10 Years of Blu-ray Collecting: How the Game Has Changed

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[@ElliotCoen]

How do you feel about how blu-ray collecting has changed over the years? Have you noticed any changes in your own collecting habits? Please let me know in a comment!

[@shmackatrotsky5394]

I enjoyed hearing more about Elliott's history of collecting. Here's a bit of mine: I was born in 1980, so I grew up with a modest VHS collection, which was sold or given away by my parents. In 2006, I started collecting DVD's and bought about 100 or so (I only collect my absolute all-time favorites). I then started collecting blurays in 2009, mostly studio releases, with a few boutiques. I got another 100 or so, then stopped for a long time. In 2020, I got a PS5 and discovered 4K blurays, got excited again about physical media, and bought about 100 4Ks, mixed with more blurays. It's been really fun, and I schlepped my collection with me across several moves, and am now in a more stable housing situation. Looking forward to continuing with it, but slowing down due to the cost. My most wanted discs are now mostly boutique 4Ks and hovering between $25-35. Now that I'm raising a child, I have less disposable income, in addition to inflation.

[@ElliotCoen]

Thanks for sharing your story!

[@prayerposition1]

Great video! More of this please. My collecting journey is similar to yours. Started with dvds in the early 2000s and then stopped for a while before going all in on Blu-ray. Studio titles mostly and now pretty much only 4K and boutique stuff. Definitely agree with you on the cost aspect. The prices are getting way out of hand. Especially for us outside of the US and the UK (Sweden in my case). Our options are so slim over here that I have to import a lot which gets crazy expensive. So just like you mentioned, one has to be more selective these days. Keep up the good work, cheers!

[@ElliotCoen]

@@prayerposition1 I visited Malmö years ago and I couldn’t find anywhere that sold a Blu-ray! It’s a shame but at least we do have the option of importing even though it’s expensive

[@svabosvabo3257]

Hey, I am basically in the same boat here in Germany. For a few months now, I have switched to ordering from iMusic in Denmark when I want titles from different UK labels. They get most new titles from Radiance and Arrow for example and they have free shipping for orders over 50€. When I preordered the The Hitcher 4k from Second Sight directly it cost me 75 bucks all in, with shipping & taxes. iMusic had the Boxset for a bit over 60... It is not always cheaper, especially when it comes to US labels like KL and Vinegar Syndrome. But at least they carry some of those too. And I personally like that they charge you only when the order has shipped (which may or may not have resulted in me preordering too much). Maybe this might be an option for you. Cheers!

[@prayerposition1]

@@svabosvabo3257 thanks for the suggestion! I have heard about iMusic but haven’t ordered from them yet. Might give that a try!

[@halcyondaystunes]

Another great video Elliot, prices these days don't really shock me when your 50 years old and have collected Laserdiscs back in the day, those were some seriously expensive releases , especially being in the UK and having to import them(illegally I might add) it's nothing like these days where you can import easily 🫣 more of this type of content would be great. Watching your videos always seems to relax me so getting more is definitely a good thing. I also play a game when watching sometimes, seeing if I can spot any of my collection in yours behind you or just releases I recognise even though it's blurred 😂 Looking forward to the next video mate.😊

[@TheEverythingBagel]

So excited to join the world of physical media collecting in 2024. Trying to limit myself to only criterion and select 4K discs in order to maintain some restrictions on my spending and take my time choosing which films are most worth it. Thank you for being a guide to those new to the hobby!

[@brunomachado7279]

I collect since VHS time. Physical media is almost dead here in Brazil, sadly. I have to import 4k discs, they're very expensive, so I must be selective. I can't afford buying or upgrading everything.

[@kabhis2002]

I'm paying almost 60% in import duty and shipping. If that was not the case i would be buying more

[@ElliotCoen]

I’m very sorry to hear how expensive it is to collect in Brazil!

[@brunomachado7279]

@@ElliotCoen Indeed, Elliot. For instance, Agnes Varda collection costs more than a refrigerator! 😂😂

[@ElliotCoen]

@@brunomachado7279wow 😅

[@dimitriseuthimiou9208]

Ahh the same applies for Greece. The only big retailer stopped selling films completely and after the brexit it doesnt make sense money wise to opt for discs unfortunately

[@MichaelLopresto]

I loved this video. Great discussion. It's always interesting to hear someone's collecting journey described in an elloquent manner. Thanks Elliot.

[@ElliotCoen]

Thank you for the kind words, Michael!

[@Veniceredmask01]

I remember getting ex video shop movies coming out before general release. Robocop and Predator were £80 EACH!

[@SpaceCattttt]

Well, I'm quite a bit older than you, so I've been collecting for far longer than you have as well. And yet, I've never amassed a huge collection like yours. I had a few hundred DVDs which I then sold to upgrade to Blu-ray. And then I had a few hundred Blu-rays that I sold because I was broke and I didn't have the space to store them all. And now, after 10 years of not buying anything, I've started collecting again because there doesn't seem to be anything that will ever replace 4K discs in the very distant future, so it feels like a good time to start again. Plus that boutique Blu-rays are NICE.

[@charlieroome5220]

The good old days of 5 for £30… this was a fantastic video we’ve had very similar experiences with collecting physical media. I would love to see more in this style especially what you think the future holds.

[@ElliotCoen]

Thanks, Charlie, I’ll make some more like this!

[@profondorostock]

This is very good, Elliot. It works for you in a big way.

[@tompoynton]

The first DVD I ever bought was the 2-disc Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones and it cost me £25 in 2002!

[@mmayfield37]

Thanks for sharing your experience with collecting physical media. I really enjoy your videos and thoughts about film. I'm an older collector, from VHS to 4K, and I love how the technology has changed in my viewing experience. I recently was able to upgrade my TV and get a 50 inch 4K along with a Sony 4K player. The change in resolution was mind blowing to me! The wider range of colors, better sound have me rewatching several of my favorite films just to enjoy the upgrade in quality. My major complaint is with the limited number of titles released and I'm still waiting on several of the films I own on DVD to at least get a blu-ray upgrade, let alone 4K. I'm anxious for A Simple Plan to hit 4K/blu-ray, a brilliant film that I still have on DVD. I love Asian cinema, I want an upgrade for John Woo's classic films: A Better Tomorrow 1 & 2, The Killer, Hard-Boiled and Bullet in the Head. I have all of these on DVD but anxiously awaiting the day these films get a much deserved upgrade. There remains a ton of films that have yet to get a good blu-ray, let alone 4K. I think there are more movies to enjoy if you look into DVD. I don't think you should limit the ways to watch a movie by just going all in on an exclusive format/streaming. I like having the variety of films to pick through at home, just would love to see important titles get an upgrade.

[@MyFireVideos]

Great Video, Elliot!

[@ElliotCoen]

@@MyFireVideos thanks so much!

[@plan9fromthenw]

I took a long break from film purchases and thinned down my collection while collecting music on vinyl and CD. I needed to take a break from that and was shocked at some of the prices for movies now. The boutique market is making some fantastic releases and with the 4k scans and forgotten movies hitting the market, I don't mind putting up a little more money for this. And yes, I have to be more selective now and constantly curate my collection to keep the releases I love and make some money back to buy something new. I wish more people were into keeping physical media alive but it is what it is.

[@ElliotCoen]

@@plan9fromthenw thanks for sharing about your own journey with collecting!

[@JTATTHEMOVIES]

Enjoyed this mate!

[@KirkRedgate]

It’s interesting to see how others got into film. I was interested in filmmaking in 1998 and started collecting DVDs. It’s been a long time. Spine numbers or labels never meant anything to me. I collect films I like and that’s it. I don’t need filler on my shelves, and prices now are insane. Especially when importing from the US. They get UK imports for the same price from places like Diabolik, I don’t understand that. Why we get robbed etc. I’m selective on what I purchase, but by the end of this year I would’ve spent way too much.

[@Rhiunlol]

I got into collecting, in a minor scale in comparison to most of you I'm sure, about a year ago. I wish I was there for the £30 for 5 discs. When I saw Indicator had their 3 for £15 sale on, I went a bit nuts and bought something like 21 titles. It's too pricey to buy impulsively, I want for the sales and pounce!

[@stuartobrien78]

I started my physical media collecting in 2007,and bought the Val Lewton Horror collection on dvd. At the time I wanted Cat People 1942.

[@RiderRated18]

2001 was when I started buying my own movies, DVD was king at this point and I was fully focused on getting all the movies I loved. By 2012 I started delving into Blu-ray which extended the collection by me trying out established films that I still hadn’t seen…..and then I discovered Arrow Video in late 2013 which just broadened my curiosity. So like you Elliott, I got the boutique Blu-ray bug as well and my collection has probably trebled over the last 10 years or so. This year I’ve been fully focused on upgrading older DVD’s to newer and better releases but I’ve still kept some of those older releases like some of the old 2 Disc special edition DVD’s as well as keeping films on DVD that haven’t been reissued. So my collection is in a good place right now and I’m fully content to now only buy one movie at a time…. rather than buying 6 or 7 at a time like a use to 🙂

[@Harjawaldar]

Changes I've noticed: - Almost no stores, so it's online shopping - Lots of quality stuff being made now! blurays look great compared to the first releases, and 4ks are mostly amazing. - Prices are rising, and sometimes to ridiculous heights (US import Caligula for 100 USD in Norway).

[@Alleexx01]

Looking for that Niagara title for ages now ! :)

[@stuartobrien78]

Obscure, I'm thinking of Vinegar Syndromes the Boogeyman 1980 John Carradine.

[@jamieellul6331]

Lovely talk Elliot

[@ElliotCoen]

@@jamieellul6331 thanks for listening!

[@jamieellul6331]

@@ElliotCoen Was a Michael Bartlett suggestion on his channel. Has been interesting going few your stuff these last few days. Your terrain is pretty vast.

[@FilmBloggerSam]

Great video pal! Times certainly have changed, unfortunately the LE model will become more prevalent, but i understand from a business point of view, they are not charities after all. Cheers

[@ElliotCoen]

Cheers Sam hope you’re well!

[@u77750]

You hit the nail on the head right away. I wish I had an HMV type of store to go into and buy a few titles at a time like I used to. I’ve decided to spend the money on Criterion and Arrow as opposed to Kino and the others. I feel they are over priced and don’t give the bang for the buck. I get deals from GRUV for Warner and Universal.

[@Novak000]

These thrifting videos are so relaxing my favorite

[@juancmorenor]

It is crazy, there is a lot of a good physical media out and one must be very selective. Sometimes , it is irresistible to get limited editions which are quite expensive!!

[@maartenlemmens8628]

I m old enough to remember the introduction of vhs cassettes. 👴 they were very expensive, quality was lousy , but they flew of the shelves. Dvd was a big improvement and now bluray is even better. Dozens of titles get released every week, so right now it,s good to be a collector imho. That some studios just want to stream films is a bad thing; it limits choice and forget about extra's. So may physical media stay around for many years to come.

[@richardburt1679]

I also started out collecting Masters of Cinema which were at the time excellent but in the last years have specialised in martial arts and silent comedy which I don't like but 5here are other boutique labels,of course,Indicator is particularly good for classic film and Radiance.But the best label for classics,American and international,remains Criterion,no other label could compete with their releases for this year,in particular the next two months.Their British releases are competitively priced although it remains an expensive option to import them although if you wait some like the 4k Lost Highway is getting a release here and I hope Pat Garrett will follow.

[@farmasingh]

Just recently, I've traded in my ps5 and invested in a 4k multi region player, and I've noticed a difference. I'm pretty proud of that decision. I've been enjoying your channel, I don't necessarily buy the movies you recommend, but I do come out knowing more about other kinds of movies that are out there.

[@eksora]

Which multi region player did you get?

[@farmasingh]

@@eksora Panasonic DP-UB450 MULTIREGION over at amazon, plays both HDR10+ and Dolby Vision.

[@farmasingh]

​@eksora a Panasonic DP-UB450 on amazon, plays in both HDR10+ and Dolby Vision. My TV is only capable in HDR10+ though, that's why I chose that player.