where is the best place to purchase Criterions at a B&M
 

what is the best place to purchase Criterions at a B&M store

None of them. Reason being almost all of them over charge, aka MSRP pricing. The best place to get CCs is online from shops like DDD, deepdiscountdvd.com

I only know of one, but it is a great one.

Known as the Mecca of DVD Stores: DVD Planet.

It is on Beach Blvd in Huntington Beach, CA, next to Beverages and More.

They own and operate the website www.dvdplanet.com

I realize that you are no where near So Cal, but if you are ever remotely close, it is worth the trip. Definitely a destination store.

Although the prices are not always that great (usually can easily be beaten by DDD online), the selection is amazing. They guarantee 25% off retail minimum (used to guarantee 30%, but that has gone the way of the buffalo).

Good luck!

--LVM

I'll agree about DVDPlanet. I love going there and seeing all the Criterions nestled on the shelves looking for a new home.

The only national chain that comes close would be Borders. Prices aren't that good but when there's a coupon floating around in the Bargains Forum, it makes the pill easier to swallow.

thanx guys

Ain't that the truth! They are the only store I know of that actually has a section just for CCs!

Not to mention the best foreign section this side of Europe.

It is very hard to avoid going there every single time I drive past (which is way too often).

--LVM

Not sure about all of their prices, but Barnes & Noble has a great selection...I picked up Rushmore: CC awhile back for $29.99.

Not that B&N isn't a great place to go (it is the only place to get the L&O Two disc set Crime Scenes), but www.dvdplanet.com
has Rushmore CC for $29.99 as their regular price as well.

Although not a B&M to most people, the place is tough to beat.

--LVM

DVD Planet offers all the Criterion titles for 35% off retail, and they have recently begun offering free media mail shipping for orders over $25. This is most definitely the best deal going.

DVD Planet has had severe customer service problems starting about 6 months ago. My last order from them had no problems (and arrived quickly), but I don't know if they've been able to correct all the problems or not.

My second choice would be DVD Empire, which has a monthly coupon for $5 off a $60 order (and free shipping on 3 or more titles)--this brings their prices in line with DVD Planet.

Third would be Digital Eyes. They occasionally offer coupons, and you earn a discount (up to 4%) based on how much you've spent with them.

Many people use Amazon.com's Share the Love program, though their standard discount on Criterions has recently decreased, which makes them less attractive.


EDIT: My apologies. It didn't register that you were only talking about Brick & Mortar sellers. Please disregard my comments.

Though I'd advise you to go the mail-order route as well (see FilmFanSea's listing above), Borders is just about the only B&M chain you're going to find Criterions at a discount. They are currently doing a "buy 4, get 5th DVD free" promotion, so you can pick up $40 MSRP Criterions for around $29 (that is, if you can find five that you want in stock.)

Lasers Edge in Indianapolis is also a great B&M store to get Criterions. They too have their own section and have pretty nuch every Criterion in print at pretty good prices. I got Ikiru there for a dollar cheaper than DDD has it for and Mon Oncle and M. Hulot's holiday for $22 a piece.

FYE is the only store that I can find who sells them...whenever I buy a Criterion at FYE...I sell a few older discs and it makes it a lot cheaper...

I'll reiterate what everyone has said. Dvdplanet is the best place to buy CC if price is the only factor. If you value time, I would recommend amazon.com with Share the love, since Dvdplanet's shipping is monstrously slow.

The Fry's by me has a small section dedicated to Criterions

:hscratch: Have you really had problems with DVDPlanets shipping? It's always been fine for me . . .

Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't they ship directly from their B&M retail store in Huntington Beach, CA?

The reason I ask, is that I'm there quite a bit, and I always see large empty USPS Crates by their door (ones used for small parcels). I always thought that's what they did.

The slowest shipper that I know is DDD, but it is still worth it, especially if you are in no hurry and want to save a few bucks.

www.bestbuy.com tends to be the quickest shipper that I know of.

With their free shipping option, I considet buying online with them the same/better then going to the B&M store.

--LVM

DVDPlanets website DOES NOT ship from the store. They ship from a distribution center that's not even in California.

Their B&M is the best place in the world to buy CC's. All 35%. $39.99 becomes $25 and $29.99 becomes $19. It can't be beat.

The only other place that comes close is Fry's but their selection sucks.

Good to know. Thanks for the info. I would never buy online from them anyway sice their B&M is fairly local.

--LVM

Yeah the problem with DVDPlanet's online store for CA residents is that we have to pay sales tax. So at that point you may as well go to the store.

No to mention shipping, except for the new $25.00 minimum promotion.

Before purchasing any DVD, I always check bb.com, DVDPlanet.Com, and DDD.

Usually DDD and DVDPlanet.com are fairly close to each other in price. I add tax to their price, and if it is still lower then DDD, then I will make a trip to the store.

Usually, it isn't and DDD gets the business.

Whatever works!

--LVM

For the original question: Rght now (Jan 16-19) Tower B&M's have a 25% off all DVDs, so that might be the best place for a B&M purchase of Criterions. (They normally sell them for MSRP).

You forgot to mention Lasers Edge also sells online. I haven't ordered from them in a few years but they were an excellent store. Depending on who is cheaper I purchase Criterions from either DDD, DVDEmpire, or Amazon.

I'll second the Tower Records nod. I would usually never go there for DVD's, but I called them up to see if they had Ikiru..they did, so I went..and noticed they had a real good foreign film section mostly litered with Criterion Collection DVD's. They were mostly listed for $39.99 which I guess is the MSRP, but they all rang up as $29.99. I know that isn't bad, since I priced at DVD Planet for $25 and I don't like media mail, so I would have spent over 29.99 and still have to wait. But I got Ikiru and Rashomon for $29.99 and The Vanishing for $19.99. Considering Tower usually sucks for prices this wasn't bad.

I checked yesterday and the DVDPlanet prices are actually still cheaper than the Tower Criterions . . . unless you get the used ones from Tower.