Collectors Addiction: The Struggle We All Deal With At Some Point

[GenPion]

Folks, this hobby is supposed to be fun. It's about a love of movies and a passion for filmmaking. It's about more than "consumerism" or "collecting them all" too.

Anyone who feels a compulsion to have to own "everything" is doing it wrong. Not a single collector will ever own "everything" - that's a simple truth. You might collect everything from a single favorite filmmaker or film series, for example, but there's absolutely no such thing as a "finished collection" or some such. It's just your own personal library.

I have a massive wish-list but I will probably never buy all of them or find the time to see it all necessarily. Regardless, I pick up movies I want to watch - and Blu-ray/4K is enormously important to me - all the exclusive 4K or 2K restorations, audio restorations from original master audio tapes in lossless audio encoding, absorbing bonus features, and more. I also enjoy the tangible physical element of it - the cover art, the booklets, the slipcovers, the steelbooks - the collectors editions - and it all means a lot to me.

I won't ever stop collecting or get rid of most of my collection. Sometimes collecting can lead to collector "burn out" - or feeling overwhelmed. Take a break from it if you feel one is necessary. You might regret pairing down so many movies - they are yours for the rest of your life, always there if you want to watch something.

If you were buying movies just to "buy stuff" (i.e. mindless consumerism) then maybe it's not the hobby for you. It's a hobby for cinephiles and video-audio enthusiasts and those who enjoy bonus features/collectables/etc. Not for someone who wants to just stream a movie here or there or who doesn't value the format.

[gates70]

Addicted you say? My unwatched pile is over 1000. I buy some movies 2, 3, or even 4 times (my favorites). I have most of the LOTR releases I can think of, same for Blade Runner, and it goes on. I bought 3 Dune 2 steelbooks because I was afraid of getting the only one damaged, and I keep 2 copies (one for backup). The 3rd is still here sealed and I'm not even sure I'll get rid of it lol. Now there's a group buy for the Manta Lab one-click which has 3 versions in it, and I PO'd that too. Ordered 2 of the UK Blazing Saddles, 2 Interstellar, and it goes on and on.... addicted you say?

[GenPion]

My sister owns over 1,000 unread books and keeps collecting them. So to each there own, physical media matters - regardless of if you manage to make it through everything.

[gates70]

Originally Posted by GenPion

Folks, this hobby is supposed to be fun. It's about a love of movies and a passion for filmmaking. It's about more than "consumerism" or "collecting them all" too.

Anyone who feels a compulsion to have to own "everything" is doing it wrong. Not a single collector will ever own "everything" - that's a simple truth. You might collect everything from a single favorite filmmaker or film series, for example, but there's absolutely no such thing as a "finished collection" or some such. It's just your own personal library.

I have a massive wish-list but I will probably never buy all of them or find the time to see it all necessarily. Regardless, I pick up movies I want to watch - and Blu-ray/4K is enormously important to me - all the exclusive 4K or 2K restorations, audio restorations from original master audio tapes in lossless audio encoding, absorbing bonus features, and more. I also enjoy the tangible physical element of it - the cover art, the booklets, the slipcovers, the steelbooks - the collectors editions - and it all means a lot to me.

I won't ever stop collecting or get rid of most of my collection. Sometimes collecting can lead to collector "burn out" - or feeling overwhelmed. Take a break from it if you feel one is necessary. You might regret pairing down so many movies - they are yours for the rest of your life, always there if you want to watch something.

If you were buying movies just to "buy stuff" (i.e. mindless consumerism) then maybe it's not the hobby for you. It's a hobby for cinephiles and video-audio enthusiasts and those who enjoy bonus features/collectables/etc. Not for someone who wants to just stream a movie here or there or who doesn't value the format.

Who says we're not having fun?

[Aragorn the Elfstone]

Wow, maybe my Blu-ray addiction isn't as bad as I thought it was.

I don't think I have a single 4K, Blu-ray, DVD, etc. that I haven't watched at least once. If I don't feel the compulsion to watch something as soon as I pick it up, get it in the mail, etc., then I don't consider it something I should purchase.

And even so, with a Blu-ray collection nearing 800 movies/tv shows, I find myself struggling for space, and not as eager to part with the money in my bank account as I used to be.

[sheri1983]

I was fine for years actually, didn't collect DVD since it wasn't a thing in my country, but once bluray kicked in and I moved to the US I started collecting only the stuff I really love. Prices were good too. However, when the 4k format started it became worse because I believe it's the final format and I'm like buying film print and I don't have any other major hobbies outside of music which I stream mostly and all other excuses I make for myself. Although I limit myself to under $20 a title that doesn't cut it and I overspend like this month. I'm looking at my orders at the moment and I have like 15 titles at least, that's straight-up bad. I hope to cut my spending to 2 titles per month and 1 TV show per year.

[Member-839946]

The primary motivation for me at the beginning was "get all my favorites so I can watch any time".

I continue to be AMAZED how many movies I have the following reaction to: "Hey... I remember that. I'd like to watch that again." Hundreds.

Thing is... I don't remember ever watching a lot of TV or going to the movies. I was a poor student. I couldn't have. So where and when did I watch all of these?

[kevers7290]

OP is banned? What happened?

[gobad2003]

Originally Posted by thelwig14

Even from the latter 2? Damn. I didn’t think they sent out damaged.

They don't, At least in my experience and I've placed countless orders from both. But even if you did happen to get something damaged I'm sure they would replace it no problem.

Oh, And by the way physical media fo' life baby

[RustinCohle]

Originally Posted by kevers7290

OP is banned? What happened?

Big Blu-ray is trying to silence me.

[Splatterhouse 5]

Originally Posted by koberulz

If I had a nickel for every time I wanted to watch something that wasn't available on streaming, I could afford to double the size of my collection.

Hehe…I’ve been casually collecting favorites since DVD was born, but what really sparked my interest in adding to the collection was a moment that I wanted to watch the Back to the Future trilogy with my kids, and my DVDs simply wouldn’t play anymore.

I figured that they must be playing on one of the 5 streaming services that I pay for … but they weren’t. It bothered me so much that I immediately went off to Target to buy the trilogy on Blu Ray. I’m not particularly difficult about most things in life, but I hated the idea of paying for so many streaming services, and not being able to watch such a common movie like BttF when I wanted to (without having to rent it).

Since that moment, I get a hard copy of everything I’d expect to watch more than once.

[JMW85]

Originally Posted by Splatterhouse 5

Hehe…I’ve been casually collecting favorites since DVD was born, but what really sparked my interest in adding to the collection was a moment that I wanted to watch the Back to the Future trilogy with my kids, and my DVDs simply wouldn’t play anymore.

I figured that they must be playing on one of the 5 streaming services that I pay for … but they weren’t. It bothered me so much that I immediately went off to Target to buy the trilogy on Blu Ray. I’m not particularly difficult about most things in life, but I hated the idea of paying for so many streaming services, and not being able to watch such a common movie like BttF when I wanted to (without having to rent it).

Since that moment, I get a hard copy of everything I’d expect to watch more than once.

Absolutely, buy the movies you plan to watch more than once, but keep in mind that in this example it was the physical media you had already bought and paid for that failed you just as much as those streaming services.

[Splatterhouse 5]

Originally Posted by JMW85

Absolutely, buy the movies you plan to watch more than once, but keep in mind that in this example it was the physical media you had already bought and paid for that failed you just as much as those streaming services.

Yeah, you’re right! I already had a hard copy, and that failed me. I’d like to believe that the jump to blu will be more enduring. I just hated that I couldn’t watch this on any of the streaming services that I pay for. That moment skyrocketed my desire to upgrade my collection, and physically own movies that I’d want to watch on the fly.

[Ruined]

Its a tough balance. My collection has gotten a quite unmanageable as well.

I guess it boils down to priorities. On one hand, you can say you are wasting tons of money on plastic discs when that money could be spent on other things that are more important or what most people would consider more memorable (like going on a vacation to someplace exotic).

On the other hand, you only got a short time on this earth. If collecting and managing plastic discs is really the main thing that makes you happy, even if all your expendable income goes there, is it really bad to do the main thing that makes you most happy in that short time?

[Bradsdadg]

I feel like I've talked about this a couple of times in these forums. The fact is though, I'm trying to cut way back on my physical media spending. This year has been great for that as I really feel like it's a down year in general~as far as announcements go. I'm just not getting a big thrill in most of what is being revealed.

I've taken bags and bags of titles to Bullmoose and The Archive for trade ins. Trying to clear out some shelf space of titles I will never watch again. It doesn't mean I didn't like them; I just will never have time or want to put them in the player again. Why keep them and have them collect dust at that point.

It's an ongoing process, but I am trying to get it down to a manageable collection. I've cut way back on blind buying absolute turds from certain companies. Other companies I've decided to drop altogether.

There is a certain rush you feel when the next sale is announced~but when I go through the titles in the sale~I really look at them individually and have to ask myself, is it a one and done watch or is there a strong feeling that it will be a key addition to the collection?

Anyway, in the end, everyone is different. Sometimes I see people coming to this conclusion as well and know what they are going through.

[gates70]

Originally Posted by Ruined

Its a tough balance. My collection has gotten a quite unmanageable as well.

I guess it boils down to priorities. On one hand, you can say you are wasting tons of money on plastic discs when that money could be spent on other things that are more important or what most people would consider more memorable (like going on a vacation to someplace exotic).

On the other hand, you only got a short time on this earth. If collecting and managing plastic discs is really the main thing that makes you happy, even if all your expendable income goes there, is it really bad to do the main thing that makes you most happy in that short time?

This is where I'm the total opposite. Vacations and stuff that you pay out of your ass for, give me nothing I can hold in my hand. Feel like I'm spending on not much. I'm not saying I never do, because I do once in a while.

[Professor Echo]

Well, I've posted the following countless times in this venue, so please forgive the rerun, but remember:

Collecting movies on disc is never about having to watch ALL of it, it's about watching WHAT you want, WHEN you want.

[drush9999]

I've collected stuff for years whether it's Books, Comics, CDs, VHS/DVD/BD/4K. So I've always had a collector's mentality, curating a collection in itself is quite satisfying in many ways. For me it's an addiction if it interferes with other aspects of your life, like it's most of your spare time, or eats into money that could be spent more usefully elsewhere.

I have vague rules to keep me in "check". I double take if I "need" or can "afford" that thing before buying. For collecting films, buying an old favourite as an upgrade is an easy choice. Blind buying a movie from a favourite director or actor/actress is an easy choice too. Complete blind buys are rarer for me, and it'd take a lot of recommendations to delve into that thing. But most times I'm glad I did.

I keep a list of stuff I'm interested in buying whether it's come out yet or not. This "drives" my collecting to a certain extent but also keeps me limited to those things. I add to this list too, so it's neverending and will probably never buy it all, but I have the main stuff I want anyway.

[russweiss1]

Collecting is a luxury. I read a few posts talking about going into debt or spending beyond their means. For me, that would fall under the category of addiction. I have purchased more discs than I will ever realistically watch but I like knowing that the title is there if I do decide to watch it. As long as you're not hurting yourself or family members (financially or with space limitations) everyone should buy whichever discs appeal to them.

[Abdrewes]

10,000 blu-rays at my peak a year and a half ago. I sold the bulk of em to finance my wife's doctorate degree, having a child, and freeing up more painting time in the studio. No regrets! I'll still buy the random used movie that catches my eye, but on eBay she goes after viewing. I'm grateful for those that still keep the faith.