Altimus Prime

I know, I know, it was released ages ago, and just about everyone has bought it already. But I didn't. I hesitated. I was skeptical of the "updates," crying about the original versions of the movies not being released, and kidding myself when I thought my fullscreen VHS set would be enough.

But for no reason in particular I stopped by a WalMart tonight, and after seeing the $39.99 price tag, it was an impulse buy a made with little second thoughts. This is probably the lowest price I've ever seen on the set. It's even lower than over at DDD.

Not only will I be looking forward to watching these films - restored, in widescreen and digital clarity - I'll get to introduce them to the gf, who has NEVER seen the Star Wars movies! Yikes! Can you believe it???

Interesting side note - The VHS box set of the trilogy cost me $34.95 at Kmart on Jan. 24, 1996 - yes, I still have the receipt. So the DVDs were only about $5 more. At least now I know to buy WIDESCREEN!

eau

Bear in mind that $35 in 1996 would cost more now after the inflations

Anyway, $40 for the trilogy is a great deal, but is it a national price? WM is known to have different pricing at different stores.

Michael Corvin

Don't worry, I'm sure lots of people that bitched on this forum ended up buying it anyway, although they won't admit it.

Altimus Prime

According to an inflation calculator, what cost $34.95 in 1996 would cost $42.42 today.

And yes, on this, YMMV seems to apply. For some odd reason not all WalMarts have the same prices. It could cost more at another WM, which seems really odd to me.

At the store I was at, the regular shelf price was in the low $40s, but there was a big sale tag over it with the $39.99 price.

flee

I picked it up for $33- at the last DDD sale if anyone wants to hold out for the next sale. Which reminds me when is the next DDD sale, I think I will make a new post posing that question right now. Good idea?

aspikes

A little birdy told me May 14th, but nobody heard that from me!

Al_Tahoe

I double-dog dare ya!

iamfrankie78

This is because of the WalMart pricing policy. What each Walmart store does is look at the prices of items at their local competitors and underprice them. This may be a few dollars on larger items, and mere pennies on others. But these slightly lower prices add up and people do more of their shopping there because of this. This hurts the sales of smaller stores in the vicinity which can't compete with their lower prices, and these smaller stores are forced out of business. When walmart has eliminated the competition in the area, they raise their prices. This is basically why you see a variable pricing structure between walmarts.

Personally I think this is a dirty way of doing business, and is one reason among many why I will pay a few extra dollars for something to not shop there.

Anyways, thats the not-so-odd reason...

benfiltness

Hey a question about that... do you have to be a returning customer to qualify for their sale??? I want to get in on it, but I have never ordered from them before...

Ben

CrumpsBrother

Nope, the sale is open to everyone. DDD Even takes out ads in various newspapers to announce. Though, I read it about here every time first, before I ever see the ads for myself...