Weekly RoundUp 9/21/04 Star Wars Trilogy (authorized sneak peek) (1 Viewer)

I sense something. A presence I've not felt since...
–James Earl Jones as Darth Vader (Star Wars – 1977)



[c]The Weekly RoundUp[/c]
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_____________TITLE___________ _ _Amazon _ BestBuy _ CrcCity _ Target_ _ Costco_
**Star Wars Trilogy 4-Disc_ _ $41.49 __ $42.99 __ $44.99 __ $44.99 __ $43.99 __
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Other Brick & Mortar stores:

CompUSA: $39.99
K-Mart: "Low Price"
Eckerd Drug Store: $49.99

On-Line Retailers:

Outpost.com:$36.99 ($4.83 Ground shipping) (1 per customer)
DVDImport.com:$39.86 (free S&H)
DeepDiscountDVD.com:$41.88 (free S&H)
Walmart.com:$41.88 (5.89 S&H)
Overstock.com:$40.99 ($1.40 S&H)
BestBuy.com: $42.99 ($1.25 S&H)
SamsClub.com:$44.88
Buy.com:$44.95 (free S&H)
DVDSoon.com:$44.96 (free S&H)
Circuitcity.com: $44.99 (free S&H)
DVDPlanet.com:$44.99 ($1.80 S&H)
The Laser’s Edge:$48.99 ($3.00 USPS S&H)
Coconuts.com: $49.99 (free S&H)(SEE REBATE INFO BELOW!)



Titles included in Collections listed in the above RoundUp:

Star Wars Trilogy: Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi.

**BE CAREFUL! The Star Wars Trilogy is available in both OAR and MAR versions...get the correct one. Here’s a tip, Star Wars fans: Look for the black and silver box. Stay away from the black and gold box!

--Amazon offers free shipping on purchases over $25. If you participate in Amazon’s “Share the Love” Program, the price drops to about $37 (free S&H).

--Amazon.com is also offering a deal on the joint purchase of the Trilogy and THX-1138. Buy the Trilogy ($41.99) and THX-1138 ($18.89) for $57.88. $42 + $19 = $61. $61 - $58 = $3 savings.

--FYE is offering a price of $35 – after a $15 mail-in rebate – BUT THE REBATE IS AVAILABLE ONLY ON A PRE-ORDER. It is also reported that FYE is offering a free Star Wars poster with the purchase. Coconuts.com…another TransWorld operation…is offering an even better deal. AND WHAT MAY TURN OUT TO BE THE BEST DEAL AVAILABLE!!! HERE is a link to Coconuts.com for the Trilogy. HERE is a link to the $15 rebate form.
HERE is a link to a coupon for Coconuts.com which gives you 10%off your first purchase with them. If you’ve never made a purchase at Coconuts.com before…you can pay $50 up front…get 10% off bringing the price to $45…and then subtract the $15 mail-in rebate bringing the final price to $30. If you are willing to follow all the steps and dot the I’s and cross the t’s…you could do pretty well with this. For anyone with reservations about cutting up the packaging to send the UPC code to TransWorld for the rebate…that is NOT necessary. The price sticker on the cellophane wrap outside the packaging will suffice.

--Best Buy is offering a free copy of Star Wars Insider Magazine. Minimum 160 per store. No rainchecks. Offer varies on-line.

--bestbuy.com is offering a FREE copy of the mockumentary DVD R2-D2 with the PRE-ORDER purchase of the Trilogy.

--Blockbuster Video is offering a deal to buy the Trilogy and get seven rentals for $59.

--Toys ‘R Us is offering a FREE $10 gift card with the purchase of the Trilogy ($49.99)

--Ya gotta know that Wal-Mart (and probably other stores) will be price-adjusting constantly to make this title a huge loss leader for them.

--This post now includes the actual in-store prices for the brick & mortar stores. They are posted in the abbreviated grid above.

The prices for the rest of the titles to be released 9/21/04 will be posted in the complete Weekly RoundUp Sunday...per forum guidelines.

Thanks to everyone in the "Best Deal on Star Wars" thread.


Standard disclaimer: All prices are taken from the websites of each chain, or from their printed advertisements, the Sunday of the week of release (so as to catch any week-of-release sale prices). All prices are subject to change by each chain. Prices and inventory in-store may or may not match the website price. If a price is marked "$_N/A_" in the grid, it means that this title is not shown as available on that chain's website or perhaps in their ads...but it COULD still be in-stores!

$_"LP" means the advertisement says "Low Price", and $_"HP" means the advertisement says "Hot Price". Use of either of these in the Roundup grid indicates that I could not locate a definite price for the item, and the ad is all I have to go on. Retailers use these phrases in advertisements so that they do not violate MAP (Minimum Advertised Price) agreements with the studios. Doing so can cost them thousands or even millions of dollars in co-op advertising funds.

I only include the titles I feel like including (or the ones Dave tells me he's looking for ;o)). In fact, the titles are pretty much the ones I'm personally interested in, with few exceptions. I don't get paid for this, and I don't have time to devote to doing every DVD. So, please don't complain. If there is a title not included in the Roundup that you want to see, just look it up yourself, and be nice enough to post and share the results with everyone...like Dave & I do!

Note that Circuit City does not guarantee their sale prices in Hawaii. Also note that I cannot include Wal-Mart/Sam’s Club prices in the standard Roundup: they set prices at individual stores based on nearby competition, so there is not a way I can say here what price you'll find at YOUR local Wal-Mart/Sam’s Club location. When it comes to Wal-Mart/Sam’s Club prices mentioned at all, just remember that "Your Mileage May Vary".

Yikes!!! I can't wait for the B&M prices!!!

AAAHHH!!!

Thanx for the Post!

Any idea if any of these B&Ms will be doing a mid-night opening on Tuesday? A list of stores anywhere on the net maybe?

Some Best Buys around the country are doing a midnight opening. You can check the list here

Chris S.

Damn! No BB's in my area. Looks like I'll have to brave the crowds at opening.

I've got at least one 24-hour Wal*Mart Supercenter near me. Might be there at midnight to pick it up (did that sucessfully for LOTR:ROTK 2-disc last summer).

Might have a problem getting them to pricematch though, if they haven't had a chance to shop around to their competition. Does anyone know if I can pricematch at Wal-Mart after I've made the purchase?

Dave

Well, you could always return an unopened package and buy another. But, as long as you've got a flyer as proof of a lower price at another store, Wal-Mart will match it.

There have been stories here about the 24-hour Wal-Mart strategy which have gone south as the pertinent manager in charge of putting out new releases didn't start work until 7am or so. So, the new release wasn't on the shelf at Midnight. But as long as you've had success in the past, you should be fine.

If you trade in three studio (Warner, MGM, Sony, Paramount, Fox, Image, Pioneer) dvds at Gamestop, you'll get it for $29.99.

They'll take anything. Most of us have some old discs that have been upgraded two or three times and the original is just about worthless on eBay. Old single-disc non-anamorphic Die Hard? Trade it. Single-disc animated Batman that you bought before the season sets? Trade it.

True, but I'm wondering if all the Sunday ads will say "Low Price" or "Hot Price" and not have an actual number (except for, of course, the price of the item right next to it in the ad...)

Yeah Dave, I hate it when they do that. With Star Wars being such a huge release, bigger than any other in the format, I wonder what they will do? If they don't advertise the price they won't get the crowd in the store will they?

They'll have prices in the flyers.

Mike, BestBuy.com has dropped their online price $2.00 to
$42.99 Pre Order.

Thanks, Jack!

AND....CircuitCity.com has dropped from $49.99 to $44.99

Just for record-keeping, BB.com has dropped from $44.99 to $42.99. Hmmmmmmm.

Grid updated above.

Im getting my set at BB, only because I have $25 in reward zone certs. $17.99+tx is not bad. Thanks for the early prices Mike.

The FYE deal is going to be the best deal for most. You can ensure you get the DVD on release day by going into an FYE store and use the $15.00 mail-in-rebate which means you will pay $35.00 plus tax (on $50.00). For me, it will cost $38.00. No one is going to beat that in this area (Detroit, MI), including Walmart.

Same here Joe, I've got $25 in my wallet just a wait'in. I'll be at BB on release day. I also have a set pre-ordered from Amazon for $41.99 as well. Just incase.

This is an unconfirmed report from a member of DVD TALK forum:

"My Walmart will have it for $38.77, but of course their prices vary by region".

This being a real show stopper in DVD releases, it will be interesting to see how these forums play a part in pricing of these movies. How do we increase the pressure before the price is set in stone? What we are doing I guess.

I was at my local good store alberson's. they were going to have star wars trilogy in both versions at 49 bucks. I know its not the cheapest place in town. I thought I would share the news.

JACOB

jacob,

It is not unlike a grocery store to ask for the full- discount rate. A food store is full of things for impulse buying. People are weekly spending large amounts of money in a grocery store (like going to Costco),it gives a feeling of spending money freely, and when they sell DVDs the price does not seem as high compared to going to a Blockbuster where the $40 + dollars seems like a lot compared to the 4 or 5 dollars you spend on a rental once a week. Its kind of like buying 3 or 4 beers in a tavern, you get a quick high but you could of bought a new release. What will last longer? It is about priorities I suppose.

For what it is worth, CHEERS, ANOTHER BEER.

shows 49.99 when i just looked.