Hi everyone, guess I'll start this from the very beginning with my LaserDisc interest.
My first introduction to actually understanding or even knowing what LD was would of been at Service Merchandise, via store and catalog in 1989-90 in the US, specifically the states of PA & NY. Then around 1994, in PA mostly now, I started taking my local bus to the mall an frequenting Suncoast video. This allowed me to scan through all the different LDs there. Back in the era of VHS quality (an usually rentals at that), LD looked incredible for picture quality, audio, packaging, commentary tracks, everything! ha. Some of the boxsets I saw (Ex: Brazil especially...) and packaging pretty much mesmerized me back then.
For better or worse, the Xennial micro generation definition fits my interests pretty well (analog childhood, digital adulthood) across the board, obviously this included LaserDisc. I was somewhat of a Carl Sagan fan as a child and the Voyager Golden records seemed so cool, an to me, a LD was like owning a movie, tv show, whatever on that golden record for myself. From probably 1989-90 until 2016, I always wanted one, but finding a working model at flea markets locally or paying $50-90 S&H on some auctions really killed the appeal. Then in late 2016, by a pure fluke, I received a Pioneer LaserDisc player.....an boy have I made progress.....including a 2nd LD player, ha.
Now, full disclosure, I owned about 16 LDs before I received my first player, but now I probably have close to 200 with about 100 pictured to a minimal extent here. I especially focus on collecting B movies (horror, scifi, comedy), Criterion Collection titles, comedy (stoner comedy/parody) and anything associated with the Monty Python crew.
Back during my teenage years, I was equally into anime, now I sorta have disdain for it, ha. I still collect Japanese Director Satoshi Kon's (RIP) works and some classics though (Ex: Akira, Studio Ghilbi). Having reduced activity due to covid-19 and the world seemingly going somewhat mad, I had a bit of free time on my hands as of late an thought to myself, "I wonder, a LaserDisc collecting community has to exist somewhere online" an one duckduckgo search later, here I am.
Edit: Fixed various typos
