Tricks to curb compulsive Blu-ray buying...

[toddly6666]

Just because we all love blu-rays, it doesn't mean we can all just ignore the fact that our hobby can get dangerous (financially or mentally). I would like to know what tricks or techniques people do to prevent themselves from compulsively buying blu-rays. Anyone have any tricks to prevent oneself from compulsively buying blu-rays that you truely don't really want in your collection?

Here are my tricks:

1. Ask yourself "would you have bought this movie on DVD before the existance of blu-rays?" If no, don't buy the blu-ray.

2. Don't get fooled by fancy packaging or amazing remastering of a movie you wouldn't have cared about if it had the same on DVD. For example, I was tempted to blind-buy Pandora & The Flying Dutchman on blu-ray. I looked at the old DVD cover and I know I wouldn't even consider buying it even if the DVD had great video quality or great DVD packaging...which it didn't (The DVD looked like one of those public domain dvds.) So if I woudn't consider owning it on DVD, why buy it on blu-ray? So if that helps, don't buy the blu-ray.

3. If you bought the DVD and rarely watched the DVD, don't buy the blu-ray. For example, I almost bought the Canadian blu-ray of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, because I thought I liked the movie enough to watch over and over. But then I remembered buying it on DVD first day of release and not even watching it. So, I didn't buy the blu-ray.

4. If you bought the DVD and sold or traded away the DVD (due to the film quality, not the video/audio quality), definitely don't buy the blu-ray.

5. If the blu-ray is not an upgrade from the DVD, even if it's of your favorite movie, don't buy the blu-ray, especially if there are many mixed reviews of the blu-ray. For example, I almost bought the Canadian blu-rays of Swingers, Blade 1 & 2, and Swingers, but I heard these blu-rays got very mixed to poor reviews, so I controlled myself, and I didn't buy the blu-rays.

6. If a blu-ray is sold for very cheap and you weren't crazy about the film, don't buy it! This one is my biggest problem, because I see many used blu-rays for around 5 bucks. For example, I can buy Curse of the Golden Flower used for 5 bucks, but I remember not liking the movie and falling asleep to it. But then I tell myself, I love the director and the martial arts in it, but not the movie. So far, I have controlled myself, and I didn't buy it even at such a cheap price.

7. Ask yourself, "how many times can I really watch this film or realistically be in the mood to ever watch this film?" For example, I loved The Wrestler and I can buy it used on blu-ray used for 6 bucks, but I just have no desire to watch it again. So if you are really honest with yourself and figure out the types of movies that you will be in the mood to see many times, then buy the blu-ray. But if you know it's not going to be a film you would want to revisit, then don't buy the blu-ray.

8. If you can figure out the statistics of "how often would I watch this movie in my lifetime" stat, that can help too. Most of us in here have or had huge DVD collections. We all know what we watched and didn't watch during that DVD collecting time period. For me, I have been collecting movies for about 10 years, so it's easy for me to figure out by movie-watching behavior statistics. So if I didn't watch or rarely watched a DVD that I owned for the past 10 years, don't buy the blu-ray version!

9. I pretend that each blu-ray is like a Superbit DVD. Ask yourself, "would I want a Superbit DVD version of that film?" If no, then don't buy the blu-ray.



I would like to add that this thread is mainly for people that admit they have a movie-buying addiction problem and would prefer to control it and/or be more selective without having to stop this fun hobby.
I know that there are a lot of blu-ray collectors in here that don't see compulsive movie buying as a problem, for example, because:
1. they have money they can freely spend;
2. they collect to create a library (quantity over selectiveness); and/or
3. they are against renting and/or watching movies in theaters

[miller_time22]

Those are all great detailed recommendations, but the easiest way for me personally to control spending is to set a monthly movie buying budget and then try like heck not to exceed it. If you know you are working within a set amount of money, then you'll automatically prioritize the things you want most or know that you'll get the most replay value out of.

Also, your #6 is a real tough one, because it's hard to resist a movie you may not love, but wouldn't mind owning if you can get an amazing deal on it.

October 2010 is going to destroy as all, though.

[AaronSCH]

Just about everyone who visits this forum has varying levels of addiction. Collecting things begins as a hobby and quickly becomes an obsession. Most people have busy personal lives including the responsibilities of work, home, family and friends. I rarely have the opportunity to watch a movie during the week with only 52 weekends in a year—and I own over 700 titles. If I watched one movie a week it would take me 14 years to view everything. That reality has me rethinking what I buy and weeding out movies that have languished on my shelf and are very unlikely to be viewed anytime soon. But I still lurk through these forums looking for another deal....

[Blu-Benny]

i just look @ it from the point of "do i have the money to buy this and not charge it??"

the only time i charge a movie is when i'm ordering on amazon....but even then i like to have the money in my wallet or checkbook to be able to pay for it right away.

i hate trying to find the money to pay off my credit card later on.

[MrHT]

Originally Posted by toddly6666

1. Ask yourself "would you have bought this movie on DVD before the existance of blu-rays?" If no, don't buy the blu-ray.

I have to disagree with this. When I bought the Bourne Trilogy on DVD, I only watched them once and never touched them again. When I made the upgrade to Blu-ray, it was a whole new experience. I watched Blu-ray trilogy at least 4 times already.

[toddly6666]

Originally Posted by miller_time22

Those are all great detailed recommendations, but the easiest way for me personally to control spending is to set a monthly movie buying budget and then try like heck not to exceed it. If you know you are working within a set amount of money, then you'll automatically prioritize the things you want most or know that you'll get the most replay value out of.

Also, your #6 is a real tough one, because it's hard to resist a movie you may not love, but wouldn't mind owning if you can get an amazing deal on it.

October 2010 is going to destroy as all, though.

The budget thing is what my wife tells me to do. I don't like having an allowance. But I should!!

October, or do you mean, Aliens box set? You made me think of another one - wait till it sells for used! That's a very hard one though, because people are impatient. Mainstream Hollywood films usually get sold for a cheaper price a couple months later. So if you can wait, then try hard to wait! But only if the price difference is vast. If it's going to sell 10 bucks cheaper in 3 months, then just buy it right away, but if you know the Aliens box set will most likely sell for 60 bucks when all the hoopla dies down, then wait till that price.

Originally Posted by MrHT

I have to disagree with this. When I bought the Bourne Trilogy on DVD, I only watched them once and never touched them again. When I made the upgrade to Blu-ray, it was a whole new experience. I watched Blu-ray trilogy at least 4 times already.

Well, that's sort of a rare experience. I can understand if the dvd had crappy video/audio quality, but those Bourne movies looked good on DVD. I think this has more with you liking the movies more over time. And if it's the video quality of the Bourne blu-rays that you really love, it's just a gimmick that will pass over time. In five years, you aren't going to be as blown away with them as you are right now because blu-ray is still in the early stages. We did the same with DVD - getting impressed with the video/audio quality and as time passed, the video/audio quality is just accepted as being normal and not as special anymore.

[AintNoSin]

I think #3 & #7 are the important ones.

[toddly6666]

Originally Posted by AaronSCH

Most people have busy personal lives including the responsibilities of work, home, family and friends. That reality has me rethinking what I buy and weeding out movies that have languished on my shelf and are very unlikely to be viewed anytime soon. But I still lurk through these forums looking for another deal... .

This is another good point, because my collecting addiction started when I didn't have responsibilities (no children), but now that I have a family with kids, there really isn't as much time that I can watch movies and when I do, I fall asleep to them because i'm so exhausted. So once you have so many other responsibilities, it is a good time to start being more selective with the collecting.

[Blu-ray Fanatic]

I've made mistakes too. Many times I've bought blu-rays because of the cheap price, also just because a remastered version will be available in the near future, and sometimes I feel buying just because I get bored. In the past year, I've corrected most of those mistakes. Now I'm being very selective by not buying blu-rays for the sake of collecting so I won't fit in with the 300+ blu-ray club. I've been following blu-ray since its existence and should have a couple hundred by now but due to financial problems I can't afford to buy every blu-ray that comes out.

[miller_time22]

Originally Posted by toddly6666

The budget thing is what my wife tells me to do. I don't like having an allowance. But I should!!

October, or do you mean, Aliens box set? You made me think of another one - wait till it sells for used! That's a very hard one though, because people are impatient. Mainstream Hollywood films usually get sold for a cheaper price a couple months later. So if you can wait, then try hard to wait! But only if the price difference is vast. If it's going to sell 10 bucks cheaper in 3 months, then just buy it right away, but if you know the Aliens box set will most likely sell for 60 bucks when all the hoopla dies down, then wait till that price.

I was just referring to the multitude of big releases in the month of October, including Alien Anthology, Back to the Future, etc.

I also think the family thing is huge too, both in terms of time to watch movies and use of money. When you're saving for your child's college fund, blu-rays become less of a priority.

[Riff Magnum]

How about: "Know thyself." Pretty good rule to follow.

I'm wondering if i'll have the ability to hold off on "Psycho" and "The Thin Red Line," since i told myself no more blu's till 2011. So far Netflix and cable movie channels have kept me in check.

[kefrank]

Lately it's been easier for me to resist, because I have such a backlog of unwatched movies. I just step back and go, "this movie will probably be this price again 2 or 3 times before I would have a chance to watch it, so I'll just wait."

[shinseiRomeo]

Originally Posted by kefrank

Lately it's been easier for me to resist, because I have such a backlog of unwatched movies. I just step back and go, "this movie will probably be this price again 2 or 3 times before I would have a chance to watch it, so I'll just wait."

Own about 130, watched maybe half. My biggest issue is that I'm a perfectionist with my collection. Examples being having to acquire the slip if a movie ships with one, or else I refuse to own it. Or having the original holographic cover for Lionsgate titles instead of the new stock without the holo print.

[G:Box]

My main problem was buying alot of the same item...

For example I love Iron Man. So I got one from US,Japan,France,Steelbook,Non Steelbook,Slipcover, Non Slipcover. I was in money problems cause i wanted to keep up with everyone else and have everything Iron Man. So this is my advice....

1. If you do decide to collect something be smart and organized about it. Make a list of what you want and dont try to collect everything you in the forum. Follow the budget advice earlier mentioned. Make a wishlist and stick to it! Some people collect, criterions, some slipcovers, some steelbooks. Dont go all over the place trying to keep up with everyone and collect everything!.....cause you know something, you wont be able to

[Show spoiler]unless you're CRAZY RICH !!!

2. I think testing yourself is good, try to stay of the forum for a couple of days to see if you can resist.

3. Get a different hobby as well, sports, art, something not expensive and that keeps you away from buying in general.

When I'm more organize and conscience of my spending and collecting Im happier about it.

Thank for all the suggestions.

[puffyrock2]

These are good tips, but I've pretty much failed at all of tham at this point. I've bought 200 movies since I got my player in Janurary of this year and a huge amount of new releases are coming up soon.

However, i've decided that from now on most of my purchases will be new releases.

The fact that I'm a single guy with a decent amount of cash to spend on entertainment dosen't help my Blu-Ray addiction either.

[MrHT]

Here's the best tip of all....

From now and until the day you die, you are only allowed to buy 5 more BDs. After your buy your 5 movies, THAT'S IT!!! If you exceed that limit, your Blu-ray player gets thrown in the trash.

Oh and to make sure you stick to this limit, tell someone to throw out your player for you if you exceed that limit.

It's a great and effective tip, you have to admit. But that's a tip for you guys, not for me.

[3Stooges]

I've toying with buying "Unforgiven" on Blu because it is $7.99.

But I already own it on DVD & it's still wrapped! I've never even watched the DVD yet! Am I crazy?

Thing is, I love the movie, but now I don't want to watch a damn DVD - only Blu. But I feel compelled to get my money's worth out of the DVD investment.



Someone please help me find a 12 step program!

[Zen_Amako]

I think the thing that did it for me was going through my BD collection to decide which movies I should sell, and realizing how little I can get for them now. BDs drop like a rock in value unless they are brand new releases or Criterions. It's much better to not buy movies you won't revisit in the first place than to try to sell them after you figure out that you probably won't revisit them. I recently traded in 15 older BDs and got less than $35 for the lot, which was a bit sobering.

[shinseiRomeo]

Originally Posted by 3Stooges

I've toying with buying "Unforgiven" on Blu because it is $7.99.

But I already own it on DVD & it's still wrapped! I've never even watched the DVD yet! Am I crazy?

Thing is, I love the movie, but now I don't want to watch a damn DVD - only Blu. But I feel compelled to get my money's worth out of the DVD investment.



Someone please help me find a 12 step program!

SAME thing here, except I have opened DVDs I never watched and now the sealed BD.

[toddly6666]

Originally Posted by 3Stooges

I've toying with buying "Unforgiven" on Blu because it is $7.99.

But I already own it on DVD & it's still wrapped! I've never even watched the DVD yet! Am I crazy?

Thing is, I love the movie, but now I don't want to watch a damn DVD - only Blu. But I feel compelled to get my money's worth out of the DVD investment.



Someone please help me find a 12 step program!

How many years did you have that Unforgiven DVD wrapped? Because if you bought the DVD a couple weeks or so before you bought a blu-ray player, then yes, buy the blu-ray. But if you had the Unforgiven DVD for a good amount of time long before you bought a blu-ray player, then don't buy the blu-ray. Just remember, there are many movies that we love but don't want to watch again, and then there are many movies that we love that we do want to watch again. Don't ever blindly just trust the belief of "if you love the movie, buy the blu-ray." This rule has also helped me understand my taste more. I have realized also that there are rewatchable films that I thought I just liked, but I must really love them if I want to watch them over and over again. For example, the movie Into The Blue. I always thought I just "liked" the filim and then I realize I think about this film a lot and I want to watch it over and over. So, I guess I love the film!