Hastings --what's up with their absurd used DVD prices?
 

A previously viewed DVD at Hastings used to top out at about $10 and they had frequent B2G1 sales. Lately, they've got the PV DVDs topping out at $15 and they haven't had a sale for a long time. Movie Gallery has PV DVDs for $15 too, but they always have some kind of sale that makes the top end $10 or less.

Anybody --like a Hastings employee-- know what's up with this? Are people really paying $15 for a used DVD that's scratched, and marred by a Hastings label, two months after they could have bought the same DVD brand new for $16-$18 at Target or Best Buy?

I don't get the marketing strategy here, since I can order most of these DVDs used off Amazon and pay the $3 shipping charge and still get it for $5 less. On one hand I'm prepared to believe there are a lot of stupid people out there, but on the other, it looks like they're keeping their shelves full of these $15 joke DVDs.

Not much of a bargain is it?

I notice the same thing at my local Hasting. I used to buy alot of pre-viewed DVD when B2G1 deal. But seems stopped since Jan.

There prices on used dvd boxsets are even more ridiculous. They are still selling used Star Trek seasons for 80 dollars. lol Used Stargate seasons for $35.00.

Everytime I go in, it's the same used sets. WHy price so high that you can't move the products? I don't even bother looking anymore at Hastings. Their only good sale now is on Black Friday. No more 30% off used sales either.

You might want to move this over to the Store Forum.

Actually they've had PV titles for ~$15 around here for several years. It's usually the "hot" titles or "heavy renters". This seems odd as you would think those would go at "fire sale" prices since they made their purchase price back long ago...

Yes, their prices are incredibly inflated... Even on new titles which are almost always at full list, typically going "on sale" at the price the discount stores have everyday. And I see lots of people purchasing these thinking they're getting a "deal". I quietly smile and shake my head...

Anyway, I theorize that they're just building up stock for the next "sale"... and most of the ~$15 titles drop to $10 or less in just a few months. Patience, grasshopper...

weird- just bought 10 used rental DVD's for $3.99 each- included 5 criterions. all were great shape.

also picked up Henry Portrait - SE- for $3.99 a few weeks back

their online prices are pretty good :-D GoHastings.com can have some pretty rare stuff from time to time...and they offer a free shipping code and i have never been wronged by them in my 10+ orders i've placed there!

My local Hastings is expensive on Used DVDs too, hell even older Disney DVDs are $14.49, stuff like Valiant and Tarzan II. I rarely pick up anything there anymore because of the high prices. I have been shopping Blockbuster because they have 40% off and there high-end prices are $12.99 which makes them about $8 after discount, and my local has a lot of $4.99 stuff which is $3 after discount. I got alot of good stuff from them recently, including the OOP Fright Night Part II for $3.

Yeah, some stuff at Hastings is ridiculously priced. They used to always do a B1G1 on PV-DVD's. It was basically almost always $5 a piece that way. Then it was B2G1 (still a pretty good deal). Now it's... $15 each. What happened? I think they must be building stock before putting on another awesome sale to get their customers back. I don't know.

I have noticed many other used DVD titles (and even some recent ones) going for $4 or $2 though. The other day I noticed The Condemned, Bug, and Breach for the $2 to own PV price. That is pretty awesome IMHO. Those aren't ones you'd find for a penny plus shipping on Amazon.

Nice bargain -rolleyes-

If its a corporately owned business you can exspect high prices on PV - I just check out my local Pawn Shops and Ma 'n Pa Video Stores. You get steals there! ;)

The last good deal I got at Hastings was when they were having a 3 for $9.99 deal on certain DVDs back in febuary and the employees there thought it was for ALL PV DVDs and I walked out with about 60 DVDs, I got newer stuff like Hairspray, Halloween, The Heartbreak Kid and Rush Hour 3 for $3.33

The prices are hit and miss at my local Hastings. They still have the 30% off all used items when they have their midnight release parties though.

The things that gripes my...backside...is the fact they pay you peanuts for the item then jack the price up 200 to 400%.

I used to love Hasting's. Probably a good 1/3 - 1/2 of my DVDs came from there. They would put out PV DVDs for $9.99 about a month or so after it's release. I stopped buying brand new DVDs (unless it was something big like Spider-Man and there was a real good deal on release week), just because I knew I could wait a few weeks and get them for a lot cheaper. I also remember the B1G1 sales. Then they started doing B2G1 sales constantly, so they jacked up the prices. It's really ridiculous.

I've had this same complaint about Blockbuster, too. But they even put the movies in their stupid generic cases. I've gotten to the point that I rarely buy a DVD (mostly due to saving money with a new baby on the way, and waiting until Blu-Ray comes down in price), and I very rarely purchase a used DVD. I've went from looking at Hastings at least once or twice a week, to maybe once a month or every other month. And even then it's because I feel like I haven't been there in a while, so I should check to see if anything is new, or I'm looking for something to rent (if RedBox doesn't have it), or when I was looking for HD DVDs.

And... then in today's paper is a Hastings ad with a "All used and PV, B1 Get 1 for $.01 Friday and Saturday" sale.

Yes, more of the general weirdness. They will get rid of titles like these, that are often hardly viewed and in nearly pristine condition, for $4 a pop. And their newer PV releases of foreign films that command relatively high used prices on Amazon are usually priced at low end of their usual price range --from $8 to $10. This is just another aspect of their pricing that makes no sense to me.

Me too. In fact, my job frequently takes me to meetings in various places that give me the opportunity to check out four different stores. Now, except for the occasional rental shelf clearing of very old rentals and CC DVDs cited above, which are still a good deal, I don't even bother (though I did catch the ad in the paper today and will check out my local store). I haven't bought a recently released PV DVD there in over three months because the prices have been better everywhere else: Blockbuster, Hollywood Video, and Movie Gallery (though since MG bought Hollywood the prices at these two now seem to be synchronized).

Another thing I've noticed is that the time for many new releases to hit the PV shelves has been increasing at Hastings, Hollywood, and Movie Gallery (don't stop enough in BB to have a feeling for it there).

Still another thing I've noticed is that all four Hastings stores I visit have dramatically reduced their stock of foreign films.

What I'm really curious about though, is what business model they are using to price their PV DVDs; and even more, who the fuck pays $15 for a used rental DVD two months after the fact when they could have had it new on the release day for about $3 more --on average.

I haven't been having much luck in Pawn shops lately (none with BR DVDs), but I've also noticed upward price pressure on used DVD's in non-chain stores like Waterloo Video in Austin.

What I've been waiting for.

Whoah, is this nationwide? I don't get a paper here so I wouldn't see one. Or online?

I believe it is nationwide because the ad says things like "not all items available at all locations" and "for the Hastings nearest you call...."

unfortunately, that sale doesn't include blu rays :(