"Only 1 left in stock - order soon." according to Amazon...true/false?

Since you're in NZ, maybe that's the case because it's someone who doesn't have a discount shipping rate, but
I take that more as a sign they're out of print and are scarce. But if a new one shows up, it'll still end up being more expensive. e.g. just looking at the Blu-ray for The Velvet Vampire, it's currently $365 (USD) new on Amazon (us), and $299, used. (The DVD from a different distributor, is $10, making it probably the biggest discrepancy I've seen between a DVD and a Blu-ray in terms of price).


In those cases, I'd suggest, unless it's a movie you must have, hold off, and hope someone does a re-printing of it in the next 3-10 years. I've seen movies that get into the multiple of hundreds of dollars become normal priced once a new printing happens (often from a different DVD label that gets the rights).

I have seen imports that cost a lot on Amazon's US site cost noticeably less if I go to the Amazon site for where the Blu-ray would have been released. Not always, but it's something to check of the price seems steep.

Its not so much about being out of money more so not knowing whether dvds in your collection are legit or not- wanting certainty of their authenticity.

Can I ask why?

Ive never bought a blu-ray before.

So, just checking. You're spending $40 (USD) on average. These are SD DVDs, not blu-rays (I'm assuming you don't mean you're getting 4K discs). But you mostly buy TV shows. And they're rare.
I'm assuming the $40 (USD)/$60 (NZD) price tag is because the TV shows are box sets and more than just one disc?


I've rarely been in the market for rare tv series DVDs. So I find all of that, curious.

No, Im thinking about half is tv, half movies. And to be clear Im talking about total price not the price of the dvds. And yes usually if its a tv show its at least two discs. I think I only have one box set and its only a 4 season show.

I also dont believe Ive ever bought a 4k dvd thing or whatever. I cant even remember ever seeing that lol...

mmmmm...I guess collecting dvds isnt really about content its an emotional purchase. I collect dvds of films and shows that I like that has significance to me. I dont want something that looks like the real deal but actually is just some art project some rando made I want something that is actually the physical representation of this flim or show that I like. Its not about being able to watch the film/show whenever I want (functional purpose of a dvd) its about owning a real copy, a legit physical manifestation of the film/tv. Lol is that weird? Like if you were wanting a signature from a famous person you admire would it bother you to find out that signature is actually just faked by some forger and not actually signed by that famous person's hand?

Maybe thats the same thing with like expensive art pieces and art forgery and how much people will pay to get an original of something and how an original is worth more than a fake even if the fake looks virtually the same as the original? Same thing with fashion pieces...perhaps even the same sentiments people have about cosmetic surgeries when it comes to dating? LOL that is an interesting question. I think I answered it accurately..?

The other more simpler side of the reasoning is I want to support that movie/show, and obviously that doesnt happen if youre simply buying a bootleg produced by some rando. There is an argument to be made there that there is still some support youre giving a movie/show in purchasing bootlegs but regardless I would say that support is obviously much less compared to purchasing a legit dvd.

Yup those were interesting reasons. I can dig it!

*I thought maybe it was about quality of video. I once bought a boxed set of Star Trek The Next Generation from Amazon and a legit seller. It came new, shrink wrapped in the box with artwork and all that. BUT the video quality was crappy with occasional digital blocks in the background and dodgy playback. I watched it but the quality wasn't fun. Next time I watched the show I bought another set (years later) and the quality was amazing. I'm sure the first set was a bootleg and most likely cheaply made in China but legally imported and sold in the U.S. I once read that many of the boxed sets aren't really legit and it's hard to tell the difference.

It sounds like the shipping charge is what's making the DVDs so expensive. If that's the case, then maybe you should try buying a bunch of DVDs at the same time to reduce the shipping charge per DVD. You'll pay more for shipping on the whole package because the weight will be heavier, but when you average the cost of the shipping across the number of DVDs you buy, it should come out cheaper per DVD.

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Yes, most of the DVDs are used/second hand, but you would be surprised at how many of the DVDs are brand new, and still sealed.


I've gotten a lot of free DVDs from garage sales too. Sometimes they're selling other stuff and the DVDs are in a free box, and sometimes they just leave boxes of stuff out on the curb with a note saying "FREE". When there's nobody there to talk to, I usually leave them a Thank You note so they know that someone appreciated what they did.

As far as I know, I've never gotten a bootleg DVD at a garage sale or flea market, but I've seen a lot of them. I don't buy bootleg DVDs.

I went to one garage sale where they had a box of about 50 legit DVDs, and over 100 bootleg DVDs. I was looking through the legit DVDs, when the seller asked me if I wanted the whole box for $5. I only wanted the legit DVDs, so I told him yes, but I started taking the bootleg DVDs out of the box. He told me that the offer was only if I took everything, including the bootlegs.

So I took everything, and when I got home, I threw the bootleg DVDs in the trash bin.

That's the good thing about buying them so cheap. If I ever get a bootleg, I can just throw it away, and then just buy it again when I find it at the right price.

Aside from the fact that the people who made the TV show or movie are not getting paid for their work, the other issue with bootlegs is that they are almost always low quality. It is very easy to tell the difference.

I wouldn't want it in my collection because it's low quality, and not worth adding it to my collection.

If you look at the packaging of the imports, there's usually foreign writing in the fine print. I've seen some of those at flea markets, but I don't buy them.

Yeah but thats generally how everything works though? Like with everything, like with every job. Thats just a capitalism thing? The profits go to the people in charge, which in turn is supposed to give them the ability to fund and pay for workers and projects. And in turn indicate to them what is and isnt profitable- who to hire again (both crew and actors), which projects to greenlight and back. Or are you saying in this particular situation with dvds on amazon this process I describe is (uniquely/more so than usual) barely in effect?

And even if it might not ultimately support the people directly involved in the production of that film/show does it not at least financially support that kind of movie/show to be made again

That's good advice. I don't have the set anymore as I gave it to the Goodwill. But the one funny thing about it (besides the poor video copy) was the DVD cases were held together by wide packing tape. I just couldn't see an official Paramount authorized DVD box set of Star Trek coming with such cheap dvd holders.

I believe the “only one left” is a disingenuous business gimmick, be that on Amazon or elsewhere. Booking.com takes it to the next level, saying “5 other people are looking at this room now” etc. (I believe they’ve been repeatedly fined for pressure selling, but haven’t stopped). In my experience, that tends to be false and there are plenty of rooms left once you’ve booked yours, for what that’s worth.

Can’t really weigh in on the rest.

Edit: “…Despite this, and weeks after the deadline, Which? found five out of 10 claims of "only one room left" on Booking.com failed to give an accurate picture of availability.”

So there you have it.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/money/bookingcom-pressure-tactics-sales-20091780

That’s the way I’ve operated on Craigslist. I list all my stuff as FREE. But, the “buyer” cannot dig through it picking & choosing. What I list all goes at once or not at all. Amazing how some people quibble over free stuff. I once listed innumerable designer shoes & one woman asked me to post photos. Yeah, right. Ever heard of a gift horse.

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Are you basing that on your experience on that booking website or is it also based on experiences with Amazon (or similar sites)? (or basing it off something else?)