I only joined LDDb a little over a year ago. So I am curious to her from older members if LD prices have fallen in general or risen? For example, I've noticed a wide range of selling prices in the history boxes, all in similar condition, and some sold for $3 in 2005 and now are selling at $40. Are sellers today asking for more than they did just a few years ago? What's your thinking: Is this justified because today's buyers are more likely to be collectors than consumers?



"J"

Its an up and down game for sure.

Interesting question.

I've seen what would have been classed as run of the mill film and music titles now being sold for $50-100 USD which 5 years ago were about $10.
Many of the rarer music titles have vanished completely from places like Ebay so prices have risen sharply since supply cannot keep up with demand.
My own collection is mostly music titles and I'd estimate that it is worth more now that when I bought the titles. Not sure if the same applies to other genres.

Frankly I think a fair chunk of the prices people are asking for discs is just silly. I do not deny folks the ability to make a living and maintaining a business. Folks like DaDon and LaserDiscVault are great and I'm sure they work hard to purchase multiple copies of titles and assemble copies that are good and clean with inner sleeves and so forth. But some of these titles just do not seem to be work anywhere near the prices that they are asking. I mean why can't I find a copy of the Disney edition of "The Muppet Movie" for less than $15?

You can Blaine find the disney's The Muppet Movie for under $15! It's in my shop right now for $10

Mark

I've seen asking prices on ebay and even local shops go up in recent years, but that doesn't necessarily mean people are buying and selling at those prices. Some of those sellers are trying to sell LDs as "retro" and "cool." I generally don't spend more than $10 on any given title unless it's something that I must have or is hard to find.

For online retailers, Duff's Flix (despite the over-the-top and cheesy descriptions for everything) has discs listed at what I would consider market value. For local shops, half price books (if they're in your area) has LDs at reasonable prices.

ive only been into LD for about 2 years but from what ive heard prices were pretty low a few years ago, i think prices will rise a little more and then fall again

Supply and demand will dictate price. Also cost and competition come into play. For those titles with no other source will demand the most value. New releases on other formats are the biggest risk to value. Also buyers like myself who transfer titles to digital or worse yet make a pirated DVD release, then resell onto the market.
Demand will slow because of lack of players and willing buyers.
Supply will dwindle as fewer titles become available (for those only released on LD), also laser rot could effect supply.
Every title has a different answer, yes some titles are becoming more valuable, most less.


Elvis

Elvis,
agree, i remember when discs were selling higher, now you have some crazys listing 2g and 6g for a disc.

unfortunatly this is not like an LP, even when they stoped production they still made players in small amounts, then restarted production of both players and vinyl.

i love LDs but they are going the way of other old video technology, Beta, CED, VHD, Hi-8, S-VHS and more.
it's all about who has what in their collection and what they need yet, also if it's cheap enough for them to get their fix

Yeah, it's a risk to pay crazy money for those rare LD's. Another reason I would be unwilling to hold onto any titles. If they demand a high value today that doesn't mean they will tomorrow. So I am an immediate seller of those titles that command a premium today.
I think those with huge collections will probably come out even at this point from their original purchase with a few titles collecting alot more and most less. But again that doesn't mean it will be so tomorrow. Many reasons for the price to go either way. My guess, would be down on average. In fact it will be like that monopoly game when you land on chance. Eventually it will say, You inherit your uncles Laserdisc collection pay $200 for removal.

"Titan A.E.for sale" thread is a indirect parallel of this one ........

Movies not on DVD and Music stuff will always command a higher price as they may or may not be released on DVD. Some of them are streaming but that is not physical. I feel playing the game is stuff that is end of the road discs like Titan AE, Existenz or titles like that, that are solely for the collector market. It is a dangerous game to mess with them for resale unless you get them for cheap. If I was going to keep the disc that is a different story, not for resale though.

If supply went down, the price would go up, not down.

Correct, as long as demand didn't go down faster.

I think the few collectors of LD are just starting to decide what is valuable to them. The "special" stuff like squeeze discs, LD only titles, anime, special editions, Song of the South, etc are going to hold their value, but a copy of Forest Gump or whatever is going to decline forever. Discovision titles, and most stuff pre-digitial sound is already basically worthless.

Overall, %99 of all titles are now worth way way less than they were new, but the special stuff will always be special.

Good day signofzeta, elviscaprice, naiaru, mikeystoyz, firehorse_44, rein-o, blam1, laserdisc_fan, gandjrarities,

Give of take somewhat minor differences in our replies, we do agree that there are number of titles that are special and they will always be classed as such.

all of the Squeezed titles, Muse titles and a number limited pressings that will always demand a higher price, until of coarse things run out or the like.

Regards

We cant forget the stuff on widescreen that was only released full screen on DVD. Those will always hold some of their value as well.

or things made in fullscreen then butchered into widescreen on dvd

You'd think that was the case, but you can still get the insanely funnyFierce Creatures Laserdisc which is 2.35:1 Widescreen, with the R1 DVD being P&S. Yet you can get that LD for next to nothing!

I believe the R2 DVD is Widescreen, but still!

There are those sellers who keep their prices at a $4.99 starting bid regardless of the title. Some are even .99 & let the bidders decide how high it will go. Then there are the vultures which i dont even bother with that have the $200.00 BS. Da Don thinks some of his are made of gold. Does he even post here?