The Criterion Collection

[Karl Ell]

What's the advantage in not opening them? I've always opened media when it arrives so that I can take advantage of the return policy if it's damaged. And when it comes to buying secondhand, I often prefer opened copies because you know what you're getting condition wise. Always thought it was weird that people pay high prices for vintage sealed vinyl only to open it and discover 50 year old mold baked inside.

[JasonMichael]

Originally Posted by Karl Ell

What's the advantage in not opening them? I've always opened media when it arrives so that I can take advantage of the return policy if it's damaged. And when it comes to buying secondhand, I often prefer opened copies because you know what you're getting condition wise. Always thought it was weird that people pay high prices for vintage sealed vinyl only to open it and discover 50 year old mold baked inside.

If you don't open it, you know you haven't watched it.

[Karl Ell]

Originally Posted by JasonMichael

If you don't open it, you know you haven't watched it.

Well hopefully I can remember actually watching something I own. lol. Or is this one of those If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it...?

[Mose Harper]

Originally Posted by Karl Ell

What's the advantage in not opening them? I've always opened media when it arrives so that I can take advantage of the return policy if it's damaged. And when it comes to buying secondhand, I often prefer opened copies because you know what you're getting condition wise. Always thought it was weird that people pay high prices for vintage sealed vinyl only to open it and discover 50 year old mold baked inside.

Unfortunately you are probably in the minority.
If you weren't, it would make regularly selling off parts of a collection much easier and more worthwhile.

Most people- especially when it comes to more recent media- will spend more for new, shiny and sealed.
Even with OoP media, the disparity in revenue between open and sealed sales can be substantial.
Because of that, it always made more sense for me to keep things wrapped, until I knew I absolutely wanted to watch it.
The times I've been unpleasantly surprised by a defective disc, long past the point of return, I can count on one hand.

[Walter Kafka]

The inlandiest of empires.
The most empirical of inlands.
The lander in pires of em.

[Show spoiler]I got nothing. Very excited to watch it again

!

[randian]

Originally Posted by Mose Harper

Most people- especially with more recent media- will spend more for new, shiny and sealed.

Exactly. I've found that unless the item is unusually collectible it's basically worth nothing after sales costs because you can't sell it for a high enough price. That is, I basically stand to net zero or close to it for any used media even if in pristine condition.

[Karl Ell]

Originally Posted by Mose Harper

Unfortunately you are probably in the minority.
If you weren't, it would make regularly selling off parts of a collection much easier and more worthwhile.

Most people- especially with more recent media- will spend more for new, shiny and sealed.
Especially if it happens to have gone OOP, which most things do eventually. Especially with the rise in boutique labels who have rights for only a set period.

I've bought, sold, and collected media for decades, so I have some experience in this area. I'm not arguing that people won't pay more for sealed media, but I'm saying as a buyer, I've never found it to be a slam dunk worth paying that much more than opened and like new. If I plan to keep something and play it, I will open it immediately to confirm condition.

[Sifox211]

If I’m buying something collectible second hand I prefer to get an opened one - not just because it’s cheaper but because I don’t have to have that moment of ripping off the cellophane while realising I am instantly reducing its value

[dkelly26666]

King Kong done as a Crumb comic, LOL.

[TenYearLurker]

Originally Posted by Karl Ell

What's the advantage in not opening them? I've always opened media when it arrives so that I can take advantage of the return policy if it's damaged. And when it comes to buying secondhand, I often prefer opened copies because you know what you're getting condition wise. Always thought it was weird that people pay high prices for vintage sealed vinyl only to open it and discover 50 year old mold baked inside.

As my collection grows, so does my unwatched pile. And now that many titles are getting 4K upgrades, I sometimes end up buying a newer 4K disc before getting a chance to watch the Blu.

A sealed copy yields significantly more in the resale market--whether it's being sold to a record store, a shop like Vinegar Syndrome's Archive, or individual sellers. It can add up to a notable amount of money, and I'd love to recoup as much of that as possible, since this hobby of ours ain't cheap.

[TolerancEJ]

The only products I open immediately are Disney releases, so I can log the Movie Insiders code to earn its points.

Oh, sometimes I receive an order and I can hear the disc bouncing around inside the case. I must open it, inspect the disc and place it properly on the holder.

[koberulz]

I open and back up all discs immediately upon receipt. My media server tells me whether I've watched things or not.

[NeoNical]

Reminds me that I need to start opening up my unopened Criterions. I have seen all the Criterion titles I own but I just don't open them until I get around to watching them (Which probably isn't a good thing if the discs ended up being scratched/damaged and the return date is way overdue).

On that note, Muriel, or the Time of Return is a pretty good film (One that I haven't opened yet) and I highly recommend checking it out. It's not a very easygoing, Friday night kind of film, however. Out of the Resnais films in the collection, Muriel is probably the most infuriating/difficult to watch because its cold towards the audience. Nonetheless, this and his first two feature films make a good trilogy of films involving the idea of memory and its power on the human mind. All 5/5 films IMO, but I can understand why some people didn't like Marienbad or Muriel (Especially the latter).

[bwdowiak]

I watched La Piscine last night. I had never seen it before. It is a good film, but gosh... this has to be a contender for worst looking disc (PQ wise) in the CC. I thought for sure Svet was being unfairly critical, but it really is a stinker. A shame.

[kmhofmann]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

I watched La Piscine last night. I had never seen it before. It is a good film, but gosh... this has to be a contender for worst looking disc (PQ wise) in the CC. I thought for sure Svet was being unfairly critical, but it really is a stinker. A shame.

Yep, it's quite terrible...

I am very happy with the color grading, but the encoding/compression is a joke.

[Rayjg]

Originally Posted by TenYearLurker

As my collection grows, so does my unwatched pile. And now that many titles are getting 4K upgrades, I sometimes end up buying a newer 4K disc before getting a chance to watch the Blu.

A sealed copy yields significantly more in the resale market--whether it's being sold to a record store, a shop like Vinegar Syndrome's Archive, or individual sellers. It can add up to a notable amount of money, and I'd love to recoup as much of that as possible, since this hobby of ours ain't cheap.

So you're a Fleabay Flipper. Got it

[GrouchoFan]

Just got in my order from the Flash Sale:



On top of the 50% off, I had also accumulated $40 in those discount codes they send out. So I did OK on this order.

My first Criterion 4Ks!! (Now to check for scratches and fingerprints! )

[spiritinblack82]

Flash sale order has arrived:



I also had (2) $10 credits so I kept my order within budget of around $100.

[Warm Gun]

First time and last time I order from criterion.com. They used UPS, who failed to deliver and now want me to pick up the package at a "UPS Access Point" an hour away. Hate it when they do that, them and USPS.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by Warm Gun

First time and last time I order from criterion.com. They used UPS, who failed to deliver and now want me to pick up the package at a "UPS Access Point" an hour away. Hate it when they do that, them and USPS.

You can request a re-delivery to your home address, and/or possibly change to a closer Access Point. This isn't really a Criterion issue, but a you issue considering you're also putting down USPS for the same thing too. I mean, short of FedEx (who will also send packages for pickup at facilities if it fails to get delivered at your home after a few attempts), who exactly are you expecting them to use then?

Also, I recommend signing up for UPS My Choice, which allowes easier managing of delivery and their options

https://wwwapps.ups.com/doapp/signupmychoice?loc=en_US