[/QUOTE]Personally though, I think "stuff" gets a bad rap. I mean, without the masses' love for "stuff," open space and the ascetic impulse might be considered bourgeois, and then we bourgeois drones would be stuck with nothing but lots of space and a unexplainable appreciation for minimalism. And you can't grow fat on minimalism.

No, I like things as they are. Viva la stuff. [/QUOTE]


I would be an amazing hypocrite if I said I was anti-stuff. I'm 'stuff-crazy' ...to a fault. I also acknowledge that this country's love for stuff contributes to our high standard of living, and even our position as a "super power."
In my post I was trying to express that I really like the anti-stuff movement because it's radically different from what we're used to hearing, and because many of us, myself included, need to get a handle on our stuff because stuff alone does not satisfy, and too much stuff can hinder life.

Kirk

Great posts. (well, for the most part..)

I've also been trimming my collection lately, I just felt like it was starting to take on a life of its own. I also felt if was becoming too much of a focal point in my life, taking away from other areas. Its great to have collections and hobbies and I have many (games, action figures, books, etc..) I just cant allow myself to get too caught up in it thats all. Priorities.

Especially that Blue Underground collection. Now that truly speaks of good taste.

thanks, EPKJ!!!!

Aren't the person who said in another thread that they would only keep certain DVDs to complete a collection of a certain Director?

Now I understand you want to own it to complete a collection of a Director, but it is only a small collection of many collections that can be obtained with DVDs. No one will obviously buy every DVD making the ultimate collection not obtainable.

Does the fact you own every DVD of say Hitchcock make you a better collector than someone else who owns all but one of his; that being the one movie they don't enjoy? I would tend to have more respect for the person missing the one DVD because they own what they like to watch and what gives them the most pleasure. Someone can be a collector of Directors and not buy every movie that they made. They most likely have seen all the films, probably watched them on DVD, and could tell you the pros and cons of the film. I hardly see the value of owning the DVD just to own, especially if you have no intentions of viewing it again.

Do you have the entire Hitchcock collection on DVD? Yes.
Do you have a better collection then someone with all Hitchcock titles except one? I'd say no.
Why? They own all films they enjoy. Also, more than likely they can appreciate that one film that isn't in their collection for its artisitc value, but it doesn't mean they have to own it.

I do believe most people here are collectors or they wouldn't be here. As I said, no one will obtain the complete DVD collection so everything else you own should be movies or shows you enjoy. Not having the DVD just means that. Just because a DVD of a certain Director or show isn't in your collection doesn't mean you aren't a collector. I means you collect for a different reason. That being of what you enjoy to watch. You may own all the Hitchcock DVDs, but I could retort with...wow, I have seen all the Hitchcock films but blah blah has no replay for me. Doesn't change the fact we both have seen all the films, it just means you have a shiny disc that completes a collection that is different from mine.

Just my opinion.

I think the important thing is not some arbitrary number of DVDs, or whether or not someone's tastes have changed, or how much of a collector they are.

What's important is our relationship to what we own - that we are aware of it, and that it has the right place in our lives. Whether that collection is 1,000 DVDs or 100... do they make you happy, or do they make you dissatisfied? Do you feel owned by them, or are they simply something that gives you enjoyment? For every person there is an invisible boundary of what is "enough" and what is "too much." I think it's fantastic that at least some people are stepping back far enough to say "This and this are enough, and give me enjoyment; this much more is too much and starts detracting from my own enjoyment." It's very, very easy to be sucked into a consumeristic "more is always better" mentality, but lately I've come to realize that *less* is often much more.

When you have a bowl of ice cream, or a slice of pie, doesn't the first bite always taste the best? The last bite, while it's good, doesn't give quite as much enjoyment as that first bite or two. Fulfilment from material goods comes on a curve: up to a point, more stuff = more enjoyment, but after a while, the curve flattens out, and even starts to dip (as more "stuff" means more obligations, distractions, clutter...)

Like I said, that invisible boundary is different for everyone *and* is always changing. I pared down my DVD collection by about 1/3 to 1/2, because I hadn't had a clear idea of what was "enough", and I didn't realize at first that I would enjoy a "select" collection more than a "full" collection. Hey, live and learn, no harm done.

On the other hand, I have probably around 1500 books in my house, so my "enough" number for books is clearly a lot higher! (Even so, I've been making a point lately of getting rid of any books I'm not going to re-read, and I've trimmed my library a lot. That still leaves a heck of a lot of books, but they're ones I want to re-read in the future.) I can certainly appreciate that someone might have 1,000 DVDs and feel about them the way I feel about my books -- but I'll hope that he has those 1,000 DVDs because he truly likes and enjoys every single one of them.

Interesting thread. I would never sell any of my DVDs because well I don't own any I want to sell. I think some people on here were taken by the DVD craze that DVDTalk promotes and now are realizing they don't actually want them. As cheap as some DVDs are, you just gotta say no!

The problem with this formulation is that it posits DVDs themselves as the "things" we collect, when in point of fact what we collect is what is on the DVDs -- the movies / tv shows, etc. encoded on the discs. And, as the content of each of the discs in our collections varies (I'm assuming no one owns 1000 copies of, say, Blue Crush and calls it a "collection"), the analogy to pie or ice cream is a bit inelegant. With regard to DVD collecting, each bite we take is of a different dish. So while we may get full, it shouldn't be for lack of gustatory stimulation.

As long as interesting new titles appear on DVD -- or so long as my interest in owning the films I like holds -- my library will continue to grow.

What's with all these 'revelation' DVD'rs this year? My collection is too big! Woe is me! Is 2004 the year that DVD talk enthusiasts start seeing reason?

I will keep the majority of my 1,400 DVDs and am glad I own them, but I am screening more now with Netflix. Also, more and more of the new additions to my collection are DVDs not available in the States.

That's pretty much my opinion. If I pony up money for it, I want it for the forseeable future.

My vision changes periodically in this way: I realize that a genre or person is underrepresented and I move to remedy that.

I only buy dvds I really really want, because I am a poor college student, every cent I spend puts me farther and farther into the red, so I naturally don't have any that I think I would sell, my vision has changed a bit though recently, I think I am going to start collecting zombie movies, probably not till after I get real job though

as for my motives, I would say I buy DVDs first and foremost because I love movies, secondly because I derive a lot of pleasure out of accumulating DVDs, talking about them, sitting back on my coach looking at my collection neatly organized on my entertainment center, bragging about them (I'll admit it, anyone here who has ever posted a picture of their collection and says they don't brag is in denial), etc, thirdly because DVDs are cool, high quality video and sound, and all the extras

When I was first given my dvd player, I promised myself that I would only purchase the titles that I truly, truly wanted. My plan included liberal use of blockbuster video, netflix, etc to try out those titles I was interested in picking up. However, my frustration with re-releases and special/limited editions introduced me to dvdtalk, which slowly infiltrated my life as I gradually learned more about the hobby and art of dvd collecting. Of course, the more I bought, the more I saved. In addition, I thought that in by purchasing anime, I would avoid those dreaded re-releases. This was a couple of years ago. Now, those titles that I've picked up even since then, have already seen as many as three re-releases in bigger and better presentations and packagings!!

Alas, I now truly am at the point of picking up only what I feel the compulsion to buy, eschewing the blockbuster-type titles and leaning more toward the unique, the import, the anime, the collectible....

And yes, I'm still at the $1000/month dvd addiction....

I don't even know what your point is. I own only what I want to own. If I buy a bad film, it is intentional. What are you talking about?

Holly, let's get down to brass tacks. Why do you feel that people should be congratulated and admired for discovering that they made bad choices about their values? Why even bring the topic up? It seems as if every time this topic of culled collections comes up there is praise for the one doing the culling and the implication that those of us who made wise purchases to begin with are lesser for having done so.
Your material curve is nonsense. More DVD's do not ever decrease one's enjoyment of watching movies. The two are not related. We are not really talking about collecting DVD's after all, but about collecting movies and television series in the DVD format.

I have made some blind buys I regret. On the other hand I have and found true gems. So far as Netflix goes. I am a hands on guy. I want to read the case, and make a decision on that. Not to mention a good portion of my movies right now are imports. They tend to be tough getting at netflix or Blockbuster.

Also a note on renting. If I spend money on somthing I want it to be mine. I hate buying food at times because I only get to enjoy it once, and nevermore. Unless of course I go buy it once again. When I rented. It was on a nightly basis, and I hated it. I may not revisit a movie for a year, but when the urge hits me. It is on my shelf ready for viewing.

Btw my collection is very small, and probably considered crap by 9/10's of the dvd talkers. It bothers me not. It is what I enjoy. Why care what anyone else thinks. Btw I posted my profile because I have found movies in other peoples collections that have somewhat similiar to me. If one person finds a gem out of my collection that they normally would not think of. Then it was worth posting, and the reason I assumed most dvdtalkers posted their collections. Btw I also look for movies within dvdprofiler itself in the contributors list.

If I implied that those who *haven't* cut down are lesser, it was completely unintentional. To be perfectly clear, I think that the **very best** thing is to really think about your purchases beforehand, so that you only end up with what you really want. It sounds like you have done a great job of that, and I admire that.

But if someone doesn't do quite so good a job of that (and I freely admit that I'm one of them), I think the next best thing is to really stop and think about "Why do I own these?" and "Do I get enjoyment from all of these?" rather than just blindly continuing to accumulate, spending money on things that don't bring as much enjoyment as expected.

There's also the fact that many people find their tastes changing over time. Something that got a lot of repeat viewing value for a few years may end up collecting dust after that. To get rid of that DVD when it's no longer particularly favored isn't a bad reflection on the original purchase, just an indication that, well, tastes change.

Basically, now that I re-examined what I enjoy about my collection, and trimmed the fat, I fully expect to make much better decisions now about which DVDs to buy and which to keep. In fact, I already have made better decisions with several purchases (of ones that I really knew would be long-lasting value) and several choices not to purchase (titles that, on second thought, I realized I'd rather just rent).

My ice cream analogy did end up being a bit flawed... but I do think that there's a fulfillment curve with everything (except maybe free time... I can never have too much of that!). It's been on my mind lately because I've found that I'm very susceptible to accumulating "stuff"... but if I can identify the point at which that "stuff" goes from "perfect amount" to "too much," I end up getting more enjoyment out of what I own, whether it's clothes, books, CDs, DVDs, or magazines.

And having figured out that decision point, it's a lot easier to not overdo it in the future - I don't spring for new books or magazines as casually as I used to, either, because I realized that I was getting too many and not enjoying them.

Anybody who manages to make decisions on what to get, without having to go through the process of "Eh, I have too much/made poor decisions, let me backtrack" has my complete respect. I do suspect that there are fewer of you guys than of people who overdo it and have to reconsider, which is why it's useful for us recovering over-doers to share our thoughts on the subject.

I also recognize that while I, personally, would experience "choice overload" when faced with 500 different movies to watch, not everyone has that experience. I'm willing to bet that you, EPKJ, don't get that overwhelmed feeling... and so, one factor that's important to *me* when deciding what to keep, is totally irrelevant to you. And certain criteria that are important to you (like maybe completeness) aren't important to me. That doesn't make one of us right and the other one wrong - if we both manage to figure out a good way to decide what to buy and keep in our collections (even if a bit belatedly, for me), then we are *both* right.

Yes, it is CLEAN SWEEP that got to me and got me to go through my DVDs, selling some of them.

On a few episodes, they've made the people go through and sell 1/3 to 1/2 of their DVD and VHS collection. I cringe watching it at times.

Since joining Netflix 6 months ago, I've drastically reduced the number of purchases I make. I previously purchased 5-10 DVD's a month and now purchase 1-5! Turnaround time is only 2 days.

I went through a stage that I was so obsessed with achieving a everchanging "magic" number.. 100 DVD's, 150 DVD's, 300 DVD's as a goal. I no longer feel that way. I attribute some of the obssession to my divorce in 2001. It was something that I could control and it filled my time. I've never overextended myself financially to reach these goals though. I have a few hundred $$$ a month allocated for stuff like this.

I plan to reduce the size of my collection by a 1/3 in the next few months.

Plus, I've not set foot in the evil Blockbuster since joining Netflix!

Netflix has saved me $$$!

Sonicflood

I don't see any evidence of this. I would venture that most DVD collectors have a very good idea of what they want and are very happy with their acquisitions. I think that a small minority purchase hundreds of DVD's before realizing that they don't want them. I am sure that many people buy a few DVD's for the wrong reasons and get rid of them, but these are no more than a dozen DVD's typically. What is disturbing about some recent posts is that a few people are indicating that they bought hundreds of DVD's which they actually did not want. This is certainly not typical and is something which seems like a pathology.

You are correct. My collection does not overwhelm me. Neither does going to the library overwhelm me because I must choose from tens of thousands of books. I am also not overwhelmed by having 150 cable channels or by having thousands of rental choices available. Are you suggesting that when you rent from Blockbuster your brain melts down because you cannot cope with the sheer number of choices? I really doubt that, Holly, which is why I don't accept this choice overload argument. If choosing a DVD to watch from among 300 to 500 DVD's blows your mind, I don't want to go shopping for groceries in a supermarket with you. Can you see why credulity is stretched thin by your assertion?

One of the problems with a lot of collectors is they seem to care more about the DVD than the film on it.

The Criterion collectors seem to be the worst.

For example, you read about people on message boards telling about how much they bid on a certain Criterion title on Ebay. Yet they go on to say "I hope the film is worth it". Why even buy it if you don't know what you are getting?

The whole "Must Buy All Criterion" mentality is one I do not understand. They are a company, like Anchor Bay, MGM, Fox etc. Just because they number them, you have to buy them all??? Some of their titles aren't even worth buying. Many others are very basic Film 101 that you won't get a lot of replay value over.

Don't get me wrong, many are excellent (I've been buying from them since the laserdisc days) but a lot of times, you feel like asking the Criterion collectors "If Criterion jumped off a bridge would you? If they offered you punch, would you drink it?"

I received my first dvd player as a gift on December 25, 2001, along with my first several dvds. I then discovered this forum (and others) and all the deals posted here/there/everywhere, including Columbia House. As a result of my completely irresponsible behavior following my wife's generous but unfortunate decision to allow me into the world of dvd, I've now acquired 810 dvds in 751 days since that fateful Christmas. I feel quite naughty. Many of the movies in my collection are there really only because they were so cheap. I'm sure I haven't unwrapped even a third of them yet. I really need to re-evaluate my criteria for adding titles to my collection.

sad, is it not? like I've stated before, I really could care less what format the damn film is on. it's dvd right now because there is not much of a choice. if the films came as a chip, installed into my brain....then I'd have around 1,400 titles worth of brain-fry.

Only if the punch glass was numbered.

--Barry

When I first graduated from college, I bought everything that interested me, and became a Criterion-ite. I quickly built up a staggering debt.

Then I met a girl. She told me she wouldn't marry into debt and that she wasn't going to struggle to pay the bills but have an awesome DVD collection.

So I slowed down, paid off the bills, married her and quickly began buying the stuff I really wanted, and any movie we considered seeing in the theater.

2 tickets =$18 + nothing (especially if the movie sucked)
1 DVD = $15-20 + special features + no one kicks my seat + we own it (especially if the movie sucks, so we can sell it)

It seems to work for us, as we can justify the expense. I also tend to pick up a CD or DVD for her when I buy one for me. Works out all around.