How Do You Approach Building Your Collection?

[bluerthanyou]

With so many great films available and seemingly being released from all studios and regions, rather unpredictably I might add, how do you tackle the prospect of building your collection? Do you stick to a favorite studio like Criterion or BFI or do you focus on a particular era of films? Perhaps there is an iconic director or actor that you focus on or do you randomly add movies from all eras, studios and individuals like I do? Sometimes I purchase something recently produced and end up wishing I had checked off one of the classic films missing from my collection. My goal is not to have an all inclusive collection but rather a diverse and personal one. Just curious...

[Salamurai]

my collection, its creation, its curation, and its continuation, largely amounts to "SQUIRREL!!"

[blufellas]

For me Criterions are my main priority, they have their own shelf. I also separate my Digibooks, Box sets, TV shows, Star Wars, and Marvel. The rest are in alphabetic order. One day I would like to sperate my horror.

[Heapashifter]

Buy everything!

[bsend]

I buy films I know I like, and blind buy from genres I love like horror, exploitation, arthouse, and classic Hollywood. Then I add based on recommendations. I trust Vinegar Syndrome, Criterion Collection and Arrow for film selections.

[PoorCampBlu]

Every year I consider where I want my collection to go and develop goals; pending funding. These goals are generally either General Goals (buying strategies) or Specific (Enumerated) Goals.

General Goals: 1) buy every DC animated release for the year; 2) buy every superhero movie of the year; 3) Dollar Tree budget; 4) Wish list titles

Specific Goals for this year is: 1) buy every dvd/blu DC animated title that is plausible (that I will watch and isn't crazy town priced). 2) Continue to develop my Animation (US-20th C) collection.

Next year I am planning that I might switch the specific goal to buying all Marvel animated and live action titles - at that time the DC goal gets reduced to the Wish list. Also I watch for trends - I had no plans at the end of last year to begin going after Hanna Barbera collections, but... so that becomes a general collection goal. Often I use the goals to decide where to spend the money at (if I was only mega-rich! lol).

[joeys1313]

I tend to go for limited editions first and then buy anything else when there are sales. Since a lot of the horror, exploitation etc. that I buy are blind buys and I'm not the type to hold onto something I don't like I at least like to be able to get back what I paid for it if I don't like it. I have a better chance of doing that with LE's once they go OOP. It's very rare that I end up selling anything though.

I have such a huge pile of BR's and 4k's that I haven't watched yet I can pretty much wait for anything with a standard release. No sense rushing and paying full price if it's just going to sit in a pile for who knows how long.

[78deluxe]

Originally Posted by bluerthanyou

With so many great films available and seemingly being released from all studios and regions, rather unpredictably I might add, how do you tackle the prospect of building your collection? Do you stick to a favorite studio like Criterion or BFI or do you focus on a particular era of films? Perhaps there is an iconic director or actor that you focus on or do you randomly add movies from all eras, studios and individuals like I do? Sometimes I purchase something recently produced and end up wishing I had checked off one of the classic films missing from my collection. My goal is not to have an all inclusive collection but rather a diverse and personal one. Just curious...

My collection is already built and only took 6 years to do so. It is simple, buy what I want when it is on sale.

I add to the collection as titles are released and go on sale.

I'm interested in the history of cinema, and primarily focus on films of high quality that might be worth more than one viewing in a lifetime. Exceptions are those I buy for less than $3 which I view as the price of a single viewing. This there are mediocre films in the collection too.

[dallywhitty]

I shall consume everything.

[bluerthanyou]

Originally Posted by 78deluxe

My collection is already built and only took 6 years to do so. It is simple, buy what I want when it is on sale.

I add to the collection as titles are released and go on sale.

I'm interested in the history of cinema, and primarily focus on films of high quality that might be worth more than one viewing in a lifetime. Exceptions are those I buy for less than $3 which I view as the price of a single viewing. This there are mediocre films in the collection too.

Not only do I respect that approach I like it. There is room in my collection for mediocre films if they are personal faves or if I get them at a really low price.

[Deadguy2322]

I see something I want at a good price, and if I can afford it, I buy it.

No overthinking needed!

[oilers73]

If I like the movie, I buy the Blu-ray.

[Nailwraps]

Originally Posted by oilers73

If I like the movie, I buy the Blu-ray.

My philosophy too! Do I make blind buys, sure but better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

Though sometimes you have to adjust buying things accordingly whether its money or if there's a new edition of a film like RoboCop coming out and you save money by not buying the edition(s) that are out already (unless there's material not ported over).

[D00mM4r1n3]

For the most part I only pre-order movies that I love, I am deeply interested in, or that I think will be hard to find after 6 months to a year due to limited release. Mainstream catalog stuff I toss into my Amazon Wish List and wait for the price to drop below $15. Every few months when I have more cash than brain cells I go through the Wish List and order a couple of movies I had been holding out on. I'm also a sucker for Black Friday sales and other sales events like the recent Vinegar Syndrome and Arrow sales. Besides all of the above, I have signed up for Disney Movie Club 4 times to get Disney films at a significant discount.

[bluerthanyou]

Originally Posted by D00mM4r1n3

For the most part I only pre-order movies that I love, I am deeply interested in, or that I think will be hard to find after 6 months to a year due to limited release. Mainstream catalog stuff I toss into my Amazon Wish List and wait for the price to drop below $15. Every few months when I have more cash than brain cells I go through the Wish List and order a couple of movies I had been holding out on. I'm also a sucker for Black Friday sales and other sales events like the recent Vinegar Syndrome and Arrow sales. Besides all of the above, I have signed up for Disney Movie Club 4 times to get Disney films at a significant discount.

Does anyone else ever put off buying a known classic because you've seen it so many times or it's always on television? It feels as though there is no big hurry in acquiring movies like Jaws or Rocky. I'll get around to it someday...when it's like dirt cheap.

[Jezza]

Originally Posted by bluerthanyou

Does anyone else ever put off buying a known classic because you've seen it so many times or it's always on television? It feels as though there is no big hurry in acquiring movies like Jaws or Rocky. I'll get around to it someday...when it's like dirt cheap.

Kind of, it's certainly one of the reasons why I don't own some movies that might otherwise be a 'must have'. Although for me there are certain films that are likely to only be watched once or at least are unlikely to be watched again within 8-10 years, if not longer, so I put off buying those. I've probably only watched The Godfather twice in my life, just as an example.

[Vw Driver]

Originally Posted by bluerthanyou

Does anyone else ever put off buying a known classic because you've seen it so many times or it's always on television? It feels as though there is no big hurry in acquiring movies like Jaws or Rocky. I'll get around to it someday...when it's like dirt cheap.

if you ditch cable, there are no movies or classics on tv, so i buy everything.

[monwobbbo]

Originally Posted by Vw Driver

if you ditch cable, there are no movies or classics on tv, so i buy everything.

well that's not exactly true. far fewer perhaps but not none. i can watch Svengoolie every saturday on local TV channel and watch classic monster films. they just showed Two Faces Of Dr. Jekyll yesterday. a couple of other channels still show movies.

[glennstl]

Originally Posted by bluerthanyou

Does anyone else ever put off buying a known classic because you've seen it so many times or it's always on television? It feels as though there is no big hurry in acquiring movies like Jaws or Rocky. I'll get around to it someday...when it's like dirt cheap.

I can definitely understand this... but for me, I basically buy the Blu... even if I know for certain that it's going to be playing on TV or streaming for a long time. Extras on the disc also encourage me to buy right away.

On the other hand, I completely can see your point.

[traths]

Originally Posted by bluerthanyou

Does anyone else ever put off buying a known classic because you've seen it so many times or it's always on television? It feels as though there is no big hurry in acquiring movies like Jaws or Rocky. I'll get around to it someday...when it's like dirt cheap.

Not really, I don't really like watching movies on t.v. anyway because I hate commercials and they're usually censored unless you watch them on HBO, Cinemax, or Showtime.