DVDs: How many is too many?
 

Although I started buying DVDs in 2000 or so, my collection was always pretty modest in size, but over the past year, it's doubled or maybe even tripled in size. That said, my collection is still probably tiny compared to a lot of the people on here (I'm probably at 100 or so, and that's counting each individual disc in TV sets). But as I just recently filled up the bookcase that I've been using to store the DVDs, it got me thinking about where to draw the line. At ~100, my collection is already starting to seem way too big, and yet there are still plenty of other movies and a handful of TV sets that are on my to-buy list.

I'm pretty discriminating with what I buy and am pretty good at knowing whether a particular movie is something that I'm actually going to want to keep revisiting over the years, but the problem is that there are a LOT of movies that fit that bill. Also, I'm increasingly becoming aware that there's only so much time to devote to watching stuff. Obviously there's a real satisfaction in owning all of your favorites, but if, realistically, I'm only going to be watching those favorites once every five years (if that!), do I really need to own them all? As much as I love Seinfeld, for example, do I really need to own all nine seasons when I've already seen every episode 5+ times and there are 4 episodes airing every day in syndication? Probably not, but that's what I'm trying to figure out.

So, how do you guys deal with managing the size of your collections? And what are your personal reasons for wanting to own so many DVDs?

No number is too large, as long as you own all the things you want, and you're not just buying to increase your quantity.

As long as your happy with what you have and don't overbuy if you don't plan on watching them!

My wife has complained periodically that we have too many dvd's (1600+). I told her that I would be happy to thin out her chick flicks first, followed by the Lifetime type dramas. That usually puts an end to the complaining. -wink-

I want to have so many dvd's because I am paying for access to watch whatever I want when I want. I don't have to run to Blockbuster or wait for Netflix to arrive, though I do rent certain titles from Blockbuster and I do see the value that Netflix provides to people.

Sometimes I buy a dvd on impulse and later on realize I won't watch it enough to warrant holding on to it. Those are sold or traded in...and now and then I prune the collection and may sell off 50 titles for the same reason. Also, when my children get older, I will sell most of the dvds that were purchased for them that they grew out of. That way, I can buy more dvds for me. :)

In retrospect, it is treated in the same way that a CD collection is treated.

...and yes, I do have to own all nine seasons of Seinfeld. I rarely watch network television, let alone shows in syndiaction.

I end up buying movies I want and only films and tv I want. However that being said I did start my collection about 1999 or so and am at 1348 as of today ( recently changed storing system ) but sadly enough I have movies from 3 months ago I purchased and have yet got around to watching as i explained to my wife I purchase them when they come out becuase other wise I may forget I wanted to see it.

No number is to big buy what you like and like what you buy.

Personally, I think that for me 75+ is too much. I've had over many more than this at once, but I trimmed my collection. When it starts to build up, I go through my DVDs and try to honestly figure out what ones I will rewatch, and what I won't.

I have upwards of a 1000, but it's too painful to part with them. Though there are many many I don't plan to watch ever again.

There is no such thing as too much I believe...I think you should buy as many as you can afford and as space in your house allows

I don't think there is too much. I have slowed down my DVD habit. I used to hit any good sale to get something that is a collectors movie (ex: any "classic" movie), a movie I heard was good or a movie that belongs in my collection because I have other movies from the same director. That was getting to be too much spending because chances are I would only want to watch that movie once.

Now I only get DVD's that I really want. There are still some directors/actors that I want to collect but I've slowed that down. Now I'm trying to cut down my collection a bit. I find that hard to do because I feel that every movie is a movie I want to keep.

I agree 100%.

There's no such thing as "too much" but there's definitely a such thing as "too much crap."

I think the exact number is 1,349,455. Yes... that's too much.

Now we can close this thread, yes?

I'm almost at 2500 and that's not too much. Sure they're some titles I could part with, but at this point, why bother. I have everything that I want that is on DVD and its pretty much new releases and catalog titles not on DVD for me to come.

When you start buying the same dvd more than once because you don't think you own it in the first place. At that point you need to go through your collection and remember what it is you have in the first place.

I've done this at least 5 times already. I also went through my collection today and found quite a few things I forgot I had ever bought.

Don't let that stop you from buying stuff, just remember what you've already bought.

I actually got saved one. I watched my copy of Brain Damage and the disc crapped out towards the end of the movie. It had been so long since I bought it and it's OOP so replacing it wouldn't be easy. Fortunately, a few months later while going through stuff I discovered I had another copy. Yay me. Now I can finish it.

I have around 450 and I think it is too much for me. I have too much crap. I'm gonna try and half it within the next two years.

That's the key for me. I ask for myself for each one, do I plan on watching this again in the future? As long as the answer is yes, I don't have a problem with the number of DVDs I own.

I guess it depends on how many you consider too much. My collection is never finished.

As long as you enjoy the movie that you are watching, I say go for it. If you're buying any old movie just to pad your collection, then you should reconsider. That's just how I look at it.

No, you only need to own seasons 1-7. Seasons 8 and 9 (w/o Larry David) were, at best, mediocre.

By the way, the answer to the question in the thread title is... 634

Yes, I'm in need of serious medical attention.

Are you having mental problems or something? Feel guilty?

Then you should to stick to blockbuster renting stuff for $4 a piece.

It seems like we have two camps: people who think some number is too many and people who don't consider it an issue at all. I'm curious about something- how does everyone approach accumulating other kinds of libraries: books, comic books, music, video games? And if you think some number of DVDs is too many, do you happen to collect anything else?

I'm closing in on 1200 DVDs. I have several times as many CDs and books. I'd easily give it all up if I could have some instantaneous on-demand service that would let me read/watch/listen to whatever I wanted at any time, without any loss of quality. (and if I could have some watchdog service that made sure the content wasn't being censored or manipulated)

I just started collecting DVDs late last year. Now my collection is close to a hundred and space is bit of concern already. There will always be great movies out there waiting to be discovered and bought.

i own almost 900 dvds and i don't plan on ever stopping. by reading the bargain forum and using CH it's really not that expensive of a hobby. my only concern is storage.

I'm around 1175, growing rapidly. As long as they are cheap (ie. Hollywood video closeouts at $1 each) they are going to keep piling up, someday I'll watch them all...

same for me.

I would say if you think you have too many then you do...

I am not even sure how many I have (more than 300 less than a 1,000 I used to keep track but really don't care anymore how many I have) but I rarely purchase anymore. Blockbuster's online program and in store exchange put a stop to pretty much all blind buy purchases. Eventually I will make the switch to HD so I feel any purchase made now is pretty is pretty much a waste.

How many is too many? I have 2700+. Still not enough. The only problem I have is storage. My house is only 950 sq ft. Most of my DVDs are in Rubbermaid media/photo boxes ( 70 something of them ) stacked up in the basement. Keep the rest in the family room. I am thinking of putting an addition on the house for a home theater and DVD library.

Later

Swarty

I agree with others saying there's no "too many". When I did an attempt at counting earlier this year, I was close to 3000. I don't know the exact number today, and I don't really care either. I don't keep track of the amount, what's the point? That's not why I collect DVDs. It's to have the movies I like readily available for watching and enjoying them.

I have 252 (Dvd Aficionado is great) dvds.

I might stop movie dvds after i buy Ocean 13, Rush Hour 3 and the Simpsons movie (The first two to complete the series and the Simpsons because i have every season-set up til now).

I'll only concentrate on the tv show dvds that need to be completed (An end to the Simpsons would come in handy)

I would stop buying movies after a run like that too.

I did add that it was to complete those series and gave my reasons for the Simpsons, i never actually said that i enjoyed those movies.

It just gets better and better.

Do i actually deserve this? I came onto this thread, wrote something and now i am get BS for it. Is this your weekly cyber-fight? Well i hope i helped stimulate your mind.

So i dont help contribute to ruining this thread i'll let you talk to yourself.

No number is too many so long as you leave a path to the kitchen & to the bathroom. Bedroom is optional.

In the early days of DVD, my collection exploded because it was a situation where you buy it or you don't watch it, because there really was no rental market for DVDs at the time. As a result, I bought a lot of stuff I probably could have rented and been quite satisfied, stuff I have to admit I probably won't revisit on a frequent basis.

As the rental market increased, so did my buying of DVDs decrease. The only aspect of my DVD purchasing that remains pretty healthy are TV shows on DVD, mainly because a lot of shows are not available for rental in most markets.

It's not that I want to own so many DVDs...I just want to watch those shows and movies.

When you find yourself having financial issues, a huge backlog of DVDs, or buying something simply because it's a good/great price.

I've got several hundred DVDs, but I realized even that was probably too many because my life doesn't really allow me to regularly watch them. I understand that one of the drawing points of owning DVDs is that they're there to watch at your leisure. Well, I've got some titles that are still unwatched after three years. That isn't right. It's why I only buy something I know I'll watch regularly (i.e. The Office). If it's a blind buy and I don't like it, I'll usually try and part with it.

I understand what many are saying when they justify why they have so many DVDs. I just don't know how many of them are valid. To each their own, though.

For me it what when I realized I was spending too much time figuring out what I wanted to watch instead of actually watching. My dvd watching time is more limited now than what it used to be so I suppose that's a big contributor to my situation. I had around 700 DVDs, whittled it down to under 50 - just my absolutely MUST HAVEs (defined as my favorite movies - not ultimate versions of classics, etc) - but now it's starting to grow again, slowly though.

I'm around 500 and don't have a lot of time to watch them..thing is i don't think we'll ever stop buying dvds. Hollywood keeps putting them out and until they stop we'll just keep on buying. Of course they'll never stop...it's just hard to watch all your titles. There's only 24 hours in a day..if you plan on watching a season of 24 well there's a big devotion right there!

Good plan. If a couple mild posts intended to obliquely question the logic of buying DVDs of mediocre movies that you apparently don't even care for make you go all weak at the knees, better to say as little as possible.

So on to talking to myself:

Man #1: Do you know what the problem with you is?
Man #2: No, tell me.
Man #1: How would I know? I was hoping you knew.

My work here is done.

Ditto.