Is Cheap Physical Media Dying?

[@HomeCinemaEnthusiast]

2nd hand DVDs are selling so quickly as people realise that streaming services are a waste of money and constantly going up in price and taking off movies that people want to watch .

[@5_Ksrc]

I see this and I'm a part of it,every night and every day someone is selling DVDs for 3$ a pop,this won't last forever

[@spectrexr1]

Exactly

[@Alex-pm6je]

Most of the walmart in my area removed the $5 dollar bin.

[@washere3955]

In my area, all they got is just a $5 bin.

[@Lt.Loomis]

I started my "limited" BluRay collection 12 months ago and already scooped up 300 BR second hand. Started grabbing hard to find titles on DVD for $1. No one is buying those new DVD's for$35 and the used market is very quickly getting bought up! It's visible in stores. It's going to disappear from the ground up and then people will start raising prices again. Then the cycle will start all over again over 20 years and people will turn back to streaming from Both DVD and BluRay. Best thing to do is privately collect and not sell anything for a long time or ever!

[@SurnaturalM]

People are starting to be more smart. Your physical copy can't be modified because someone is offended by a particular scene.

[@skald9]

There is no alternative to physical media, so I keep buying the movies I want to see. Just don't use sites like ebay or amazon, those prices are most of the time not even close to prices elsewhere. The times I heard people say; you can't find this anymore, it's very rare and expensive, and it's still available at a very low price...

[@wileyjdraws7594]

I started collecting used DVDs four years ago ,perfect timing. I have over 1700 DVDs and most were a dollar !

[@WritesTooMuch]

Cheap physical media died in a span between 2014 - 2016. The absurd pricing people have been paying since is a result of the people who came in at that time as brand new collectors and customers who fed equally new resellers and popup stores gouging. That intern caused by brick and mortar prices to raise again a bit. Which brings us to the last few years: which is prices raising once more. The only difference is that this is the first time those once new collectors and customers are experiencing a exorbitant price hike and puttering off of availability. In a way, it's poetic justice for the old collectors like myself who had been sweeping yard sales and pawn shops in the 90s and early 00s for movies and games. We were told that this stuff had "value", was "rare" and to get over it... So I'm basically saying the same to every newer generation collector complaining and talking about selling these days (just as we did a decade ago). These new collectors fed a beast and made excuses for it, which has now prosper d and prices THEM out of the game. And now here we are. People are so apathetic about physical media because they were priced out, that they have moved on and even cheap options don't appeal to enough of them. So I forever blame the shelf collectors, speculators and grading/slabbing people. A great many people who would have never stopped buying physical media, broke down and eventually reluctantly switched to digital because they were priced out against their will. So many infact, that it was probably 5/1 for every old school movie/game fan vs. every new "collector/speculator" person who came in to replace them. So we shouldn't be surprised that it wasn't enough to support physical media in a world where the pressure to go digital is extreme, and retailer margins are at a all-time low on it. A entire generation or two of middle aged people who collected and bought this stuff for decades and NEVER would have stopped... are now the guys who bing Netflix and have steam accounts. Greed from this current "community" (almost all people who came later) is what lead to its downfall The apathy now is real, and as a guy who works in retail - the average person isn't buying these expensive movies release, or even physical games. And it's to the point that even $1 DVDs are unsustainable. It frankly sucks. All of it. And (again) I blame 90% of the people in this community right now who make excuses for these super expensive movie releases... or can rattle off a recent sold listing price of some random retro game. Just as much as I do the actual media companies who love this change. Guys like you, me and the rest of the people here got chafted because a bunch of people with too much money and not enough sense came in to this market/space (similar story to AAA publisher greed in gaming right now, btw).. and they ran (priced out) the large and loyal established base of people who spend decades fostering it. They helped user in the digital future in their own misguided way, and pushed many a diehard fan and collector into throwing their hands up with apathy and just getting a subscription to something. It's wild, and it's been depressing to powerlessly see this inevitable slow moving disaster unfold over the last decade. 🤷‍♂️

[@linklickz]

unless it's a box set im only gonna pay at most $10 for 1 DVD

[@Franksmediaandreviews]

Great video! 100% speaking the truth.

[@chanscott8968]

I agree 100% heres a example the 4K release of Demolition Man the 4K package with extras is nice but im buying the 2011 blu-ray because i don't all the extras that come with the 4K

[@JayMane-z7c]

The new 2024 Arrow Demolition Man Blu-ray Re-Master is actually better looking than their new 4K release. 🙂

[@bradmyers4923]

You’re spot on dude, great vid!

[@money16356]

Interesting maybe i should just keep everything. I have been setting up plex to purge DVDs after copying them. Definitely if upgrading from DVD or Bluray if the same extras are kept. I don't want the DVD. I have some different versions of titles that am comparing to figure out which to keep. Cheap dvds created alot of impulse buying so for a bunch of stuff i think ripping to plex will be okay. When i moved in 2023, i sold off around 200 titles about 10 blu. After months of marketplace and garage sale. Finally dropped to $50 to not have to move it to new home

[@LeoZeoBlue]

They want it to be expensive. So then we'll see the cheap digital content and convert. Nope!

[@wondiefive]

They've already removed the 5 dollar bin at my local Wal-Mart. :( It's sad. I've been lucky enough to shop on eBay for cheaper movie prices. Instead of spending 45 bucks at Target on a 4k/Bluray/Digital of Bad Boys 4, I scored an eBay one for $28.

[@rsolsjo]

If it is the vinyl of the movie world, it'll be expensive, sadly.

[@michaelgrimes381]

100% noticed this everywhere. all the local walmarts within at least 30-45 minutes of me that i regularly go to got rid of thier $3 and $5 dvd racks and only have the $7.50 racks and new releases which can go anywhere from $13 to $18 for the dvd alone. blurays are generally between $20 to $26 and the few 4Ks ive seen are usually $30+, and they shrunk the overall amount on the shelves too. same thing happened with target and a lot of other places

[@superg50zero32]

That's ridiculous if they raised the price to $30 for a DVD but I've noticed 4Ks going up in price as well. The Re-animator 4K that was announced by a boutique label is selling a 1 4K disc with a slipcover for $50, and the regular blu-ray for $40 not counting shipping and taxes. I refuse to buy it and just wait for the price to go down.

[@leoallan2225]

It might be at different Walmarts I got a regular dvd of Deadpool, and Wolverine for twenty bucks at mine, but the 4k ones are about ten bucks higher for sure.

[@moonlambo5229]

My movie collection is pretty complete as is so I don't mind paying for a newer 4K. There are still loads of used $2 DVDs, $4 Blu-ray in my town. I have noticed the Wal-marts in my city have gotten rid of the $5 bins though.

[@xXGravyKingXx]

hey completionist I really liked this video. I got out of physical media collecting when best buy stopped selling movies and I haven’t looked back. the fun of the hunt is why I collected and now that I can’t hunt for new movies outside of my walmart that only has a small selection im fine with being done. I still buy used movies though. I think all the points you made in this video are valid.

[@roadrunnermjp]

I did a video on something like this myself involving the physical release of Alan wake 2. At the time of announcement only 2 retailers had it listed and I was worried about certain retailers having exclusivity more and more on physical releases therefore inflating prices. Luckily it was “mass produced” or given a wider availability, I’m still waiting for it to go down still and remedy have said despite all the copies sold they’re still not in the black.

[@MichaelKikle]

Dude, you absolutely killed it, in this video! Great job! I’m so shocked by the amount of snobbery in the community from motherfuckers that’d be willing to spend nearly $50 (much less $70!) for one single movie. The boutique stuff shocks me, too, because I keep seeing video after video of people blind buying movies they’ve never seen for those insane boutique prices, and acting like it’s normal. About a month or two later, you end-up seeing the same clowns in new videos (and I’m a fan of these people, mind you) complaining about how in debt they’ve made themselves buy buying freaking MOVIES. Modern day society doesn’t understand that it shouldn’t buy what it can’t afford-the newest cell phones on the block being nearly $1600 every year is a great example of people keeping up with the Jones’s and then acting like they aren’t, because they’re “collecting”. But they don’t even like those movies they collect at those prices-they’re blind buying them! Blows my mind! Lmao!

[@millabasset1710]

4k discs are still overpriced, the medium is like 8 years old lol

[@EdwardHaas-e8x]

As a 55 year old book lover I've noticed that even controlling for inflation, physical books have become ridiculously expensive over time. I think this is partially because of the death of trade paperbacks as an option. Not the best option but it was nice for it to be there when you were short of money. Now you can't even get anything at a damn used bookstore for pocket change. 🙁 With movies and music, though, I'm pretty sure I get more for my money with streaming. Between renting at video stores and the occasional purchase of movies I know I spent more on movies at home back then then now. Music, too. To have a decent selection of a band's work (assuming they didn't have a good greatest hits album that I agreed indeed *were* their greatest hits LOL) I'd have to buy multiple fairly expensive albums. Now I can just sample a song and download it if I please with minimal limits. Maybe in some cases but it for a dollar depending on the service. There are bands who only have like two songs I like and I'd have to buy two albums to get both. I think there was a time when CDs and DVDs were overproduced and overstocked in stores, leading to a temporary situation (maybe late 90s through early 2010s) of material often going on sale at very cheap prices. But less of that now unless it's a store once and for all dumping most of their physical media. It IS very nice, though, to have a physical collection of your favorite stuff. Practical too as movies and music may become unavailable due to copyright issues or lack of interest. Material can also be re-edited or otherwise altered in a way that I find unpleasant.

[@jimwoodswrites]

Once Best Buy stopped carrying movies, the price hikes started and will only continue. I think they will damn near double in price when tarrifs kick in come January.

[@Bored_Barbarian]

0:48 where? I saw bluray at like $25 at Walmart I think for Deadpool 3

[@HorrorFFA]

@@Bored_Barbarian at my super Walmart the week of release before markdowns. The 4k was like $60, the steelbook or whatever slip was more. The Blu-ray was I think $45 and the dvd was in between $30 to $35. I immediately put them down and walked away. I was in VA and I’m not the only one in the state who saw those prices that’s been confirmed so I’m not crazy here lol.

[@choosingusername]

We are headed for a laserdusc type Era. The product will be niche, the price will ge high, qnd you will have to be very selective with what you buy.

[@Groucho3321]

Calling Death Becomes Her an "obscure movie" is a bit of a stretch.

[@donnellcoleman7784]

No bc studio pumping stuff out n media is selling especially with d v d

[@ginarae5739]

If actual 'DVDs' die out due to High Prices, that's probably a good thing?? 4K will continue foreseeably, because "Real Collectors" ... 'Can Pay, Will Pay" 🎉❤

[@brianmcpherson1083]

I get your point. But, youre definitely exaggerating and not aware of the full history of physical media. Ive seen DP&W at both a Dollar General and Walmart for $19.99, certainly cheaper than $30. I've been collecting since 1986, when vhs were first available for the low LOW cost of $30, and that was when $30 was about $70. Still... Yeah it sucks

[@HorrorFFA]

@@brianmcpherson1083 yeah because they’ve already been marked down🤣 when things aren’t ready and available prices are fixed at higher prices before companies begin to make a crap ton which lowers cost because they sell more right. VHS costs went down in the 90’s correct? DVD costs did too correct? What I’m saying is, they’re going back up because of quantity issues.

[@brianmcpherson1083]

@HorrorFFA DP&W DVD was 19.99 at day one. DVDs were $15 to $20 new when they first introduced them in the late 90s and I was at Walmart buying titles weekly for decades. I had to decide back then if I wanted to pay top dollar on day one or wait to save a few dollars. I still do the same today. The pattern for top tier titles are the same as they were back then. Less, if you look at inflation. They are overpriced now, but they were overpriced then. Stealbooks and titles from Scream Factory, Vinegar Syndrome and the like are indeed aiming at "collectors" with high prices. But, they're not forcing you to buy them. Some still sell out at that outrageous price and some go on sale 2 years later. You roll the dice.

[@Anonymous-wb3nz]

No.