Gobear

I can't wrap my head around the idea of buying a movie that I don't plan to watch. I have a sizable collection (closing in on 1200), and I like every one of the movies I own. I don't have time to watch them all, but I like having them where I can watch one of them on a sudden whim.

If I think that I am done with a particular title and will never watch it again, I sell it.

arbogast777

I used to buy movies like that (I had 800+ at one point), but not since Netflix.

The biggest reasons people have given in this thread for buying so much is 1) they buy movies they want to watch it again and 2) they want the option of having movies at hand.

After my first year of Netflix I figured my per movie cost was $2.15 and I'm watching more movies now than I ever have. If I want to watch a movie again, I add it to my queue again. If I have the urge to watch a particular movie, I can have it here be the next day (little trick - if you upgrade your plan in the middle of the month they'll send you another movie). Yes, I can't watch that movie I have the urge to watch that second, but I'm not quite that impatient. But the days of spending money on movies only to have them sit on a shelf? I'm never going back to that.

I actually think it's interesting to read these responses - none of which are wrong and all are valid for that person. The concept of building a media library was, for movies at least, new as of only 10 years ago when DVD came out. Never before could you have a movie library at such a reasonable cost, with favorite movies available to you at any time. I think what I (and others) are beginning to see after we've put that into practice for a decade is having all those movie available at our fingertips just isn't worth the cost. After having an 800 strong collection for about 7 years, I found that when I was going to watch a movie I usually wanted to watch something I hadn't seen, not something I had. I'm watching more than ever before (including old favorites I've rented a few times) and I'm able to buy so much else with the money saved.

islandclaws

I do that a lot. I'll buy things I wore out on VHS as a kid, or TV shows I love, but I won't watch them anytime soon because I know them so well it's like I'm burned out.

One of those titles for me would be The Neverending Story. I played that to death when I was younger, so much so that I probably won't watch it again for a while. But I still needed to own it.

DeanoBKN

I only purchase films I enjoyed, and would revisit again and again. I always sell any duds, and if it's a childhood favorite, I usually take the time to watch it again and decide now, as an adult, if I still enjoy it.

LoPan5705

I am really bad at selling off movies I haven't watched in a while and then sometime down the road re-buying them because their cheap. For instance I bought Scream sometime in 2005, only watched it once and later sold it to a friend. Now this week I bought again because it was on sale. I probably should put away so I don't see it or I'll trade it or sell again only to make another repeat buy next year.

Dane Marvin

Nope. I'm not a Rockefeller.

flyboy

I usually don't buy comedies as they do not have the replay value. I use to own all the early 80's comedies that were once so great but are no longer funny. Fast Times, Hollywood Knights, Stripes, Ghostbusters, Animal House, Caddyshack, all John Hughes films etc....they just do not stand the test of time and multiple viewings well. I guess I have just seen them so many times....

TheNightFlier

Nope. I only buy movies that have replay value for myself.

Knives

Another stupid feel guilty about buying stuff thread

kinotek

Not a stupid thread, actually. As long as people are reading and responding with thought and intelligence, then these threads are actually serving a purpose. Clearly many of us are dealing with the issue of "How many are too much?"--a perfectly healthy concern in a society that prides itself on how much it can consume. If you're not interested in the topic, then why bother a) reading it, and b) adding an insipid comment? Geez.

Carry on, folks. I'm enjoying this. Over 700 and counting...

Knives

Why are you posting, and when will do you except to quit posting?

kinotek

I've kept a database in a Word table ever since I first started collecting (1999), so I just update it whenever I buy or sell (or watch) titles. It comes in pretty handy since I can sort it by title, director, year, running time, region, etc., which makes for a good level of accountability. Also, if friends ever want to know what I have in order to borrow something, I can just e-mail them the updated list.

I realize how anal that might sound, but as a filmmaker with a collector's mentality, it just makes sense for me to track and maintain my film library that way. And, what the hell, I'll admit it--it's fun. I just wish I didn't feel I had to *own* so many titles. Being in NYC, it makes storing--and moving--them a real pain.

I am proud to say, however, that I've shed about 130 discs over the years (mostly on eBay), so I'm not *totally* out of control. ;-) And yes, many were movies I once really liked but was disappointed to find just didn't hold up (to get back to the point of this thread)...

MisterHowie

No, but I'd take it as a gift. Perfect example: Crimson Tide. I watched it about 6 or more times on VHS back in the day, so while I'm not exactly "sick" of it I've had my fill.

Chaza

I mainly buy tv shows and music dvds, If I want to watch a movie on a blind buy I"ll netflix it, so for movies I'm around 125-150 or so, as I'm not sure I'll watch movies again as much as a tv episode.