I go through crazy little collecting fits. I did it with video games at one point, had well over 1000. I've done it with sports cards and the like. I've started doing it with dvd's. My local flea market has a pretty good selection of used dvd's for between $5-$6, so it's not like I'm gonna go bankrupt if I buy 5 or 6 movies a week. My question to you folks is, do you see dvd's maintaining their values, or do you see them being worth even less in the near future?

I ask because I'm putting a lot of money into this collection, and I'm uncertain if it'll be worth near what I paid in a few years. I've also toyed around with buying big lots of dvd's on ebay, and possibly reselling those. Is that a good idea? With most places like Blockbuster paying $3 or less for movies, and places like half.com selling a ton of movies for only a couple dollars, I'm wondering if there's profit to be made here at all. I've always been one do to tons of buying/selling on ebay, I'm aware it'd be a lot of work to make money at reselling these, but can it be done?

I'm really interested to hear from an ebay powerseller, or somebody running a store or a flea market booth. Since I'm spending $50 a week on dvd's, I just want some reassurance that these aren't going to become the next beanie babies. (Ya, thats an extreme example...but anywho)

-Hitman-

I'd think DVDs you buy new yourself are going to hold any value far better than ones you've bought used.

With few exceptions most discs are made in huge quantities. Since the window to replace them is in the next 3-5 years (imho) I don't see how any mainstream dvd could possibly be worth more than it was sold for.

Laserdiscs used to cost $60-$100. Take a look at what they're going for on E-bay now. I'd guess by the time DVD's are upgraded and replaced by the next format, they'll be about as valuable as VHS tapes are now. Software just isn't appreciably collectible. Except maybe as a nostalgia item.

I think 99.9% will lose value. There may be possible exceptions if they were produced in really small amounts, and don't come out with similar or better features on future formats, but I think overall it will be like most of my records--really not worth much.

Just buy the movies you want to watch and own. Save your money for important things like food, gas, and housing. If you think you are going to turn this into an investment or business, you will seriously be lucky to break even.

No!

I think if any titles have "value," they will be the more obscure ones. DVD is now at the point where LEONARD PART 6 gets a release, but whatever the HD replacement format winds up being, it's going to be years before films like that get put out.

very few titles will probably end up being worth money. For example: "My so called Life" will still be worth money and might actually go up in price because it is the only way for a person to watch the show. But if a rerelease comes out then it will be worth peanuts...

they will only have sentimental values.....

This is the kind of thinking that gets people all pissed off when "collectible" titles get re-released. DVDs should ONLY be bought if you think you can get enjoyment out of them equal to the money you put into them. DO NOT buy them thinking they're are going to be worth more than a $1 years down the road, because they won't be. Buy them because you love the movies, don't buy them as an investment.

The limited Tins might be worth cash later down the road,some criterions might as well since there is a chance that alot of the movies might not be made when the next medium comes along,same with hard to find horror flicks that might never see the light of day again.

DVDs are definetely not an investment. Not one that you should expect money back on, at least. I'm beginning to really understand this as I'm selling some of my collection and getting less than half what I paid for them.

I'm just with this post... But, yeah, DVDs are for watching and enjoying... Buy what YOU want / enjoy and they will always have their value. Considering them an investment is at best.

In the future, DVDs will have as much worth as the 10 boxes of comic books gathering dust in my garage.

If you pay $5-6 per used title, I think you might be able to turn an immediate profit (or at least get your money back) should you sell them now. Like others have said, though, once the new format comes along, you're not likely to get as much. This is not to say that they'll be worth as little as a VHS tape...I don't see them taking that large of a hit (especially since the new players will be backwards compatible...I just think it'll be quite sometime before DVD completely dies off).

If you buy the bulk of your collection new, well then that's like buying a slew of `06 Ford F150s new, hoping to someday turn a profit. The second they're driven off the lot (or, in this case, opened)...half of your value is gone, likely never to return.

I'd say it's just the opposite. Once the new ones are opened, they're "used" like any other. You just happened to pay more for the title than somebody who bought it used. Not that I'd advocate doing so, but you could easily say that the five-hundred titles that you bought for $5 were actually bought new for $19.99. Nobody will be able to tell the difference, anyway.

Used DVD's are going to offer more of a return than ones that were bought new, plain and simple. You'll get your $8 for either one, and the used titles cost you a fourth of the price of the ones bought new.

-JP

Every last one of my DVDs has held their value or even gained value. But I value my DVDs based on the enjoyment I get out of them. That means they'll hold their value until I can no longer purchase a functioning DVD player (hopefully many, many, many years from now).

When it comes to putting money in my wallet, I took a less conventional approach. I got a job.

Savings accounts, stocks, bonds and CDs (Certificates of Deposit) are investments. Baseball cards, comic books, toys and yes DVDs are not investments.

99% of releases depreciate immediately after you finish paying for them. If you paid $20 new then someone will only give you $6-7 used on most stuff. Trick to stay ahead of the game is look for bargains and try to keep your average at about what you can get for a used DVD.

ohwowsarcasm

Buying DVDs as an investment is not a good idea for reasons already laid out above. Buying low and selling high, or at least higher, right now, is feasible if you have the time to pursue it. There are quite a number of vendors making money, some few quite a bit of money, buying and selling DVDs. But your average profit per item is generally low, and every sale takes time. If you've already got a number of items you want to sell, do it!! It'll only cost you your time to try it. If it works...expand. Get the tracking, inventory, billing software you'll need then. Find your cheap, bulk mailing supplies etc. Just a note of caution...quite a few of those large lot sales are cheap bootlegs that barely play, or just junk titles nobody would buy. I got sucked in by one of those sellers and it took me months to get my money back, less the shipping both ways, of course.

Have at it and let us know how it works.

Phil

Did your video games hold value?

I hate to say it, since I value my dvd collection, but most dvd's are not a worthy investment. When you buy it new or used, odds are unless it's a box set that strongly holds it's value, or a collectible item (Criterions, Rare Recalled dvds, etc.) or even some of the long OOP dvd's, it really all depends on just how wanted and/or rare the item actually is. When you buy used dvd's you have to take into account what kind of deal are you really getting buying them? If it is a Criterion dvd and it's at $5 or $6 or a little higher, those usually hold their value since they are highly sought and collectible. Most of the other stuff, if it is OOP or what not, you have to consider the actual value of the item at NEW cost, and check the condition and see if the item is anywhere near that of NEW quality. Than, you can look at the price and determine if you are getting a good deal or not. On Ebay, you have to determine if the items are of value to you, and if they are authentic and guranteed.

But, I guess, the bottom line is that dvd's are not going to hold their value in the long term. I would, start building a dvd collection of the movies you really want to own. Get rid of filler material. The movies you really need and will watch repeatedly. That to me, is an investment from the heart and for the future.

Otherwise, they will just collect dust and not hold their value. So a good idea for all dvd collectors would be.

To buy dvd's you are sure you want and need and will try to keep and will watch again. That is it, it's not a financial investment, it's an investment to entertain yourself, and a smart collection is based on individual taste and not on show and tell.

Or the massive ammounts of sports cards I've purchased in the 10 year period I was collecting.

::Start's crying when thinking of the $$$ spent::

Why would they hold their value? With all the double dips you can never be certain you have the definitive release of any movie. When HD discs come around they'll lose more value. VHS tapes are worth next to nothing these days, and DVD will in time be the same. Things that are out of print and off the wall titles may have high value for certain fans seeking a title but for the most part, they're worth less by the time you get 'em to your car.

No one has mentioned it but the rampant copying of DVDs for nearly "free" has got to be putting a hurting on the used (and NEW) values of DVDS. Not only that, once HD becomes more mainstream all the titles that end up looking better on HDDVD will make their DVD counterparts seriously go down in value. Nobody wants a KNOWN inferior copy of the thier favorite movie. Quality sells and DVD quality will not be the ultimate anymore once HD DVD rolls out....Im sure there will be many titles that wont ever be on HD DVD so in those cases the DVD might actually go up for a while but that would just put more pressure on a HD DVD release....