what "scam" was it exactly? To me a scam is like the box set Prince promised a decade ago that was mail order and fans received it a year after they were charged.

Do you like Freaks And Geeks?

Did you buy the set because it sounded like a great deal? (the retail is the same now as it was 4 years ago... you'd have a better job complaining about the Star Trek, X-Files, Buffy, Sex And The City and CSI sets which now sell for half what they originally sold for)

Did you enjoy the extra features?

If you said yes to those three, then I don't feel sorry for you being "scammed". Like I said before, I bought the Buffy "Chosen Collection" from Amazon under the impression it was limited to 50,000 sets, and it was put back in print after the initial run sold out because Fox saw a demand for it. I don't feel scammed about the Buffy set I bought when I believed it was a one-time pressing. I don't see the difference between that and the Freaks And Geeks Yearbook, which was also promised as a one-time pressing, then came back in print. If they were planning an additional bonus disc with 2008 reflections from Apatow, Rogen and Franco that wasn't in the initial box set, I'd understand the complaints. But... you're paying the same price today as you paid then, and you had four years of enjoyment in it. Plus... what happens if one of the bonus discs breaks?

I did, two weeks ago!

Oh bullshit. Do you honestly think that there weren't people that placed initial orders for more than one copy, for the sole purpose of selling it for a much higher price later? If that were the case, you wouldn't be seeing the yearbooks appearing on eBay or Half.com or where ever.

As far as me falling dead if they re-printed any collectables I've spent money on, that wouldn't be the case, since I don't buy DVDs for any perceived value that they have. If Criterion put back out any of the OOP releases that I have, identical to the version I have, I wouldn't care in the slightest. So someone else is able to get it. Big deal. I buy it because it's a movie (or TV show) that I like or am interested in, not so I can feel special or superior to someone else.

I also love the irony that you say that if someone wanted the yearbook, they should "hock up the money and pay the eBay value," presumably because life isn't fair, yet you're complaining about how it's unfair that something rare you had is being made available to the general public.

Scam my ass. If they were re-releasing it at half the price you paid for it, I could see someone feeling scammed. If they did what BMG did with people whom wanted the bonus disc for their My So-Called Life release, I could see someone feeling scammed. This isn't a scam, it's business. I personally think that you're overreacting to the whole thing, but in the end, it doesn't matter. That just means one more Shout! release on the shelf that I have a chance to pick up.

:::claps hands:::

I agree. It's like people bought this set for for status and not because they love the show. I wonder how many people bitching about how they were scammed still has their yearbook sealed because of hopes they were going to be able to to buy a car using it or something down the road? You can't compare movies, TV shows or music to baseball cards or action figures. The latter are meant for collectors and geeks and for status symbols for those who get it and hold onto them. I don't buy DVD's for potential value, I buy what I like. I am not a big F&G fan so I didn't buy the yearbook in 2004 and won't in 2008, but I do know a number of fans of the series who came into it after the initial DVD release (ummm, a lot of people have checked the show out since it came out on DVD because of Apatow and Rogen... think McFly, think!) and would love to have the yearbook edition, but aren't about to fork over the prices on ebay that greedy collectors bought for no reason than "I can make a pretty penny on this in three years".

And the people I know who have the yearbook and are fans of the show aren't pissed off or felt scammed that they got two additional discs that weren't released to the general public. You only got scammed if you bought the set for profit reasons, if you love the show, you weren't scammed. I hate people who will find something that got taken out of print on the shelf at the nearest Best Buy just to make a profit on ebay, instead of letting a real fan find a bargain. I remember before My So-Called Life was put back in print (I'm sure that pissed you guys off too, eh?) and copies were going for $100+, a lot of people would post that they found a copy on the shelf and decide to hock it online to get $100 instead of letting a real MSCL fan who was buying the set for their own enjoyment get it at retail price.

Wow, this news is just as bad as when I heard Salo was being re-released.

Not really.

I'm happy I can get this now. Because I never watched Freaks and Geeks and now that I'm a "new" Judd Apatow and Seth Rogen fan, Shout can capitalize on people like me.

Hooray!

What I find funny is people overstating Seth Rogen's role in this show. He's not a primary character. He's not even a secondary character. He's a few lines away from being a background character. He had a significantly larger role in Undeclared.

True, although he does have a bigger role some episodes, namely The Little Things.

There are lots of reasons besides greed that would lead to yearbooks being sold, not limited to but including a significant other forcing one to sell a DVD collection, loss of job or poverty forcing them to do the same, a loss of interest in the show, or death.

And I don't think an OOP Criterion is the same thing. Criterions aren't limited from the beginning, and they are not perceived as a collectible until Criterion loses their license. The key here is and remains that this was advertised to the fans, by its creators in a personal letter that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and they were, as said, "breaking the mold, never again" on such a set. And this release is not another limited run of 25,000, or motivated by those same creators as "another special chance to own this collectible" or something like that, this seems to be solely based on the fact that the show's stars have shot to fame and so now what was once deemed special by people who gave us the show is cashed-in simply to profit off the fame of its alumni.

exactly my feelings.

I can't believe you guys are being so greedy and childish, it's actually quite funny. I hope they re-release this, and then later re-release it on Blu-Ray just to spite you guys. Now who's being juvenile?

As mentioned, if they had shrunk the yearbook content to be a hardback or softcover booklet, ala a Criterion booklet, and then included the discs in non-Yearbook packaging, I think everyone would be okay with it. New fans could have the disc content and even the yearbook content, without the promise of "breaking the mold" being ruined.

I don't blame them, if I had bought the set at the time, I would feel the same way.

However I did watch and was a huge fan of F&G back when it aired, and never got around to buying the Yearbook release, so I will definitely be getting this regardless.

It was so personal that they posted the letter on a web site for all to see and whose sole purpose was to sell you a $120 DVD set. Gimmie a break.

I never really cared for Freaks and Geeks before so I mostly ignored the initial DVD release, but i've seen a few episodes now and working my way though so this caught my eye.

I can't believe those who already have the yearbook are complaining. Yeah it wasn't limited like originally said, but I can't think of any reason why you would be upset other then if you were hoping to sell it and reap the collector's value of the item. Otherwise, sounds like just being selfish.

I would understand complaining if the price on the re-release was substantially lower.

If so, they should offer refunds to the original buyers.

If the price is the same, I wouldn't worry about it, the more collectors the merrier.

that's what I'm thinking. People who are bitching didn't buy the set because they're fans of the show, they bought it because having an out of print collectable is a status symbol to them, and more people getting the chance to own it dilutes their specialness. Boo-frigging-hoo, you won't be able to unload a set you didn't even watch on ebay for as much as you could've.

Anyways, if this was an upgrade to BluRay, would people still bitch?

I'm sure there were a few people who bought it just to re-sell later, but not the huge amount you think. Many are still in the original owners hands and will be for a long time. But sometimes people make sacrafices and its either eat this month or sell the set for $300. I certainly didn't make a value for the set, the general public did. I bought it because I was a fan (and have watched it a dozen times since 2004) and wanted somethung unique. Now its not. Its to cash in on the rising status of Apatow and Rogen. Shame on Shout for screwing over fans who made their studio well known (before this who the hell even knew what Shout was?).

I'm done with this thread. Its great new fans can get what I have, but its a shame Shout and the creators lied to all their original fans. Its more of Shout being greedy then the creators which will force me to never purchase anything from that studio again. Ive sent my letter and said exactly what many are feeling but too afraid to type due to some members calling us insane for expecting a studio to follow through with its promises.

Ah, ok, thanks!

So there is a difference (albeit slight) with this new pressing... I don't see why that wouldn't satisfy the hardcore collectors, especially if they'd have been ok with it being re-released in another form (smaller booklet, etc.).

I know you said you're done so you probably won't reply, but I still don't get this attitude at all. If all you are is a big fan of the series, nothing about this re-release affects you other then you don't get to feel "special" anymore for owning something that others don't have. And considering the price and cult nature of the show, it's only other big fans that would buy this anyway, so if anyone really was that big of a fan of the show, they should be happy knowing that others are getting to enjoy this as well.

Maybe it's just because I don't have the collector's mentality, especially concerning DVD's, but it should be a good thing that demand for this was high enough to reprint and that the studio is doing a good thing for fans. If it's such a slap in the face, might as well sell your existing set.

A. I realize that there are multiple reasons why one would need to or choose to sell this set. That doesn't change the fact that along with the ones you posted, one happens to be to try to make a profit later on.

B. OK, if you don't want to use Criterion as an example, let me try another one. Anchor Bay released a numbered, 2-Disc Limited Edition of Halloween a few years ago, with the main bonus being the Extended Edition of the movie. Since that release went out of print, not only have they released the Extended Edition separately (which has also since gone OOP), but they plan on re-releasing the 2-Disc set as part of the upcoming Halloween box set they're putting out this year. I have the Limited Edition, and couldn't care less how many times they keep releasing the contents, thus making what I have less "limited". That's not why I bought it in the first place.

C. As Mr. Corvin pointed out, it's not like they hand-wrote the letter and mailed it out to all the people who visited the web site. It was posted on a web site for all to see, in hopes of selling everybody DVD release of a TV show that lasted one season at $120.

Look, when it is all said and done, it's a business. Some people like to put other companies on higher pedestals than others, like Criterion and Shout!, but their primary goal is to make money. The fact that this set has sold for hundreds of dollars on eBay or Half shows that there's a demand for it, so Shout! is willing to supply it. That's how the economy works.

Well the I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree. I don't buy anything on DVD so I can have something unique. If I'm want to buy a movie or TV show or whatever, I want to buy the best possible version of it, regardless of how many quantities are produced. Seeing as how I value disc content, the Yearbook Edition of Freaks & Geeks is the best possible release of it. If I can get a copy of it and not have to pay $300+ on eBay for me, I'm happy. I don't care if everybody on my street ends up getting a copy or not. That's not why I buy DVDs in the first place.

So you're mad at a studio for not making a product unavailable to people? Its not like Shout Factory is taking your yearbook set and giving it to someone else. Buy something to enjoy it, not to get the feeling of belonging to some exclusive club.

True fans don't buy something because of what it's worth to someone else, but because of what it's worth to them.

Let 'em re-release the yearbook. It's fantastic. I want everyone who wants one to be able to get one.

you said you bought it because you were a fan and watched the set a dozen times in the past four years. Therefore, you weren't scammed. You enjoyed the set and got your moneys worth, so what's the problem? So new fans who discovered Rogen and Apatow through Knocked Up and Superbad have a chance to enjoy what you've enjoyed. Big whoop!

Didn't buy the first one, probably not buying this one, but I kinda side with the "angry" folks in this case. They did say, "limited time only, break the mold" kinda thing...now they should have just released the same CONTENT, in basic packaging, not calling it the yearbook edition, and they would have been pretty safe. But the created almost an identical package based on the populartity of the folks involved now (vs a few years back)

This screams of more greed than the original owners of the package are getting accused of...