BDs That Are Out of Print (OOP)

[shill66]

Originally Posted by James Luckard

As a kid, I remember that most pre-recorded VHS tapes of movies were about $100, because they were priced for purchase by video rental stores.

The idea of pricing films around $20 or $30 to sell directly to consumers didn't come around until the 1990s, and even then it was only for certain MASSIVE titles that they knew would do well. I feel like T2 might have been the first, though I could be wrong.

Even into the mid-90s, I remember either waiting until my local video store sold off most of their stock of VHS tapes for $10 or $20 after a few months, when demand vanished, or later joining Columbia House, simply because it had new releases at reasonable rates as soon as they came out.

When you could get movies the day they came out on DVD for $20 or $30, it was AMAZING.

(First, apologies for continuing the off-topic discussion.)

Nearly, but not quite correct info. When pre-recorded tapes were introduced in the late 1970s, all the way through to 1983, their prices were all mostly around $69.95-$79.95. In 1983, Paramount started experimentally pricing some hot titles at $39.95 (street price was commonly $29.95, for titles such as Raiders of the Lost Ark, Flashdance, An Officer and a Gentleman, and Star Trek II) they sold A LOT more than they expected. In the stretch between late '83 until around 1986, most studios adopted this "sell-through" pricing, and MSRPs started hitting $19.95 for many titles as videocassette sales began to skyrocket. It was around then (roughly 1986-1987) that the two sales tiers settled, more or less, with some titles being sell-through at $15-30, and all the rest being RAISED to an MSRP around $100-110 so that they would be considered rental titles (although consumers could still buy them if they really wanted to). The first pre-recorded videotape I ever bought was The Terminator upon its first release in 1984 and it was $69.95.

This is a very important historical article for some perspective and understanding: https://www.nytimes.com/1983/12/12/b...-on-video.html

[ShellBeacher]

Originally Posted by James Luckard

As a kid, I remember that most pre-recorded VHS tapes of movies were about $100, because they were priced for purchase by video rental stores.

The idea of pricing films around $20 or $30 to sell directly to consumers didn't come around until the 1990s, and even then it was only for certain MASSIVE titles that they knew would do well. I feel like T2 might have been the first, though I could be wrong.

Even into the mid-90s, I remember either waiting until my local video store sold off most of their stock of VHS tapes for $10 or $20 after a few months, when demand vanished, or later joining Columbia House, simply because it had new releases at reasonable rates as soon as they came out.

When you could get movies the day they came out on DVD for $20 or $30, it was AMAZING.

I had thought it was BATMAN '89 ...

Batman Debuts on VHS - Local News Report ( Circa 1989 ) - YouTube

But I think E.T. beat it to a cheap "sell-through" price! $24.95 in 1988.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/...044-story.html

[Jay H.]

Originally Posted by ShellBeacher

I had thought it was BATMAN '89 ...

Batman Debuts on VHS - Local News Report ( Circa 1989 ) - YouTube

But I think E.T. beat it to a cheap "sell-through" price! $24.95 in 1988.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/...044-story.html

Yep; E.T. was released on VHS in the Fall of 1988, and it was the first movie my family bought. I believe our local video store sold it for $20.

Incidentally, T2 was not cheap when it was first released. Most of us would not pay the cost to own movies ($79.99 and higher), so hooking up two VCRs together and making a copy was a common practice. I had over 200 movies recorded this way.

[DVD Josh]

Have we just stopped talking about OOP BDs in this thread?

[Gacivory]

Originally Posted by DVD Josh

Have we just stopped talking about OOP BDs in this thread?

That discussion went out of print.

[MazeRunner]

Originally Posted by laidbacklarkin

Its not just movies. We're buying a lot more crap today on a daily basis than we were in 1984 and we have gotten so used to this consumption lifestyle that we're looking for low prices on everything, which makes the $20 price tag appear expensive.

I love how people get like a $8 Starbucks drink twice a day, or can spend $40+ at the bar every night, but one $20 disc is "too expensive."

[ShellBeacher]

Originally Posted by DVD Josh

Have we just stopped talking about OOP BDs in this thread?

It appears that there is nothing to panic about right now!

[Jay H.]

Originally Posted by MazeRunner

I love how people get like a $8 Starbucks drink twice a day, or can spend $40+ at the bar every night, but one $20 disc is "too expensive."

Priorities.

[deltatauhobbit]

Originally Posted by MazeRunner

I love how people get like a $8 Starbucks drink twice a day, or can spend $40+ at the bar every night, but one $20 disc is "too expensive."

If I spent $16 a day on coffee, I likely wouldn't be able to function without it. Fortunately, I've never gotten into coffee. I have gotten into tea lately but it probably only costs 25 cents a cup for me to brew.

If I spent $40 each night at the bar, I wouldn't be able to function at all. Anything more than a pint and I feel like hammered $hit the next day. I used to spend a lot on beer, like drinking $20 bombers every other day, so I know how that is but my body can't handle it anymore. I did notice when my beer budget went down, my movie budget went up. Can't live forever so gotta spend it on something.

[MazeRunner]

Originally Posted by deltatauhobbit

If I spent $16 a day on coffee, I likely wouldn't be able to function without it. Fortunately, I've never gotten into coffee. I have gotten into tea lately but it probably only costs 25 cents a cup for me to brew.

I only go to Starbucks for the teas or refreshers. Can't stand coffee. But even their smallest size is like $6 and mostly ice.

[Member-425016]

Three 3D titles that are gone. Good luck if you want a copy or two.


IMG_3776.jpg
IMG_3774.JPG
IMG_3775.JPG

[Brian81]

I want The Bubble 3D. I hope the eventual Roadshow edition will allow for the OOP disc to drop in price.

[Torrente]

Originally Posted by shill66

(First, apologies for continuing the off-topic discussion.)

Nearly, but not quite correct info. When pre-recorded tapes were introduced in the late 1970s, all the way through to 1983, their prices were all mostly around $69.95-$79.95. In 1983, Paramount started experimentally pricing some hot titles at $39.95 (street price was commonly $29.95, for titles such as Raiders of the Lost Ark, Flashdance, An Officer and a Gentleman, and Star Trek II) they sold A LOT more than they expected. In the stretch between late '83 until around 1986, most studios adopted this "sell-through" pricing, and MSRPs started hitting $19.95 for many titles as videocassette sales began to skyrocket. It was around then (roughly 1986-1987) that the two sales tiers settled, more or less, with some titles being sell-through at $15-30, and all the rest being RAISED to an MSRP around $100-110 so that they would be considered rental titles (although consumers could still buy them if they really wanted to). The first pre-recorded videotape I ever bought was The Terminator upon its first release in 1984 and it was $69.95.

This is a very important historical article for some perspective and understanding: https://www.nytimes.com/1983/12/12/b...-on-video.html

Also, we always forget to take inflation rate into consideration when we compare msrp prices.
20$ now is not the same as 20$ in the 80's.

[dylrichard02]

If I want coffee, I can make some at home and safe the $$$. Somehow I save more money than my sister who works more hours than me at the same pay rate, yet I am buying at least $200 at month in blu-rays/4Ks. Granted, I know not everyone makes the same pay as me, but my sister is an avid Starbucks drinker and goes out to a bar/restaurant 1 or 2 times a week. Still my family thinks I'm crazy for buying movies!

Maybe someone could make a thread on spending habits/how to budget as a collector. It might be valuable, of course that might be a thread already and I'm unaware of it.

[houseca]

Comparing Blu-rays/DVD to fully consumables like Coffee, Alcohol, or various forms of entertainment is not right. Those are expenses. Blu-ray media are assets. They almost always hold some kind of value. Most are depreciable assets, but there are many, many titles that appreciate, not just OOP's but many Steelbooks, LE's, and even many titles that still have the slipcover and/or booklet.

If buying decisions are made very intelligently, they could even be seen as an investment. Just looking at purchasing physical media as "blowing money" just isn't right, especially if the owner is adept at reselling them on the market.

[dylrichard02]

Originally Posted by Torrente

Also, we always forget to take inflation rate into consideration when we compare msrp prices.
20$ now is not the same as 20$ in the 80's.

From 1980 to 2020, supposedly US inflation increased $1 USD to $3.14 USD.

If physical media still cost $24.95 on release date, that would be approx. $78.34 (roughly the list price of a Criterion ). No way would I have approaching 700 films.
https://www.officialdata.org/us/infl...of%20214.09%25.

[dylrichard02]

Originally Posted by houseca

Comparing Blu-rays/DVD to fully consumables like Coffee, Alcohol, or various forms of entertainment is not right. Those are expenses. Blu-ray media are assets. They almost always hold some kind of value. Most are depreciable assets, but there are many, many titles that appreciate, not just OOP's but many Steelbooks, LE's, and even many titles that still have the slipcover and/or booklet.

If buying decisions are made very intelligently, they could even be seen as an investment. Just looking at purchasing physical media as "blowing money" just isn't right, especially if the owner is adept at reselling them on the market.

Good point. If I blind-buy an Arrow video for example, I usually go for the Steelbook if available. They cost the same as the standard edition usually, but appreciate in value!

[Bk_Tan]

Originally Posted by shill66

(First, apologies for continuing the off-topic discussion.)

Nearly, but not quite correct info. When pre-recorded tapes were introduced in the late 1970s, all the way through to 1983, their prices were all mostly around $69.95-$79.95. In 1983, Paramount started experimentally pricing some hot titles at $39.95 (street price was commonly $29.95, for titles such as Raiders of the Lost Ark, Flashdance, An Officer and a Gentleman, and Star Trek II) they sold A LOT more than they expected. In the stretch between late '83 until around 1986, most studios adopted this "sell-through" pricing, and MSRPs started hitting $19.95 for many titles as videocassette sales began to skyrocket. It was around then (roughly 1986-1987) that the two sales tiers settled, more or less, with some titles being sell-through at $15-30, and all the rest being RAISED to an MSRP around $100-110 so that they would be considered rental titles (although consumers could still buy them if they really wanted to). The first pre-recorded videotape I ever bought was The Terminator upon its first release in 1984 and it was $69.95.

This is a very important historical article for some perspective and understanding: https://www.nytimes.com/1983/12/12/b...-on-video.html

I keep asking, but so far not got any response yet.

Does anyone know who is setting the price of the product on the e-tailers and retailers sites/locations?

For example is it Amazon or is it the studio? Does the studio make money when they sell the product to Amazon (are they even selling the product or is Amazon just dealing it for them?) or when the product is actually sold?

But the prices and price drops are given by the retailer not the studio, so yeah, what does the studio earn? If a product sells out, is it Amazon who wants to order more or is it the studio who wants to push the product back out?

Anyone have any insight?

[ShellBeacher]

Originally Posted by Bk_Tan

I keep asking, but so far not got any response yet.

Does anyone know who is setting the price of the product on the e-tailers and retailers sites/locations?

For example is it Amazon or is it the studio? Does the studio make money when they sell the product to Amazon (are they even selling the product or is Amazon just dealing it for them?) or when the product is actually sold?

But the prices and price drops are given by the retailer not the studio, so yeah, what does the studio earn? If a product sells out, is it Amazon who wants to order more or is it the studio who wants to push the product back out?

Anyone have any insight?

The studio/distributor sets the MSRP/"suggested retail price."

Amazon would buy xxx # of copies based on whatever early research and possible pre-orders they can justify. Sometimes these may be sold to them at a discount if large orders (feel free to correct me on this, anyone).

The studio "profits" from initial sales to retailers. The big corps like Amazon, Best Buy, etc. effectively end up usually selling discs "at a loss" as often they are aiming to get consumers in their shops to buy bigger, more expensive things -- and both of these companies now seem to be rapidly moving away from selling Blu-rays/DVDs alltogether. People like Arrow, Kino, Shout, etc. pay their own costs for licensing materials from major studios.

Amazon or other stores like Best Buy have formed exclusive partnerships with certain studios or for certain titles (a "retailer exclusive") for steelbooks, etc.

When Amazon, etc. sells out, yes, it is up to them to order more from the source. And often lately, by my indication, they have underestimated demand on things like limited steelbooks, etc., and leave customers scrambling to find it elsewhere when they don't even have enough stock to fill pre-orders to all customers! One of the many reasons I've recently quit Amazon, I find their customer service and shipping quality in general to be very disappointing/lack of care. Though some of the above may also have to do with the fact that, from my understanding, there are very few disc manufacturers/replicators left right now operating for North America, for example.

I buy direct from studios/distributors/boutique shops and smaller vendors as much as possible now. DIABOLIK does a really good job with getting/fulfilling the right amount of pre-orders, and packing/shipping them expertly. It's usually worth the the extra shipping costs/slightly steeper pre-order prices (though Diabolik is only $5.00 shipping).

[spiderfan1985]

Originally Posted by danny24

I have never watched a movie from start to finish on either a computer screen or phone screen. I have watched like 40 or 50 mins of a movie or show but no more. Just can't get into it on a smaller screen. It's all on the TV. So I hear ya.

I have a ton of digital copy films that I use on my phone at work. I also have a Bluetooth speaker to amplify the sound. I don’t watch movies I have not seen yet that way, but I will put a movie on my phone at work because I go in well before the ass crack of dawn shows itself and it can be very silent and boring. It’s always a movie I know very well though. Even when I’m in the middle of my work and unable to look at the screen just hearing the movie allows me to watch it in my head.

And speaking of blu-rays that are OOP. Cocoon. I imported the UK version, Region B locked so I still use my standard blu player for it because it is Region Free, and I cannot find it anywhere streaming. Like The Abyss and True Lies. Neither of them ever got a Blu release and their respective DVDs are out of print and hell The Abyss is still stuck in non-anamorphic! WTF Jim Cameron?! I know Titanic and Avatar are your bread and butter now and The Terminator is what made you, but it’s like you’re trying to bury these films yourself.