Your Collection: Percentage of Used Titles

[manicsounds]

I must say that I frequent the used bins quite a bit to buy dvds,
more so in the early days when I first started to buy dvds.

So how much of your collection consists of used dvds?
Mine came out to approx. this:

USED: 34%
NEW: 61%
GIFTS: 5%

Need help calculating?
divide how the number of used titles you own with the total number in your collection.

[TheBlackKnight]

0% Used

[phpotato]

The thing is, once you've used them, then they are 100% USED by you.

... unless you keep them shrinkwrapped/sealed??

[EM3]

Thats easy to figure zero percent used. Nobody around here sells them used.

[MrMike]

0% used

The only place that sells used dvd's around me are video store chains. I would never buy one from the them. I know how people treat those dvds.

[manicsounds]

Originally Posted by phpotato

The thing is, once you've used them, then they are 100% USED by you.

... unless you keep them shrinkwrapped/sealed??

You know what i mean. As in buying from a used bin, ebay used, etc.

Wow, so far everyone says 0% of their collection is second hand?

[EPKJ]

0% used for me as well. I cannot stand the thought of buying something used.

[LeChuck]

Fewer than 1% of my titles are used. I only have one used title and that is the Akira Limited tin box set. I found it used for about half the price and I had to have it. Other than that, I only buy new really.

[aedavela]

Just one used title for me: The Last Emperor. Media Play has started to sell used DVD's over the past couple weeks. There are some pretty good deals, but I'm pretty anal about used discs. If the packaging looks like shit and especially if the inserts are not included, I'm usually not interested.

[Phreak]

It's a small number. 1% or 2%, all of which were trades with other 'File users.

[FamilyGuyfanBOY]

14%
I use to have ALOT more but they were so badley damged from my local video store i just had to ditch them, bit by bit....

[pdjennings]

0%

[Jerm]

Originally Posted by pdjennings

0%

That is just a scary thought. How much of your collection is bought during the first week of release?

[moviezzz]

I only have 1 used out of 500+ or so, and that was for an out of print title that I bought on Amazon.

I don't quite understand buying used. Rental DVDs are often scratched, don't include artwork or inserts or they may be ripped.

Plus, it isn't like they are expensive new. For $5 more, you can get a sealed, new copy.

[SeanL]

0% used for me.

[tqpix]

I only have one used title. So that's 0.0029 percent.

[wynterfire]

Originally Posted by moviezzz

Plus, it isn't like they are expensive new. For $5 more, you can get a sealed, new copy.

yea, but just think about it ... $5.00 times 973 DVD's = $4865.00.

that's a BIG chunk of change to buy more titles with.

i'd say roughly 3/4 of my collection is used (will calculate later), and the reason i have so many DVD's is because i'd rather be able to buy 2 or 3 used titles as opposed to 1 brand spanking new one.

yes, it is nice to have the inserts, but the movie is MUCH more important to me. and i only buy used if it has the original packaging.

i'd say, on the whole, i've had less than 10 bad incidents (out of close to 1000) in which a DVD is unplayable. but money was refunded and all was well. and only one or two discs that were scratched pretty bad (and they were also returned).

i'd say i'm a pretty good testament to having a large collection, prodominently used, that each and every disc looks either brand new or "mildly" worn in (scratches from basic careful use).

you just have to be very careful where you shop for them and look at the discs when buying them B&M. hell, i've even paid for a disc at a used price online, only to have them send me a factory sealed copy (happened to me quite a bit).

[Scottish Punk]

I am probably 50/50 used to new. I have no problem buying a dvd which is used. It's not like it doesn't have plenty of "playabilty" left in it. If I can save a few bucks here or there, I will.

[projecteightysix]

45%

[Flash Ahhh]

I like to buy titles used if they are ones that I might be on the fence about owning. So I buy them used, and still own them, though I didn't pay full retail.

And these are titles not purchased during street week discount opportunities, but titles that have been out for a while.

Overall I prefer to buy new. And a vast majority of my titles are new as when DVD's street they are only a couple bucks more than what you can by them used for. So in that case, why buy used?

As far as used condition shopping, I will not by a used titles that are not in near mint condition. So if you looked at my collection you wouldn't be able to tell what was purchased used and what was purchased new.

As far as a percentage, I'd say about 5%-7% of my DVD titles where purcahsed used.

-Flash

[moviezzz]

Originally Posted by wynterfire

yea, but just think about it ... $5.00 times 973 DVD's = $4865.00.

that's a BIG chunk of change to buy more titles with.

But if you break that down even farther, you didn't buy all of those at once. Over a period of years is when you spent that. So, the numbers aren't that extreme.

For me, I'd rather have a smaller collection of good titles than a lot of scratched up, scuffed up DVDs I bought just because they were cheap.

[MEJHarrison]

I just recently picked up my first used titles at Hopllywood Video. They had 3 for $25 and I thought I'd give it a shot.

I don't think I'll do it again. No inserts. Had to return one because it was scratched too badly. They were all in poor condition (I keep my stuff in mint condition).

I'd rather have a smaller collection of stuff in nice condition than the crap I got.

[AnonomusBob15]

Never buy used from a Video Store. More than likely that title has been watched by nearly 70 different people and has been handled by only two dvd lovers. Hell, I don't even take that great of care with my rentel discs.


About 45% of my collection is used and I only purchase them if I can look at the disc first.

[aintnosin]

Out of 370-something titles, I bought Cast Away and Thirteen Days used.

[Dilmo]

0%. I don't trust how people treated them before me.

[Niki]

I have a little over 100 DVDs (not sure how many) and only one was bought used.

[Marq]

Out of about 400 DVDs, I'd guess about 20 at the most. Therefore, not a whole lot at 0.05%.
It's usually reserved for titles I'm only mildly interested in re-watching. I've never had a problem with any of them thankfully.

[Master Gandhi]

0% of my collection is composed of used DVDs. If I'm on the fence about a title, I will usually just wait for it to drop in price because I refuse to own a DVD that I know has spun in someone else's DVD player before mine. That's just a pet peeve of mine. Also, I love that moment of removing the shrinkwrap and revealing the fresh new DVD inside. It's like magic each and every time.

[limacharliewhiskey]

0% of my collection is used. If a DVD is worth owning in my collection, I prefer to have it pristine and untouched by other fingers. Lots of DVDs get price reductions constantly, and combined with weekly sales at local Circuit Citys and Best Buys, new discs can often be purchased at a price pretty close to the prices of used discs.

[Sycho]

Originally Posted by tqpix

I only have one used title. So that's 0.0029 percent.

how do you end up with .8th of a dvd, 1/0.0029=344.82758620689655172413793103448

[aedavela]

Lots of 'Filers having math problems today

[Tcjody]

I'd say about 15% of my collection was bought used. The Movie Gallery by me has a life-time guarantee on all previously viewed DVDs you buy, so if something is wrong I can just exchange it. They are slowly going out of business around here though, and I can't stand buying from Hollywood Video. Like a lot of you said, they just get handled too roughly.

[projecteightysix]

check out pawn shops, the ones by me only take dvds that arent scratched, then sell them for 5.50 each... its very nice

[manicsounds]

When I buy used DVDs I NEVER go to Blockbuster, Hollywood, or any video stores.
I always go to the second hand record stores to buy my used material.

Plus, you can always check to see if the inserts are there and how clean or scratched they may be.

I've gotten spanking amazing deals from used bins:

Do The Right Thing Criterion $18
Fantasia Anthology $35
Silence Of The Lambs Criterion $10
Rushmore Criterion $13
Snow White $10
Time Bandits Criterion $15
Traffic Criterion $15
Fight Club 2 Disc $10
Seven Platinum $10
ALL my Universal Hitchcocks $10 each
Who Framed Roger Rabbit Vista $10 (1 week after the release! used bin!)
and obviously a whole lot more.

I'm a person that does not mind if it was used,
as long as it is in very good condition with nothing missing.

I will guess that 60% of my CDs are used,
and maybe 90% of my Vinyl is used.
I just give them a second life. Besides, it's a shame to leave any of those titles listed above in a used bin.......

[asphodel5]

I don't have an exact figure, but I'm certain that less than 1% of my collection is used. Every once in a while I will buy a disc on ebay. I've never had a problem with them, but I won't do it unless there is an incredible deal. When you include shipping, it is difficult to justify ebay over DeepdiscountDVD. Apparently, a number of ebayers are unaware of it. Many of my recent sales were within $2 of my original purchase price. Of course, those people were lucky. My DVDs are nearly always in mint condition.

[reapersaurus]

Originally Posted by Master Gandhi

0% of my collection is composed of used DVDs. If I'm on the fence about a title, I will usually just wait for it to drop in price because I refuse to own a DVD that I know has spun in someone else's DVD player before mine. That's just a pet peeve of mine. Also, I love that moment of removing the shrinkwrap and revealing the fresh new DVD inside. It's like magic each and every time.

No offense, man, but this is a pretty scary picture of a DVD collector to me.

I just don't see what difference it makes where they've been, as long as they play well.

And it sounds like many people assume that used = crappy quality.

I've never had one problem with a used disc. Maybe in my neck of the woods, renters are more careful about handling them, because I just don't see any quality problems with used discs.
Maybe we've gotten lucky..... repeatedly.

[SilentBob]

I thought i would be a lot higher in percentage of used dvd's but i'm at almost 50% right on the nose. And about 17-19% from Gifts and the rest i bought new

[TylerD]

Originally Posted by manicsounds

I always go to the second hand record stores to buy my used material.

Plus, you can always check to see if the inserts are there and how clean or scratched they may be.

I've gotten spanking amazing deals from used bins

Ditto. There's a Record Store down the street from me that has amazing deals on new releases. I can walk in no later than three days after a new title has just come out and buy it used for half the price of what I could get it retail. Sometimes half of first week sale price. And their box set prices aren't bad either. I got Smallville Season Two a week after it's release for $30 and Freaks and Geeks for $35 a couple of days ago.

I have no problem buying used. As longs as it's in good condition and has it's inserts, fine by me.

[Chunkblower]

Out of 482 DVDs, 30 are used so that's a piddling 6%.

I have no problem buying used. Titles I really look forward to, or newly released catalogue titles, I buy day and date. With other titles (I am not so anxious about) I usually wait for the price to drop or they are available previously viewed, which ever comes first

[LeChuck]

Originally Posted by Master Gandhi

Also, I love that moment of removing the shrinkwrap and revealing the fresh new DVD inside. It's like magic each and every time.

Removing the plastic seal and then spending an hour mutilating your dvd trying to get the fucking security seals off. I own over 100 dvds and I still have yet to get those off without a hitch.