I'd like to think I do very little blind-buying, but upon actually looking at my collection most of mine is in fact, blind purchases. That's all right though, because I like every film I own (wouldn't own them if I didn't).

But what happens if you don't like a film you blind buy?

This is definately the case for me as well. Unless it's a catalog title, I probably haven't seen it before I pick it up.

Added to the fact of idiotic people running rampant in theaters around here, the cost for a ticket is just a further deterrent. For the price of two tickets (my wife and I), we could just go pick up a dvd instead and enjoy it without interruption, and as many times as we wish.

I do tons of blind buys. The latest one that really paid off for me is the first season of Lost. I didn't know anything at all about the show, other than it was about a plane that crashed and left a bunch of people on an island. I watched it, and it's ended up being my favorite hour long type of TV show of all time.

I love surprises.

i used to do it all the time, but have cooled it since I still haven't even watched most of my blind buys.

Very rarely. Disappointed more times than not with blind buying.

It's still cheaper than seeing it in the theatre*, so who cares? You can always sell it.

*assuming you buy it on release day at Best Buy et al., and assuming you buy some popcorn or especially if you treat someone else to a movie. Plus you get extra features and rewatchability. Way more economical than a movie ticket.

This is all very unfortunate because as a film person, I still firmly believe the way to see a film is projected on a huge screen with an audience.

Most of my purchases are blind buys. But I usually pick them up after reading about them and having a good sense if I'll like them or not. It's extremely rare that I pick up a true blind buy (knowing absolutely nothing about it ahead of time).

None anymore. I just rent it first using Blockbuster online.

I almost never blind buy with current movies. I find that I am most likely to blind buy with the more "classic" films that I should have seen by now, especially if they've been fully restored and given the SE treatment. Examples would be Citizen Kane, Casablanca, Lawrence of Arabia...even Cuckoo's Nest I hadn't seen until a couple years ago.

I grew up on '80s movies and consider myself a huge movie and DVD fan, but until recently had never seen many of the classics like the aforementioned that any serious film fan should see, even if just from an educational standpoint. If I read DVD reviews from various websites that all praise the restoration quality as well as the quality and breadth of the extras of a certain film, I'm likely to blind buy. But if it's a newer flick that I missed in the theaters, I'll Netflix it first.

Probably 80%+ are blind buys for me

When DVDs were cheaper, most of the newer movies I bought were blind buys. Reason is simple: I almost never go to theaters, so a $12-15 DVD is what I would have spent for the trip to the theater anyway, and by the time the DVD comes out I have a pretty accurate read on whether I'll like it.

These days, I buy far fewer movies than I used to, mostly "sure things" like Batman Begins. Netflix makes it too easy and cost-effective to see everything I want to see.

Funny thing is how rarely I then follow up with a purchase. Nowadays it's classic and favorite films that get bought, while new stuff mostly gets rented.

RichC

I completely agree. A lot of people here cite poor theater experiences as the reason they don't go, which is understandable but a shame. It's also a little ironic for a community so interested in respecting directorial intent.

Two or three times a month. I don't have the budget to just throw money around on things I've never seen.

..and get less than 1/2 of what you paid for it, especially on eBay, given once you factor in shipping, it's the same as buying it new.

I blind buy most of the time, but that's only on things $10 or less. If it's that cheap, why waste a rental on it. I like almost anything anyways.

I think about 20% of the movies that I have bought were blinds buys. I have been quite happy with almost all of them.

I have never done any blind buys with TV series.

About 90% of my purchases are blind buys. I don't go to the theatres much anymore but I do shop around for the best price before buying! In the end, I normally get it the movie for less than what it would cost me to go to the movies (2 tickets=$16) and I can watch it whenever I please in the comfort of my own home!

I will blind buy sometimes if the dvd is directed by or stars an actor I like. Also, I give special consideration to Criterion releases because 99% are movies I have never seen, and, of course, most of them are so good. There are also a couple of online reviewers whose opinions I trust.

Atleast 70% of my collection is blind buys. I, of course, reasearch them. I have enjoyed every film I've purchased.

Only blind bought maybe 5 times in the approx 7 years that I've had a dvd player.

I blind buy probably 80-90% of the time these days. Seldom if ever do I see a new release before buying it.

Lately, nearly 50% of my purchases are blind buys. I'm trying to collect the movies on this list:

They Shoot Pictures, Don't They?

So far, I've collected the top 25, and 50 of the top 100. Nearly all of those have been blind buys, and I don't regret any of them.

I'd say about half of the movies I buy are blind buys. It used to be more, but I got ahold of Netflix, so I rent and then buy. I still have a lot of blind buys due to impulse purchases. Most of my blind buys are also movies that I'm very confident I'll love or films that I want regardless (I.E. completing my collection of favorite directors' works, like Kurosawa). Though with Netflix, I see more movies and therefore buy more, and I thought it would lessen the money burning. hah.

It depends really, of my last few blind buys have been good ones ( "A Very Long Engagement," for example is one that I really wanted to see in the theatres and wasn't able, bought it blindly and loved it.) One of the reasons I got Netflix is to minimize my blind buying by watching a "potential additions to my collection" first. Too often I hear an older movie is going to be released that I haven't seen since I was a kid, and place it on my list and when I finally watch it, I've been grateful that I waited because my taste has changed or I didn't care for it enough to really own. However I read in the forum about "Warlords of Atlantis" and after much deliberation, bought the Region 2 version, having not seen it since it first came out, which turned out alright. I also have used Netflix to watch many of the Criterion Collection films, that I've read reviews and discussions about and have almost went out and blindly bought and many haven't been my cup of teas like, "The Man Who Fell to Earth" and "Naked" I didn't like them enough to own and saved myself a good $28 on each film. Yet a few weeks ago I picked up "Oldboy" after reading some many good things about and enjoyed; time will only tell if I re-watch it enough to consider it a worthy buy and this Tuesday I've finally talked myself into buying "Batman Begins" ( another missed movie) and removing it from my netflix list. So the my answer to the question is : not as much as I use to.