Pizza

I realize it's money gone and have no regrets. LDs gave me nearly 30 years of movie watching joy. But, I find myself in a push/pull situation. I rarely watch one (the last time was the double set of "Night" and "House of Dark Shadows") plus they take up valuable room and weigh a ton.

I've gotten rid of a little more than a third of my collection. I've taken some to Half Price Books (receiving like a quarter a disc), gave a bunch to a friend and have literally thrown a bunch in the trash.

Granted, there's a certain attachment to the remaining crop and there are titles I will never, ever give up (such as the previously mentioned double bill). Still, it would be great if I can motiviate myself enough to delete half of the stash I got.

So, just how did you other LD collectors set yourself free?

TNDVDFAN

I sold my Pioneer LD player and about 50 LD's 6 years ago for $25 at a yard sale. Everything still worked. The people who bought it had kids and were excited because I had a lot of Disney classics (Pinocchio, Snow White, etc...).

FusionX

I sold most of mine around 2000-2001, when it was obvious DVD was going to be a success. I was able to do well, as I had sets like The Frighteners, Robinson Crusoe on Mars, 1776, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, and other rare ones. I still have some of the nicer box sets like Amadeus, Boxing Helena (Japanese), They Shoot Horses Don't They?, and all the Disney sets, but sets of any real value I sold off as soon as DVD showed signs of being a force.

mike45

I was also on the ground floor when Laser Discs first came out. My LD player is still plugged into my Home Theater System, even though I have moved onto Blu-Ray.

I do have a definite attachment to my LD's. I still have all my LD's. I can't see myself selling them. They were so damned expensive. There is a certain Elitism I still feel by owning them. Not many people had LD players, even at it's peak.

I have always been a sucker for the latest technology. When Blu-Ray is eventually replaced, I'll be there.

Pizza

Where did you sell them?

FusionX

I sold them on EBAY, but keep in mind, this was when few of the nice laserdisc packages were replicated on DVD. I sold The Frighteners for over $400, Robinson Crusoe on Mars for around $125, 1776 was around $100 or so. I don't know of many laserdiscs now that command any kind of decent value.

Paul_SD

I sold off a few here and there on ebay around 2000-2003.
The problem always was, they were heavy and consequently expensive to ship.
When I only got $3.00 for the 3 disc Criterion Close Encounters set (originally paid $125)- and it cost $7 to ship it- it was about that point that I decided just keeping the discs around for the beauty of their jackets and the nostalgia factor, was more enticing that going to the hassle of selling them mail order and only making a buck or two for each one.

Al_Tahoe

Damn, this thread is painful to read - and I've never even owned a Laserdisc. I guess people like me, who didn't start collecting until the 'DVD Age', should count our blessings!

FusionX

Yeah, selling off the obsolete DVDs to move to Hi-Def hasn't been nearly as painful. I am now at the stage where DVDs of any significant value (OOP wise) will be sold to ease the move to the next step, just as I did with laserdiscs when DVDs came around.

Carcosa

Well...when I unloaded my set (about 250 +) it was just as DVDs where taking off...probably 1998 or 1999 if I recall. My yardstick for going DVD was when THE TEN COMMANDMENTS was released in that format. As soon as that happened, I bought a DVD player and proceeded to unload ALL of by LDs on eBay that November. Given the sad posts here, I'm ashamed to say I actually MADE money on my collection. Many of the discs sold for more than I paid....being a multiple membership holder in the Columbia House LD Club I did very well

It was just good timing in my case...I sold all but 3 movies...ENCHANTMENT (oddly enough, still not released on DVD) and 2 others that I no longer recall. Those I finally just pitched.

Those of you who still have LDs my advice would be to take a hard look and see if you have anything that is not DVD. In some cases they are fetching a good price on eBay yet. I just bid on (and lost) an auction for THE WALKING DEAD (old Boris Karloff horror)..my bid of $70 wasn't good enough.

wm lopez

Them laserdiscs sounded awsome!
Better sound than dvds.

Pope V

I gave mine away for the price of postage on another website.

Pizza

Yeah, I still have that one. It came two ways, one in a box, the other in a tri-fold type sleeve. Only $3? It really makes me just want to trash them so they're out of sight and mind.
Not a bad thought. Although, DVDs aren't the behemoth that LDs are.

Paul_SD

I would love to sell off quite a few DVDs in anticipation of replacing them with HDMs, but the hesitiation I have is that catalog material is just not moving on those formats, sadly enough. Fox (and MGM) are constantly announcing then ultimately cancelling catalog product. Paramount is in no rush to get much out (I think they said they had 30 total releases planned next year- with the lions share of course going to new releases). Even Warner is getting cold feet. There were a dozen titles in the pipe ready to go they could have releasesd (and tied in with a concurrent new DVD remaster release) and didn't.
Its going to be a slow slog replacing dvd with HDMs.
and in the mean time, the ones that do get replaced are damn near worthless on SD anyway. When you can buy new for $5-10...even the DD sale prices seem expensive now to people.
OT but, it's frustrating that all these studios aren't taking the opportunity to day and date a new remaster release (like Poltergeist, Flash Gordon, To Catch A Theif, etc). It's quite annoying to be eager to upgrade a title for a/v reasons, and then be denied the HDM version- and then have to listen to how catalog sales are so weak. Grrrrrrr.

Carcosa- is that the Enchantment with David Niven and Theresa Wright? If so, it is out on dvd. I have it.

Alan Smithee

I'm keeping my LDs forever! Most of them still look and sound great, several titles have come out on DVD but were messed up in one way or another.

I'll never understand the people who dumped all their LDs as soon as DVD was coming out- I wasn't even sure DVD was going to be a worthy successor. Someone I know who'd been buying LDs since '87 wanted to get rid of all of them, so I was more than happy to take them off his hands.

Does anyone else think of DVD in terms of LD prices? Since most movies on LD were $30-40, I couldn't believe the first time I picked up A-titles on DVD for under $10.

FusionX

I didn't see under $10 DVDs for a long while, I remember static menus and $34.99 prices on bare bones Columbia DVDs. I sold my rare LDs because once I saw the picture quality of DVD, I knew I could never go back. The same holds true now, I still watch DVDs when no Hi-Def version is available, but it feels like watching VHS again. I'll be ready to abandon Blu-Ray and HD-DVD in an instant when the time comes.

Carcosa

YES!! Thats the one. It's out? How did I miss this?

milo bloom

I actually got into LD after DVD, first to get the original Star Wars films, then to just pick up little odds and ends. If any of you tossers are in the Chicago burbs, I'll take them off your hands for you.

Carcosa

Yes, it WAS a lot different then. I remember how excited I was when I received PATTON, THE LONGEST DAY and AGONY AND THE ECSTASY as one of my membership sign up deals with Columbia House LD Club. The discs retailed for $69 each in the stores then and I think I paid a whopping $10 total including shipping. Discs were BIG bucks back then and you really treasured what you bought. I remember getting that VAL LEWTON box and the collection of Universal Mummy movies... and I appreciated them more than I can say.

Paul_SD

I had store credit from a purchase in '99, so I picked up my first DVD player (reluctantly actually) in late 99 or early 2000.
And I told myself, based on all the money I had blown on LDs and how I hardly ever watched them anymore by that point, that I would strictly rent- and buy very rarely ( ).
Some of the prices were decent enough...like the Warner titles in their cheapass snapper cases- but I remember the first wave of James Bonds were $35 at Borders (very impressive discs at the time though...even being weened on LD, I had to give them a lot of credit). And Paramount titles were $25-30 a pop...for bare bones catalog fare. Fox was up there too.
Early on, about the only real price difference between DVD and LD that impressed me was in the area of Criterions. Packages that would have been $100-125 on LD were available for $40-60. What a bargain!

Its alternatly sad and amazing that people are complaining that HDM prices need to come down, when on the whole they can be found, in far better quality, and for less $ (not even accounting for inflation) than any other Home media format at this early point in their life cycle.

Paul_SD

so true.
I viewed my collection with a lot of awe and affection- even though it was never more than a tenth the size of my eventual dvd collection.
Many of those purchases were contemplated over and over before I ever pulled the trigger.
It's a polar difference- especially considering another DD 20% off sale is going on as I type this.

jeffkjoe

Dude:

The minimum price for a LD was 35.00.
A Disney CAV Laserdisc Box Set, like Lion King and Snow White, was 125.00.
The average Criterion Box Set was 100.00
The most expensive LD is my collection is the Star Wars Def. Coll. at 250.00


I'd be crazy to throw my collection in the trash.


Plus, it's kinda retro to have these around, right? Kinda like having LP's?

Plus, there are a LOT of LD's that haven't made their way to DVD yet, so I'm still hanging on to them.

The Poltergeist trailer/making-of documentary.

And four words: Song-of-the-South.

Carcosa

This thread is making me feel rather nostalgic. I'm beginning to regret I ever sold my LD's. The truth is, we were all part of a rather small fraternity; laserdisc was at best a nitch format and we were the movie nuts who spent more than they should have for "movies"...VHS wasn't good enough for us. I remember making weekly trips to Dave's Video /THE LASER PLACE out here in Sherman Oaks and it was a sight to see. I would go in and check the upcoming release sheets (no real internet yet) and come home spending more than I should have...but my wife understood. There is really nothing like it now....

-sigh-

FusionX

There was a magic to laserdiscs, especially the deluxe boxes. I couldn't bring myself to sell/trade my Halloween Criterion set, it is just too cool. I still have 80-90 that aren't on DVD, but I have to admit, I can't wait to replace them with superior versions. I remember I was almost hurt though when the Beauty and the Beast DVD set had the "Work in Progress" version, that was such a cool part of my laserdisc collection.

tsetse27

I also have a collection of LD that I will holg on as long as I can.

As many points out many title still have not make it to DVD.

Also, not kidding, many LD have better sound than the counterpart on DVD...