Hello fellow collectors. I've been hoarding films for a long ass time so I thought I'd put together a collection of tips, tricks, and resources some of the newer users may not be familiar with and I hope you'll share any better options for my outdated, old man options listed below.
Formats
The key takeaway is simple; watch whatever you want, whatever you can, whatever makes you happy. I own multiple VHS, DVDs, Blu-rays, 4Ks, Laserdiscs, and even CEDs (Capacitance Electronic Discs). I've watched them on 13 in TV/VCR combos, large OLED TVs, and a projector in my basement. I love all of them for different reasons. Anyone giving you a hard time about how you watch movies is, in my opinion, missing the magic.
The newer formats will give you great picture and sound (generally), VHS and DVDs will be cheaper (usually). Though with some modern re-releases we're faced with a new beast. AI upscaling. Sometimes older releases will get you the "best" version of a film. Famously, nearly every collector is salivating for an official release of the original theatrical Star Wars Trilogy. I'm not holding my breath. You can check blu-ray.com for user reviews on a specific release to see other movie geeks' thoughts on how good or bad a transfer is.
Additionally you may find a DVD with special features that aren't available on newer releases. You can use websites like dvddoubledip.com or dvdcompare.net in an attempt to compare options. If I can't find it there I'll deep dive into ebay listings in an attempt to find clear photos of the backs of the films.
A note on censorship and ratings: Sometimes films are released as "unrated" or "uncut". There's no real standard to these labels. They may contain entire scenes and subplots or it could be 17 seconds of Willem Dafoe doing full frontal nudity. You can try to find out with Websites like movie-censorship.com (though I see it's currently not loading properly. Hopefully that's straightened out soon) or schnittberichte.com for our European collectors. For parents and those who care, the MPAA (and other similar systems in other countries) assign arbitrary ratings to most films. The process to do this is convoluted and highly subjective (Which leads to my first film suggestion. Check out This Film is Not Yet Rated - Full Doc though I will say that some things have changed since that doc was released) you can also use websites like commonsensemedia.org or kids-in-mind.com even IMDb has a "Parental Guide" for each film.
Lastly, it's my recommendation you avoid buying any fullscreen DVDs. But you can watch this and decide for yourself. Though commentators have reminded me that some films originally come in fullscreen or other non-standard aspect ratios.
Purchasing
The best way to purchase physical media varies a LOT based on location. If you have an awesome video store you know about and would like to share, click here (I might rebuild this form later... I'll edit this if I do). Another post with some other locations
Buying new will obviously give you the best chance to get an undamaged copy of a film, but I personally prefer buying used because I'm a cheapskate. Remember to check places like Pawn Shops, Thrift Stores, and even public libraries for used media for sale. You can also find stuff on various social media based marketplaces.
Purchasing online may be your only option. If so here are a few resources:
- camelcamelcamel.com - set a desired price for amazon items. Get notified if a price reaches your set price.
- Gixen.com - eBay auction sniper. will automatically place your bids on eBay at the last moment.
Regions
DVDs and Blu-rays have region based "locks" on the discs. Be aware of this before you purchase a film from another region. You can find players that will play different region discs and sometimes you can even "unlock" your existing DVD player. Having a "region free" player can open up your options when it comes to finding a rarer film. You can also check the "Region Coding" section on blu-ray.com to see if a blu-ray is region free. These discs will play on any blu-ray player. 4K discs are region free. This does NOT mean that a 4K player will play all region blu-rays/DVDs.
Packaging & Organization
Movies come in all kinds of packaging. You just need to figure out what you're keeping and how you'll display it. Some people take all their discs and put them in binders. Others would say that it sacrilege. There are even Binders that can accommodate cover art. Some people prefer storage boxes with sleeves. There are also "slim" cases that are approximately half the thickness of a standard case. The caveat is you generally have to trim the cover art slightly to fit properly. I was lucky enough to find dozens of rubbermaid boxes that were perfect for my space. They also make bags.
As far as shelves are concerned, the IKEA Billy bookcase has been a long time workhorse. But building your own can be as cheap and easy or complicated and costly as you want. Then there's the matter of organization. You can sort alphabetically, by genre, or even director. As long as you can find what you want, you do you. Just don't do like I did... I couldn't find shit. Or you can just not organize at all.
Steelbooks are HIGHLY collectible and some people place them in protective cases to avoid dents. I found some steelbooks that didn't have art on the inside so I modified them slightly. And this is my favorite part of collecting movies (other than watching them!). The little personal touches (or big) people add to their collection.
Scratches
Keep in mind, this is only recommended with DVDs. DO NOT USE ABRASIVES ON BLU-RAYS
Disc resurfacing machines are definitely a thing, and they work relatively well. But they're pricey. I literally use a bench grinder with a buffing wheel on it. Cost me about $50 to set up and I've been using it for years.
I use a standard buffing compound. Make sure the buffer has variable speed so you can slow it down and don't ruin anything. If it doesn't you can get a slider switch like this to adjust the speed of the grinder. Also, make sure you're not trying to buff DVDs in blistering heat. You'll melt the discs. Ask me how I know.
Here's my grinder I got it on clearance from Menards. It doesn't have variable speed so I use one of the above mentioned slider switch.
I can't really recommend any specific wheels or compounds as I bought mine YEARS ago and I don't remember anything about them. Make sure the hole of the wheel will fit on your grinder though... one of mine didn't really fit and I had to force it.
On mine I use the right wheel for big scratches and then go to the left one to shine it up. I won't pretend it works every time... but it really does make a difference and you should be able to find everything for $40-$100. Which is FAR less than many other buffing options. I've not had to replace ANY of the components I use and I've got a collection nearing 7,000. Though many of my used discs come pre-buffed from one of my favorite used video stores.
Couple videos I've found that show similar setups:
Tracking
Keeping track of your collection will generally get more difficult the larger is gets. You can either be diligent about maintaining a small, curated collection, or you can go hod wild and make sure you keep track of what you've got. A simple google spreadsheet can help the next time you're at the thrift store trying to remember whether you own a copy of Eat Pray Love. Some other options are CLZ (subscription), My Movies by Blu-ray.com (free), and My Movies 5 Pro (paid). Letterboxd.com is one of my favorite websites for tracking what I watch and rate/review films, but it also allows users to tag films. You can add an "owned' tag for movies you own as a free tracking option. If you pay for a letterboxd account (I recommend this) you can create a list of the films you own and it'll create a special "OWN" tag on films you own.
Boutique Labels
There are a lot of companies that license movies and release them often with loads of special features or packaging, maybe even a lovely restoration. Here's an informal list!
Digital Media
We're in /r/dvdcollection and this post is about physical media, but the convenience (at times) of digital media is not lost of me. And since many new releases come with digital codes, here's my two cents. I have a collection of over 9,000 movies and TV shows on disc. But I'm not going to pretend I don't occasionally pull up a movie on a streaming device. I've got over 700 films in my VUDU (fandango at home) account. Use the codes if you want. Sell them or give them away if you don't.
But here are two tips regarding movies on digital platforms:
Make sure you connect your digital streaming account to a moviesanywhere.com account. This will share them across other accounts like google/youtube, amazon, and fandango at home. This has allowed me to share and watch movies with friends and family without them needing to own the movies. It has made online movie parties possible with my extended family.
Use fandango at home's disc2digital service. This allows you to get a digital copy of a movie you own (not all movies are available) for a VERY discounted price. But make sure you DO NOT go to dvdupc.com and just use the UPCs there to scan and add movies to your collection. You should DEFINITELY make sure you own the movie and don't just GO TO THE SITE AND TAKE A PHOTO OF THE UPC FROM THERE. That would be dastardly. Anyway, this has allowed me to watch an HD copy of Spice World when all I have is the DVD. I believe it's the only way to watch that movie (and some others) in HD, officially.
My break is almost over so I'm going to wrap this up here. I'll try coming back to add anything I've forgotten or left out. Let me know your favorite tip I've not mentioned!
