from now on.

 

[Peter Overduin]

I can confidently say I am not an alcoholic dvdholic. I know this because I have not purchased Star Trek 5.
I may have a part-time job to acquire only the MOST dsirable titles [2/3 a week], and may even lie to my wife about how much they cost (except when I get a smashing deal or mis-price; she needs to see those).
Boy...when that free Disney DVD came in, I loudly trumpeted about how often I get "really good deals!" I may even frequently buy a DVD and surreptitiously place it on the shelf (much easier to hide one when there's hundreds already there )
I too only buy DVDs I will watch at least once a year. I'm not sure WHICH year I will actually start watching some of them...
I also know I don't have a problem, because I often sometimes visit online sites, load up my shopping cart, and then dump it all making mental notes to compare the prices at my local retailer without buying anything!
I really feel sorry for some of you guys, but try as I might, I am unable to empathize or understand your situations. I guess I'd need to be there to get it
:b

 

[Guy_K]

Some of you are talking about prior buys, that you used to collect (ie: comic books). I see a lot of 'now I see that they are junk and were wastes of money' in this thread. Do you guys think you will be saying that about DVDs in the future?

I guess to get a good idea of an answer to that question you have to ask laser disc owners if they regret buying laser discs.

 

[Craig S]

I know this because I have not purchased Star Trek 5.

Me neither.

Although I probably will buy the special edition that's probably coming out next year... :b

 

[Jenna]

My collection represents who I am and who I was. It kind of makes a statement about my taste.

Very well said, Kai.
As for my DVD collection:
I work in a very stressful medical environment. Sometimes when I get home, I feel the need to "escape" to a life outside my own. I need to forget things I've just seen in real life. Films enable me to do just that. I never know what I'll be in the mood to watch, so I love having a huge DVD collection with a wide variety of choices...everything from my beloved "chic flicks" to Pulp Fiction.
I love having a dozen DVDs on hand that I've NEVER seen before...cause it's like opening a present (or a gag gift depending on the flick).
I love NOT having to run out to Blockbuster to rent a DVD when the weather is bad, or if it's 3am in the morning (and they're closed), or when I just don't want to crawl out from under my comforter on a blustery day off.
Then again, I love perusing Blockbuster and finding a title I've never heard of.
I love reading the Sunday ads to compare the prices of the new releases.
I love walking down the DVD aisle at BB & CC and having the salespeople welcome me by name.
I love that they sometimes slip me advance copies of DVDs that they know I've been waiting for.
I love ripping open the shrink wrap on a new DVD, peeling off the security tags, and another, and another.
I love having friends look at my collection and announce that they'd like to move in.
I love belonging to a forum where I don't have to make appologies for loving my home theater equipment.
I don't smoke, don't drink (heavily), don't do drugs ('cept coffee), so I have to have some kind of "vice." Might as well be DVDs and home theater equipment...(oh yeah, and shoes). :b
I stopped counting my DVDs after hitting the 200 mark last year...and in accordance with DVD Club rules, I will NOT do the math. That takes up valuable time that would be best served popping in another disc.
Addicted? You bet. Regrets? Zero!

 

[josh4040]

Jenna I think I have met the female version of me. Cept for the coffee and shoes bit Wow! if you scroll up a bit I said many similar things for me every tuesday is Christmas

 

[Kai Zas]

Same here, Jenna!
I love browsing through this forum looking for titles that I've never heard before.
I also passed the 200-mark in Januari. And hey, I've stopped smoking a few months ago. With the money I save I buy me 2 or 3 extra dvd's each month.
I definately prefer this habbit over the other

 

[Matt_Marlow]

What seems odd to me--and maybe this is extremely rare--is when someone amasses several hundred DVDs over a period of time, but doesn't upgrade their home theater setup. If you own 500 discs, but watch them on a 25" console TV, and own no surround receiver, it seems like kind of a waste to me since you're obviously not enjoying the DVDs as much as you could.

I own a little over 400 DVDs and really have no regrets. What does seem to be a waste is the money I send Dish Network every month. I have every movie channel available, but rarely watch them. I'd be better off spending this money on more DVDs. I've watched every movie in my collection. A few TV episodes (X-files) I've yet to watch, but I'll get around to it. I average 2 to 3 movies per day when there's no good sports on, sometimes even more, so I'd still have no regrets even if I owned over 1,000.

I have friends who drop $100 in a bar or night club on a fairly steady basis, so I don't feel like collecting anything is as futile as that type of thing. But to each their own.

 

[Jenna]

Matt, a week ago I would have disagreed with you. I have well over 200-300 DVDs and watched them on a 32" Magnavox (and sometimes on my Toshiba laptop's 14" screen)...yet I enjoyed each and every one of them.
NOW...however, after the delivery of my new Sony 57" widescreen RPTV (along with an upgraded surround receiver, new speakers/subwoofer), I have to admit that I enjoy my DVDs more than I ever could have imagined. While I'll still view them on my other sets (depending on location), NOTHING but NOTHING compares to viewing them on a quality home theater system. I'm on Cloud 9!!!
PS:
Josh, I TiVo too...it's second only to DVDs

 

[Leon Liew]

Well I have me brother to thank for starting me on the road
in DVD addiction. Basically I was and still is a photo buff
crazy about photography. Then it happened ! He gave me his
old Prologic HT system as he upgraded to the then AC3 system.
Then all hell broke loose. I was hooked on laserdiscs during
it's final demise and managed to collect a sizeable library.
That was in 1997. Then DVD came and it was no turning back.
Upgraded the HT system to DD & DTS. Have about 200 DVDs in
my collection and adding. Not to forget that some were sold
to second hand dealers(which I dislike).Upon reflection I
thought I must be nuts to spend so much, bearing in mind
that in Sing dollars it cost around average S$50.00 per DVD.
But again,if you like something nothing gets in the way.

 

[Peter Overduin]

I am sure that others with more wisdom and learning than me can shed light on this: I bought a LD player a few months ago just to get the movies I want that aren't yet on DVD (SW trilogy and Indy Jones). This, after years of NOT buying into LD because, welll, now I don't know anymmore why I didn't...boohoo

Someone: please tell me I'm okay and that I don't really have a problem. I feel so vulnerable right now and need a group hug. Thanks...sniffle sniffle

 

[todd s]

I recently have been cutting down the amount of dvd's I have been buying. For 2 reasons. 1-The lack of good deals and coupons that making buying something I normally wouldn't affordable. 2- The release of more expensive tv box sets (ie-X File, Trek) have caused me to cut back so I can afford them.

I have a room off of my theater room in the basement that has all the walls covered with tv shows I have taped. I often wonder why I tape and keep them. Some shows I probably won't watch again. But, I think it is the fun of collecting them and knowing they are their if I ever want.