What is your Blu-ray buying philosophy?

[Badamec]

The one thing we all have in common here is that we collect Blu-rays. What I want to know is how do you all go about this fun and addictive hobby? What goes through your minds as you peruse the deals page on this site or as you walk through isles at your local store?

Do you only buy Blu-rays at a certain price? Do you solely buy limited editions or slipcovers? Are you looking to buy new movies that take full advantage of high definition or do you simply want to upgrade your DVD collection as you did with VHS years ago? Do you only buy Blu-rays you know you will love or is your goal to push past the number barriers of 400, 500, and 600+? Do you even watch your Blu-rays?

If we were given a million dollars to buy all the Blu-rays we wanted, nothing about this hobby would be exciting anymore. The best part is the rules and limits we place on ourselves that keeps this hobby fresh.

As a new collector with a crappy job at a grocery store, my number one rule is never to buy a Blu-ray over 20 dollars. The patience this requires makes finally seeing that amazing deal really pay off. I also swear never to buy cheap Blu-rays that serve only to inflate my collection. The number on my profile would no longer mean anything to me. And finally I always watch every single one of my Blu-rays down to the theatrical trailer in the special features.

I'm really curious and interested as to the philosophies of the veterans here and the new guys and gals like me.

(If a thread like this exists already, then my bad. I did in fact use the search function! )

[Cowboy]

I had over 450 BD's at one point. Most all of them are gone now, as I realized I had an impulse buying problem. I would buy any film that I thought was good regardless of how often I would really watch it. I have since sold most of my Criterion's and any film that will not receive multiple viewings. I will no longer purchase a film just because I like it alot. Some examples are 8 1/2, The Third Man or The 400 Blows, all great films that I dearly love but I have seen them each two or three times and I can't justify having 25 dollars in a film just sitting there on a shelf collecting dust never to be watched again.

The film has to be good enough in my mind to either 1. Warrant multiple viewings going forward or 2. Have been a game changer in my life somehow (have a very special meaning for me). In fact I could even do a little more trimming to my list and then of course there are others that fall into one of my two categories that have not been released yet. I cannot see my collection ever going above 200 again even when everything has been released that I am waiting on. At one point years ago before BD I had almost 4500 DVD's most of those are gone now.....it was a sick sick addiction.

[benricci]

I don't need a set of rules, a philosophy or any other nonsense. If I liked the movie enough to own it, then I buy it wherever it's cheapest. Pretty simple.

Some of you are seriously nutty with your obsessiveness, rules and habits.

[lowsilv]

if its on sale . ill buy it. im sure ill watch it sooner or later.

[Mr. Lost]

-Only movies that have a lot of replay value
-Movies that hold a special meaning to me
-All pixar films and a few other animation flicks that I consider "worthy" to be a part of my collection
-I will not buy a film just because critics praise it
-If I find that I need to have the complete set just for the sake of it being "correct" on my shelf (Only intended to buy the 1st and 4th fast and the furious movies but it just looked wrong... and i did enjoy the other 2 somewhat)


I will buy films that I give a 5/5 as well... My ratings is not based on the sq, pq, aq or whatever the hell those specs mean. It's based off my enjoyment only!

Transformers 2? I actually enjoyed it and watched it multiple times... It's now part of my unique collection!

[Sky_Captain85]

I just tend to look for movies on sale or titles I know I'll watch on a frequent basis. I try to avoid bilingual packaging, which makes shopping at retail stores often pointless.

[cheez avenger]

I'm approaching 1,000 Blu-rays, but I don't have set rules or anything. If I like it then I buy it.

The only Blu-rays that get priority are Criterion Collection discs. Those come first.

[DarknessBDJM]

1. Buy tried and true films that I really enjoy.

2. Buy cheap, will get used disks and that's fine by me (with the exception of a few movies I will always buy new).

3. I'll get new release films on blu instead of dvd, but I'm really selective about the titles I'll buy without ever having seen them.

4. If it's a movie that I like but not enough where it's a must buy, but it's really cheap I'll buy it, especially if I can sell the dvd and make some money back on it.

5. Even if I don't care for the entry I'll buy the Halloween and Friday the 13th series films on blu-ray.

6. Movies that I want to see in hd but don't feel like I'd pay money for and buy again after I bought the dvd, if they come on tv I just save them to my dvr and disk space. I'll wait until we get uncompressed non-downgraded 16k and 8k films on some future holographic protein layered disks with the appropriate tv resolutions to match before I buy everything I like again.

[crazyBLUE]

I buy what I want out of my 300+ I have about 10 I will never watch again ~ Blind Buys. I will donate them someday

[toodeepuntilnow]

I let three general principles guide my blu buying:

1) I legitimately like the movie and think it has replay value. I'm in my twenties so I have plenty of time to re-watch movies so I'm thinking long term here. By the next major format change, I'll probably be indifferent so this is the primary format to build a collection in my mind. It doesn't matter if the movie is a $5 budget catalog title, a $60 import, or a $30 box office hit. If I like it and I think I'll watch it more than once ever, I'll get it. (Note: this surprisingly rules out many movies because I seem to only watch the same 30-50 movies over and over again.)

2) It is the lowest price I see the movie going. I don't watch movies immediately after I get them. My life is pretty active and I don't usually get around to watching new movies for a couple weeks or even months so newly released movies I can wait on. I'll bite on a movie if it meets rule #1 and I think the price is the lowest, or close to the lowest it will ever get.

3) Sequels I didn't really care for to movies I love will always get purchased. An exception to this arises in cases like "The Next Karate Kid," etc. If that ever came out on blu, I would not buy.

[Cooley]

Thank you for this thread. Good to share....

Say after the availability of Blu-Ray in the AV market, I found myself three new Blu-Ray oriented mentality traits developed:

1. After a day's work, in my workplace I would tell myself "After I get home, I need to see a Blu-Ray." (...Probably because of the sound sensation TrueHD dTS-MA, I need a dose.) Back in DVD days I would have no such "NEED" to see a DVD after a day's work.

2. The time I am browsing in AV store picking up a Blu-Ray movie, familiar or unfamiliar, if I see the marks TrueHD dTS-MA, there is an imagination in my mind how the Blu-ray sound would play out....the cranking Sci-Fi and Action sound, glass breaking..., and it would influence my buying decision at that time. One time I saw a used UK Blu-Ray Michael Bay's The Island (Dolby Digital only) I put it down and didn't buy. Related to 1., if it is a decent Sci-Fi action on the cheap with TrueHD dTS-MA, I would buy and enjoy e.g. Pandorum, 2012

3. I found myself re-watching the same Blu-Ray movie more often, maybe just half-a-year, four months. I mean, 28 Weeks Later isn't an A-list Sci-Fi movie, but the haunting Electric-Guitar background music got me hooked. Try for yourself. When I had my DVDs before the availability of Blu-Ray, I would basically re-watch usually after one year or more.

Did the same happen to you? I wonder.

The above new Blu-Ray mentality virtually affect my Blu-Ray buying habits.

The other one, last but not least, I try to refrain from buying brand-new Blu-Rays now and look at used Blu-Ray setting a price cap. 3D Blu-Ray @ $20, 2D @ $10. I was lucky sometimes to have bought Resident Evil 4 3D, The Legend of the Guardians 3D at $20.

[Blu Ray]

I have about 400-500 DVDs and I have recently started collecting Blu Rays too. I am only buying good sale-priced movies, and the movies that Blu REALLY affects. Such as Nightmare Before Christmas, or TRON, Avatar, Etc.

I have about 30 movies on DVD that I really want to upgrade to blu when I get the chance, or when they come out. I doubt I will ever sell my movies though.

But for me to upgrade my collection of DVDs it would cost WAY too much, and since I don't see significant value in blu ray movies most of the time, I just wont upgrade.

Heck, come to think of it, there was a time where I didn't buy any movies for a good year or so. That sure did change

[BouCoupDinkyDau]

I only buy films I know I will watch more than once (meaning I really only purchase my favs).

I collected anything and everything when I did VHS and DVD, and decided I'd rather have the movies I love rather than a shelf full of stuff I never watch.

[Sanctum3D]

What an awesome post!

My philosophy is:

Replay value

If I won't see it again, I have no use for it. The ones in my collection are the ones that will have multiple plays. 3D has made me want to see (and buy) BDs after a long time of not being interested in any that were released, because I will play them over and over, gimmicks and all, they are a reason I want to see some movies multiple times.

There are hundreds of movies I have good memories from, and I continue to see many, but I am sure I won't watch them again so there is no use in purchasing them.

BDs can become an addiction because we all are here because we LOVE movies, and many elicit wonderful memories, which in turn can become an EASY purchase, but I just never see myself seeing many movies more than once. Mainly because there are others I want to see!

[Roudy]

I recently ran in to a fella who LITERALLY buys every new release on Tuesdays because he wants to have a "collection."

Myself, I blind buy some new releases without having first seen them(The Fighter and True Grit are a couple examples) but otherwise I usually have had to have seen it multiple times or saw it once and want to watch it again. And it usually needs to be priced to sell!

[Daaark]

As other posters have said, I just buy what I want. I tend to buy a few a week. I don't watch TV, use netflix, or go the theater otherwise. Most of my purchases are also blind buys (a term I disagree with, because all movies are 'blind buys' the first time you see them).

[Moviefan2k4]

Well, let's tackle each of these questions, one at a time...

Originally Posted by Badamec

What goes through your minds as you peruse the deals page on this site, or as you walk through aisles at your local store?

My mindset is different with online and offline purchases. If I'm browsing on my computer, I'm usually trying to find the best price, and that's my main area of concern. I also pay very close attention when in a store, but I'm more focused on looking for a specific title.

Do you only buy Blu-rays at a certain price?

More often than not, I won't pay more than $25 for a "solo title" release, and no more than $50 or so for a boxset. There's been a very few exceptions, but not many so far.

Do you solely buy limited editions or slipcovers?

I only pay attention to what "edition" a title is, if it contains more or less extras than its counterpart(s). The version with the most bonus material usually ends up on my shelf. As for slipcovers, I could really care less 95% of the time. While the slips are definitely attractive, they really don't add anything to owning the film for me.

Are you looking to buy new movies that take full advantage of high definition, or do you simply want to upgrade your DVD collection, as you did with VHS years ago?

I usually read the different reviews of certain films on this website (to get a reasonable assessment of the audio and video quality), before I decide whether or not to purchase it.

Do you only buy Blu-rays you know you will love or is your goal to push past the number barriers of 400, 500, and 600+?

I really don't care that much about how many films I have; what matters to me is whether or not I'll be watching them, especially more than once.

Do you even watch your Blu-rays?

Absolutely. I don't see the point in buying them otherwise.

[koover]

Originally Posted by benricci

I don't need a set of rules, a philosophy or any other nonsense. If I liked the movie enough to own it, then I buy it wherever it's cheapest. Pretty simple.

Some of you are seriously nutty with your obsessiveness, rules and habits.

Classic. Couldn't agree more.
If I like something, I'll buy it. There's no number to attain or any set of rules or philosophy except if I don't have the money, don't buy it............yet.
I like having whatever movie that I really enjoy at my fingrtips whenever I want to watch it.
Well, actually, that is a philosophy.

[AKORIS]

if I like the movie I buy it--

if I'm interested in the movie and would pay to see it in a theatre, then I'll blind buy it-- what's the difference? It's the same cost (actually less for me as I have a family)

Have I made some purchases I regret? sure, but very little. To be generous I'd say that I have maybe 20 films that I don't like--

20 films divided by 813 movies-- .24%.... hmmm. I can live with that!

I find it interesting that so many people here have some sort of phobia about having too many movies. "I only buy my favorites", "I only buy movies that have strong replay value", etc etc.
Fine. Please don't take potshots all the time to people that like to have "a collection". There's nothing wrong with doing that... I've said it before and I'll say it again-- buying movies as opposed to going to the theatre actually saves me money!!

[HD Goofnut]

Unseen New release: Rent first and then I will buy when it is $20 or less if I really enjoyed it.

Wanted Catalog Titles: Must be around $15 or less and around $20 or less for a digibook.

I will also not pay more than $50 for a box set.