There are 52 weeks in a year. I buy 2 dvds a week, some used, some box sets. I would say I spend under $2000 which is ok by me, I have no kids and my pets don't eat much and don't need new shoes every year.

Way too much!

Knowing my maniacal collecting habits, I decided to track my DVD collection carefully, right from when I first started in early 2000. I vowed that I wouldn't spend more than $10k on the collection, so when I got close to that limit, I'd sell some, especially rare or collectible stuff, figuring that much of it would re-appear, or be available in other regions (which has mostly been the case).

I enjoy the game of building the collection and having a movie library at a reasonable cost. It's involved using Columbia House, trade-ins, mail-in freebies, xmas or birthday gifts, test-drive gifts, collecting and selling rare stuff, misprice buys, etc. Many thanks to DVDtalk for all the help.

In 2003 I added 300 DVDs to the collection, but also sold off quite a bit of rare stuff, and actually reduced the total collection cost.
So, for the year, I spent less than zero.

I don't even want to think about it....far too much in reality although in the context i'm only a frequent drinker who doesn't smoke or take drugs i suppose an addiction to funding my DVD collection and entertainment is something i can handle.

And face it. You have more than just empty booze bottles for all that money.

I bought over 300 dvd's last year at no more than $10 each. That's my rule - don't buy anything that costs over $10 unless it's OOP and can't be bought elsewhere. Anyway, I think I bought about 5 dvd's that were more than $10.

All together, I spent less than $3000 on those 300. Now my wish list is around 70, so I'll be all caught up probably before summer.

If it wasn't for DVDTalk, I would probably only have half that much...But I would also have more money

Okay now this is an honest question, how can that be done with brand new titles? Mind you Im really anal retentive about my stuff (anything not just DVDs), so Ive never really looked at the used market for disks, and CH averages out to ~$8. Arent box sets going to throw the average above $10.

For the ~120 DVDs I have right now I am below $15, but am striving for the $10 mark. I enjoy the hunt when it comes to freebies, mail in stuff, test drives, and gifts, but when it comes to everything outside of CH getting the $10 isnt easy.

I don't even want to think about this.

Ahh hell. If you include that... $6000. Ouch.

/smacks self

I spent around $2200 for the year, which was way down on 2002. But TV not film is now fuelling my DVD addiction. I have around 270 unwatched hours of TV series on DVD. So next year I will try to watch them rather than buy more. Except of course for season two of Six Feet Under and all the other releases that I don't have the strength to resist.

I spent NO money. I traded my kids, wife, dogs, and car for a WHOLE BUNCH of DVD's though.

Don't feel like reformating. This year looks bad due to ST:TNG/DS9/Sex in the City/Friends/Babylon5/SouthPark...ie TV dvds that are being treated as one 'disk'.

-Tim


Year # DVD Cost Retail Savings Per Disk
2003 132 $3,476.00 $5,774.00 39.80% $26.33
2002 106 $1,427.00 $3,211.00 55.56% $13.46
2001 139 $1,157.00 $3,788.00 69.46% $8.32
2000 72 $769.00 $2,045.00 62.40% $10.68
1999 190 $2,263.00 $5,293.00 57.25% $11.91

I added up the total for this year, and it came out to $133.97.

That is just for me.

If that counted the DVDs I had purchased for other people for Christmas/birthdays, then it would be much higher.

Same goes here.

spend not enough...not nearly at where i want to be in terms of collection

I spent (and bought) less than I thought this year.

79 DVDs (which includes 8 box sets counting as one each) for 773.88. I am happy with this - a $10.95 average for the year.

Pretty good considering this includes 28 Criterions and 8 box sets (3 boxes are criterions).

I do not want to guess, it is my hobby and it brings me joy, like a good book. What is money if it is not spent?

Probably in excess of $3000, although I didn't keep track (I should, for tax purposes alone). Running a DVD Profiler report shows that I bought 159 in 2003...*sigh*...

$580.31 (including tax & shipping) on 184 titles (not dvds, titles...)

out of control.

This thread made me actually think about this and it just got really scary........

Figure ST: DS9 was approximately = $700.

Then figure I spend an average of $300 per month. Unfortunately, this is a conservative estimate. I buy a lot of TV on DVD (250 x 12) = $3,000.


$3,700......Wow.....I need to get an insurance rider for my collection.

As of today, I have now purchased 308 DVD's in 2003 which cost, including tax, $5272.74. It is amazing how these add up. I still have one day left in the year.

I don't buy new titles when they come out unless i can get them for $10. I can wait 3 months for CH to offer them for enrollment. And Best Buy and Circuit City have 2 for 20's all the time. As well as all the other deals that come along, suncoast, overstock, borders coupons,etc. Most of my boxsets come from FreeDVDs.com or as gifts, and I don't have many either. I don't collect Criterions either (I would get them from freedvds.com though- Straw Dogs cost me an average of $4), I only have 3 of them. I only collect Simpsons as a TV show, and you know how frequently they release those! I also have about 12 used dvds, but I don't stopped buying used in august. If I sent you my list, you'd see I wasn't kidding. I had a wish list of over 400 movies last year, and got over 300 of them with careful planning and patience. I just wait for the deals only.

All thanks to DVDTalk!

(I wish we had someone to take over for jblackland though - It hasn't been as easy since he's been booted)

I just wanted to say thanks for the response, and it all made sense.

Im actually looking at a "wish list" of ~90 titles and over the next year Im simply going to "wait for the deals" and slowly make my way down the list.

The funniest thing will be that Ill spend less than the ~$550 I did this year if I stick to the plan.

I purchased 58 DVDs this year (lots of box sets, counting as one) at a cost of $852. I got tons of DVDs for review and in trade though, which would change my average cost per disc a lot.

Bought 65 - $975
Rented 40 - $160
New DVD/Receiver/Speakers - $470

Total - $1,605

Predictions for 2004:
Buy 36 - $540
Rent 50 - $200
HDTV (Zenith C32V37 32inch w Builth in HDTV Over the Air Tuner) - $900 includes Tax and 4 year warrenty from BB - Employee Discount

Total - $1,640