I've pretty much broken any sort of addiction I might've had. I've purchased two tv sets the last 8 months, and that's been it. I've been holding out for HD/BD, I'll start buying them next yr I think.

There's so much media out there, even sitting at a collection of about 400, I don't know if I could rewatch them all even if I wanted to. Between new movies, shows, games, music, reading, internet.... it's overload. And I'm a single guy working 40hrs a wk, what happens a few yrs down the road when I've got a family or a job that takes up more of my time?

Still, those 2-3 nights a wk when I feel like watching a movie - it's nice to have a sizable collection to choose from.

I just started to get addicted (thanks to this site!), but I'm starting to feel guilty for the amount of money I'm spending. If it's a one of a kind deal, I'll spend, but otherwise you really just have to say "I think I can live without this." Also, with HD/BR happing, I feel even more inclined to wait out purchases.

Another thing to think about is books. How many format upgrades will there be for a book??? how about...none! You really get quite a lot more for your money when it comes to reading books. Take "The Stand" by Stephen King for example. That book will cost you 8.99 and probably take you months to read!

I also feel guilty because I know i could be doing something much more productive with my time...like learning an instrument or hanging out with friends...

I bought my first dvd player in April 2000 and I was obsessed with buying dvds every other day (I even joined Columbia House to replace a lot of my vhs movies).

After 320 dvds, I would say that I haven't watched more than 25%. What a waste. I just sold 30 of my dvds to music stores for a grand total of $120. It's sad to sell a dvd now for $5 when you originally spent $29.99. There's no real value for dvds unless you have a rare one.


Last year was the first time I kept track of how much I spent on dvds: a total of $864.83 Cdn. And I spent way more in 2005 (as I purchased all 5 seasons of Serling's Twilight Zone).

From now on, I'm going to buy dvds of films that I know I'll want to watch several times. In the next 6 months, the only dvds I plan on purchasing are Casino Royale and WKRP in Cincinnati.

And when I upgrade to HD, I don't plan on upgrading any of my current dvds. A bigger waste.

I sort of understand your point, but how can you compare books to DVDs? Books are just a collection of words on pages. Books don't have pictures (unless your George Bush) or surround sound. Those two media are completely different. Just a thought.

Plus, DVDs are a lot shinier than most books -- a lot!

What a sad group of people! :)


I collect DVDs because I thoroughly enjoy them. Building a library of the greatest films ever made, and studying them with the extra dvd benefits of documentaries and commentary is as worthwhile a pursuit as film school. I have plenty of time since I work at home, and enough money, so Tuesdays always provide me with something fun to look forward to. And my wife doesn't seem to mind. As long as all of the bills get paid and there's money in the bank, we're all good.

Why do some of you sound as though you're sick? Would you rather be collecting baseball cards or antiques? It's the same thing, except DVDs are entertaining. Cheer up!

Nicely said, and I agree!

I only regret my B&M purchases. they tend to be impulse buys and clog up my unwatched piles. DVDs I order via online (sales and coupons) I tend to really enjoy, rarely sell and sometimes even watch more than once.

I did collect baseball cards and they sort of do the same thing. Just sit there. There are similarities to what happened with baseball cards as now dvds and they were also entertaining (often because of the possibility of error cards) There were 3 main brands of cards, then a couple more added, but then all of them added their own extra series (topps stadium club, etc). Many of the cards are worthless unless it's a real rarity. So with dvds, now instead of one edition, you get several editions of the same thing and now HD. Books are no different. You can get the edition that first comes out, then if it's popular enough like The DaVinci Code, you can get the illustrated version. If you enjoy them, great, keep on, but if you have piles of unwatched and unopened dvds, then there is no point and it's doubtful you're taking advantage of any film school like bonus materials.

I used to be able to have $60 a week that I'd really really felt like I'd need for my collection. Now, there's usually one thing most weeks I'll want to buy, usually a movie and once in a great while, a box set for a TV show. I have cut down a lot, but my collection is still pretty large. I still have an addiction but it's calmed down a bit compared to a few years ago.

thats what i said to myself too,"no upgrading on blu ray or hd dvd" but boy was i wrong. I couldn't resist the beautiful picture. I read reviews to see if the picture is a big upgrade.If it's not a big upgrade, I don't bother upgrading

i agree also. i look forward to tuesdays cause im going to go pick up my shiny new disc and sit down and enjoy when i get home.
being a homebody myself i love waking up in the morning making a cup of coffee (now thats an addiction of mine) and going to future shop, best buy or wal-mart (sometimes all 3 if one or 2 places doesn't have the dvds im looking for).
i don't live the greatest life so picking up a dvd and watching it is a great way to spend my time.
its not an addiction its just something i enjoy doing. when people say im saving money and not buying as many dvds this year, i say the whole point of money is to buy stuff and enjoy your life not have it in the bank and wait till your retirement, who knows you might not even make it to than.

then don't buy dvds you arn't going to watch, simple as that.
i control myself i only buy 2 or 3 a week and i finish them that week. if you don't like it give it away or sell it.

This month I have been spending money like water! It was mostly due to my relief of finishing an exam, CC releases and frustration of being outbidded at trademe.co.nz (our equivalence of ebay). In total - approx. $200 in US for 5 DVDs and a boxset.

DVDs are so potent! :(

i wouldn't say i was ever addicted to buyind dvds, but i did have a habit of visiting best buy/circuit city/target at least once a week and browsing through their dvd sections and new releases. the dvd bargains sub forum didn't help either as i was always planning a week ahead of what i wanted to buy.

but lately, i've been short on cash and been trying to cut spending so i've really curbed on dvd's. i have bought some, but i've been using coupons like the $10 off from google checkout. i also realized that i don't have to buy new releases and can wait a few months when i see them on sale for $10 or part of a 2 for $20/3 for $30 special. there are several upcoming dvds i really want (the departed, the prestige, babel, casino royale, etc), but i'll have to wait.

I have a wife, 2 kids, 2 dogs, 2 cats, 2 guinea pigs, and 4000 DVDs. When my tax return comes in next week, I'm hiring a guy to build my 2nd home theater (relocated and had to give up my first one), complete with stadium seating, 114" projection screen, concession stand, art gallery and gameroom.

So, no, I wouldn't say I'm addicted. It's all about the balance in your life. -wink-

To those of you who continue to buy a lot dvds. I'm curious....why do you BUY instead renting from NetFlix? I am running out of space to store my 800 DVD collection so I need to start renting instead of buying :/

When's the flood, Noah? -wink-

Don't forget to post lots of pics when your setup is completed. :up:

International shipping is a bitch.

the movies i buy, i know i'll watch many times. i rarely blind buy.

September of 1999. I go from working as a security guard for Coca Cola, making $6.25 an hour with no real raise in sight, to working in a factory where I hired in at $12.25 an hour and would max out my pay to $18 an hour after a year and a half. To celebrate, I bought my first DVD Player.

August of 2004. The factory job fell through after my knee gave out on me and I found I couldn't stand for 10 hours a night 6 nights a week. Between odd jobs and such, my collection grows to about 250 titles. People come over and say "damn, you have a lot of movies."

September of 2004. I have the opportunity to open my own business. I need to choose a business that (a) has a product that is currently on a growth surge, (b) I know a good deal about, and (c) I like to do. MOVIES! I open my store, The Movie Exchange, dealing in new and used DVD's. Think of me as a Game Stop / EB that focuses purely on DVDs.

Present day. It's like taking a crack addict and telling him to sell crack. It took 5 years to build a collection of about 250 titles. Today, according to DVDSpot, my collection stands at 1,247 titles owned, not including a few home made copies of things we'll never see legally released (Adam West Batman series, season sets of Mystery Science Theater 3000) and a few new titles that I haven't entered in yet.

In 2005 and 2006, I added on the average more than 1 DVD a day to my collection. I spent $7170.33 last year on my addiction.

Yeah, I think I need help. The best I can say is that at least I don't freak out over used material, because it would have cost a hell of a lot more buying everything new.

Hope nobody minds me bumping this few month old thread, but I wanted to contribute.

I've worked at Blockbuster Video most of my adult life (which is pretty sad I guess but it's a job. I am 22, 23 in July). When I started working there, my family rarely rented videos (only liked smaller mom & pop places which Blockbuster and Hollywood put out of business...), and they never really bought. We had the occasional VHS, usually odd ones at that, but not a lot of movies.

My dad got a DVD player, I'm guessing it must have been 2000 or 01. At least a year before I graduated high school in 2002. So I had the means to watch the movies right off.

My first DVD I ever bought was Zoolander. I had some weird class/job thing which had few hours (since it was a class), so my first check was about $25, and since I knew nothing of the value of DVD's, I spent nearly all of it on that single movie. I mainly bought the movie because a girl I liked really liked it. That didn't work out but I still like the movie.

Second movie was probably Lord of the Rings: Fellowship Theatrical Cut. Also overpayed on it, I'm sure.

After that, it was a variety of movies, used and new, from Blockbuster. I had no idea what movies were worth and thus spent a good $400 my first Christmas working there (since I got an extra 10% off, making it 30%, or closer to Wal-Mart and Best Buy everyday prices). I know I picked up Braveheart and the two Family Guy volumes at that time, but not sure what else.

Okay, so skipping ahead to last fall, I got a job as a Shift Leader at Gamestop and was making more money. I dropped a huge amount of money on tv on dvd and regular dvds, pretty much maxing out my credit card (about $1000). I lost that job, am unfortunately back at Blockbuster (almost finished AA finally though after seeing how I'm going nowhere), and now have about $400 in bills each month (bought a new car just before losing my job). So that's made it sort of hard to keep up this, er, habit.

I've got 311 movies according to Movie Collector (although about 90 of those are the g/f... but she had like 10 when we met two years ago). I've gotten a lot better at not picking up random dvd's "just because it's cheap", but some things are reallllly hard to pass up. Like the FLCL boxset at $32. Like the Matrix HD-DVD set for $20 from CC, although I have no player. Double dipping Akira for the OOP tin.

I just recently got a great new credit card with a $2000 limit and no APR on purchases or balance transfers for a year, so the old card can finally stop making my $50 payments $20 after APR fees. But I am really tempted to fill this new card up with the dvdtalk sale right now... have wanted Sports Night and Upright Citizens Brigade for who knows how long, and there are some decently priced criterions there which would be great with 20% off.

I semi-impulsively bought when I first got into DVDs, maybe from 1998-2000 or so.

I've slowed down a lot since then, and just buy stuff I've seen and know I'll want to watch repeatedly.

But to be fair, I was never all that bad given I've been buying since 1998 and only have a bit over 250.

I am a DVD addict. I often jokingly respond to derision by saying, "it's either DVDs or crack."

I'd never do drugs, but it is true to an extent. I have a buying/collecting compulsion since childhood, and it seems to have settled into DVDs. I may seek help someday, as I seriously have more DVDs than I'll ever have time to fully watch.

But at least I am tending towards my exclusive bonus discs now, which are often free or close to free after I ebay, sell, or re-gift the main title.

My addiction has slowed and my patience has increased so now I am a "bargain bin hunter"

My buying has slowed dramatically as my collection becomes well-rounded to the point of my own satisfaction.

I can honestly say, there are no DVDs in print that I want and do not have. My wishlist in Aficionado has fewer than 10 titles, some announced, others only hoped for.