Barnes & Noble 50% off Criterion Collection sale: July 12 - Aug. 1

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Tybee

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According to the Blu-ray.com forums, Barnes & Noble's annual (occasionally bi-annual) 50% off Criterion sale is inbound and will begin July 12. This, along with the regular Deep Discount Criterion 50% sale, is the cheapest you will find Criterions and the best way to stock up. They usually bulk up on inventory online and in-store ahead of the sale, so it's generally pretty easy to find the ones you want.

There are more ways to maximize your discount. Usually there's a $5 off coupon floating around during the sale. If anyone sees one of these, please post a link.

Additionally, if you're a Barnes & Noble Member ($25 per year), you get an another 10 percent off in-store purchases OR free expedited shipping for online orders. I learned this week that it's possible to get a free two-month trial membership (only if you've never been a member before), but you'll need to make sure you cancel before it auto-renews. You have to make a credit or debit card purchase to take advantage of this offer, so you can either do it when you buy your Criterions or just purchase a gift card for yourself.

I'll post a link to the sale when it commences.

EDIT: No firm word on an end date for the sale yet, but it's generally agreed that it will run at least two weeks (July 26) and likely three (Aug. 2). Some contend it will run for a month, but I'm skeptical about that.

EDIT 2: Got confirmation that this sale will run through Aug. 1. Pre-orders will not be included (sorry, folks counting on using this to get The Battle of Algiers).
 
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The famous $5 off coupon was discontinued months ago and replaced with a much worst one ($8 off a dvd that's price at $40 or above)
 
[quote name='Easystride']Kagemusha and Diabolique for me.[/QUOTE]

Kagemusha really tempts me... but I want M and Paths of Glory too...
 
Ahhh, right after I get paid. New power supply can wait, must get my hands on Vampyr, Salo, and probably Solaris as well. First Criterion sale I'll be participating in, and I am excite.
 
Does anybody remember if this is good on pre-orders as well. I want High and Low but it doesn't release until July 26th.
 
Ah, been waiting for news on this. Now we just need a good coupon . . .

The $5 off coupons are "new member" coupons, and are (supposed to be) only good for people who have purchased a new membership within some certain time period around when the coupon is valid. Of course in the past this has not been well enforced, and anyone with a membership has been able to use them. Hard to say say whether this will still be the case now, though, if these coupons even still exist (haven't seen them for a while, but haven't looked for them either).

However, there have pretty much always been other coupons -- usually in the range of 15% to 30% off -- at some point during the sale, and they have stacked with the sale price. It's been a little while since they've had any coupons like that, though. Hopefully they haven't stopped offering them -- maybe the fact that there hasn't been one in a while is a good sign that there will be one soon.

I'm actually curious about the $8 off of a $40 DVD/blu-ray one . . . Depending upon exactly when the coupon is applied in the transaction (whether it gets applied before or after the 50% sale discount), it might work on most of the Criterion blu-rays . . .
 
[quote name='Tronny']Does anybody remember if this is good on pre-orders as well. I want High and Low but it doesn't release until July 26th.[/QUOTE]

It's YMMV on pre-orders. It won't work on the website, but you might be able to get a cashier to do it for you in-store. They're not really supposed to, but apparently it's possible (just keep in mind that you are asking them to do something that could get them in trouble, so don't be an ass about it if they refuse).

That being said, this sale usually lasts a couple of weeks. If it starts on the 12th, it may still be running on the 26th. Anything that comes out during the sale will be on sale.
 
Trying to nail down an end date on the sale. I'm hearing a range of dates: July 26 (two week sale), Aug. 2, or even mid August. Aug. 2 sounds the most credible to me so far.

As long as it's long enough for High & Low to come out (which looks likely), I will be happy.

This sale is when I turn into Bill Hader, walking around with a stack of Criterions under my arm and a crazed, giddy look in my eye.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=348qOuXOAXo&hd=1
 
I sold my DVD copies of Yojimbo/Sanjuro, and High and Low recently so I'll definitely try and pick those two up. High and Low doesn't come out till the 26th but the sale should hopefully still be on till then

edit: Didn't notice you mentioned HIgh and Low right above me :)
 
[quote name='optimusprime8062']Damn, this is also when I remember Apocalypse Now is not a Criterion release and get sad at how much it cost! When will the price drop? WHEN!?[/QUOTE]

The two-disc edition (just the movie, in both the theatrical and director's cuts) has been as low as $9.99 at Best Buy. The lowest the three-disc edition (with the documentary) has been (as far as I'm aware) was $29.99 in a lightning deal on Amazon last Thanksgiving. You could be waiting for a while for it to go much lower than that.
 
I haven't posted on CAG in forever, but this is a reason for me to get excited. Here is my wish list, of which I plan to get at least half.

Beauty and the Beast
Black Moon
Chungking Express
Diabolique
The Great Dictator
High and Low
Insignificance
Kiss Me Deadly
The Last Emperor
Naked
Pale Flower
People on Sunday
Robinson Crusoe on Mars
Smiles of a Summer Night
Solaris
Something Wild
Sweetie
The Times of Harvey Milk

God help me. God help us all.
 
Keep in mind that the Buy 2 Get 1 Free sale runs through "July 12, 2011 at 2:59 EST a.m." There is a small possibility that there will be some overlap between the sales in the wee hours of the morning online. I believe this has happened in the past.
 
[quote name='arcane93']The two-disc edition (just the movie, in both the theatrical and director's cuts) has been as low as $9.99 at Best Buy. The lowest the three-disc edition (with the documentary) has been (as far as I'm aware) was $29.99 in a lightning deal on Amazon last Thanksgiving. You could be waiting for a while for it to go much lower than that.[/QUOTE]

If there is no deal on Black Friday I'm just going to buy it at full price. Or full Amazon price
 
YES!! Been waiting months for this. Well, at least since the criterion.com sale. Going to buy the rest of the blu-rays I need... going to spend like $1000... going to be OK with that.
 
[quote name='arcane93']The lowest the three-disc edition (with the documentary) has been (as far as I'm aware) was $29.99 in a lightning deal on Amazon last Thanksgiving. You could be waiting for a while for it to go much lower than that.[/QUOTE]

The lowest I've seen the Full Disclosure edition go for was $20 at B&N online last Christmas, IIRC. I got in on it, but the site was heavily bogged down that even just browsing the site ended up with error pages. Wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people missed out because of it.
 
This time around will be buying:

1) Cronos
2) Kes
3) Yi Yi

Debating:

1) House
2) High and Low
3) 400 Blows (Close to pulling the trigger)
4) Still Walking

Does anyone know if the library link discount still works?
 
Sad days... 39.99 MSRP of most Criterion Blus and titles is not $40.

Sale is considerably nerfed by this detail.

Once got rung up for 15 DVD's on 15 separate coupons. About 8-12 dollars per Criterion. Glad I bought over 100 on past sales.
 
Looks like the sale definitely ends Aug. 1 (my birthday!).

[quote name='Sixtywatz']Sad days... 39.99 MSRP of most Criterion Blus and titles is not $40.

Sale is considerably nerfed by this detail.

Once got rung up for 15 DVD's on 15 separate coupons. About 8-12 dollars per Criterion. Glad I bought over 100 on past sales.[/QUOTE]

This was not a coincidence. I'm sure they figured out what was going on.
 
[quote name='Sixtywatz']Sad days... 39.99 MSRP of most Criterion Blus and titles is not $40.

Sale is considerably nerfed by this detail.

Once got rung up for 15 DVD's on 15 separate coupons. About 8-12 dollars per Criterion. Glad I bought over 100 on past sales.[/QUOTE]

still half-off of high-priced, high-end blu-rays.

Will probably get Fear and Loathing depending on the price.
 
[quote name='Sixtywatz']Sad days... 39.99 MSRP of most Criterion Blus and titles is not $40.

Sale is considerably nerfed by this detail.

Once got rung up for 15 DVD's on 15 separate coupons. About 8-12 dollars per Criterion. Glad I bought over 100 on past sales.[/QUOTE]If you can find a place to buy Criterion BluRay titles for less than $20 repeatedly and often, I'm all for it.

The only places I've found to get Criterion BluRay titles for under $20 with any regularity are:
1) Random Amazon sales on random titles.
2) The twice-yearly 50% off B&N sale.
3) Random 50% off coupons from Borders, which are getting harder to find and harder still to apply on Criterion releases.
4) Occasional intersection with discounted prices and 20% off discounts from DD/DVDPlanet, though that has its own issues with ordering from them.

With the money I've saved on my B&N membership over the past year with the 50% coupons / 50% off Criterion sales, it's paid for itself and then some.
 
Here's some 15% off coupons: http://forum.dvdtalk.com/dvd-bargains/533548-barnes-noble-coupon-thread-part-2-a.html

I plan on using those, going for the 2 month free trial, and hopefully catching that early morning overlap with buy 2 get 1 if it happens. In the past there have been $5 coupons for non-members too, here's hoping one of those pops up. On the bright side, the $8 coupon will work for more expensive things, like Eclipse sets or something like Yojimbo/Sanjuro and Seven Samurai, if it happens to calculate the pre-sale price (probably not).

I'd like the Allan King Eclipse set, Oshima Eclipse set, House, and I don't know what else. Branded to Kill and Tokyo Drifter, maybe. Youth of the Beast, Fighting Elegy, Homicide all pique my interest as well. Yi Yi and Sanjuro. High and Low. (Can you tell I'm making a list to refer back to when the sale starts? :lol:)
 
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Speaking of The Darjeeling Limited, is there any information about a Royal Tenenbaums/ Life Aquatic/ Rushmore release? Life Aquatic was only ever released as a Criterion Collection DVD and the same goes for Royal Tenenbaums. I'm surprised they haven't just released them on Blu-Ray yet. I'm sure The Fantastic Mr. Fox will come along sometime too
 
[quote name='Sixtywatz']Sad days... 39.99 MSRP of most Criterion Blus and titles is not $40.[/QUOTE]

They might actually consider $39.99 to be close enough. B&N has a good number of blu-rays that are $39.99, since they charge list price for most things, but that's the upper end of most single blu-ray releases. If they seriously mean that it has to be a full $40 to qualify, they might as well just say "box sets", because that's pretty much all that would qualify at that point.

That being said, I fully expect that the 50% off sale discount comes off before the coupon would, in which case the Criterion titles probably wouldn't qualify during the sale anyway.
 
[quote name='arcane93']They might actually consider $39.99 to be close enough. B&N has a good number of blu-rays that are $39.99, since they charge list price for most things, but that's the upper end of most single blu-ray releases. If they seriously mean that it has to be a full $40 to qualify, they might as well just say "box sets", because that's pretty much all that would qualify at that point.

That being said, I fully expect that the 50% off sale discount comes off before the coupon would, in which case the Criterion titles probably wouldn't qualify during the sale anyway.[/QUOTE]

"close enough?" LOL. When has that ever worked at a retailer? #-o

If it's a code getting programmed into a computer 99.99% of the time $40 means $40, the only chance is sometimes it counts "after tax" (usually by mistake), or of course if you buy multiple titles that total over $40. If we're lucky it's counting pre-discount retail price, but I dbout it.

I'll take any coupons/deals I can find though that stack with the sale. If there is stackable I'm liable to get 10 or 15 of these Criterions. Otherwise I'll probably just a couple, because Amazon/Wal-mart have been having some really good deals anyway.
 
[quote name='Agent Orange']"close enough?" LOL. When has that ever worked at a retailer? #-o[/QUOTE]

Meh, I've seen it before -- the retailer programs (for example) $39.99 into their register, knowing full well that most titles fall at that number rather than an even $40, but prints $40 on the coupon to keep it a nice, even number. Hell, I think it even may have been B&N where I encountered this in the past, though I can't remember a specific example right off.

Or there is the possibility, as you note, that it could be programmed to operate based on the post-tax number. I'm not as certain that would be a mistake as you are (though it screws anyone in states that don't have sales tax).

I think that if it were for multiple titles totaling to $40 or more, it would say that, as if that were the case you could buy two $20 titles and qualify. That's not what it says at all.

It just doesn't make sense for them to make the coupon for $40 and up titles, as hardly anything (again, other than box sets) would even qualify. Retailers issue coupons because they want their customers to come in and use them, not to make useless offers that alienate those customers.

Anyway, unless someone wants to go actually test this with a $39.99 blu-ray, we won't know until until the sale whether it's going to work here or not, will we? So it's really a moot point until then.
 
[quote name='Agent Orange']"close enough?" LOL. When has that ever worked at a retailer? #-o[/QUOTE]

Meh, I've seen it before -- the retailer programs (for example) $39.99 into their register, knowing full well that most titles fall at that number rather than an even $40, but prints $40 on the coupon to keep it a nice, even number. Hell, I think it even may have been B&N where I encountered this in the past, though I can't remember a specific example right off.

Or there is the possibility, as you note, that it could be programmed to operate based on the post-tax number. I'm not as certain that would be a mistake as you are (though it screws anyone in states that don't have sales tax).

It just doesn't make sense for them to make the coupon for $40 and up titles, as hardly anything (again, other than box sets) would even qualify. Retailers issue coupons because they want their customers to come in and use them, not to make useless offers that don't generate any business and alienate those customers.

Anyway, unless someone wants to go actually test this with a $39.99 blu-ray, we won't know until the sale whether it's going to work or not, will we? And even if someone did, we wouldn't know whether it will work with the sale price or not. So it's really a moot point. I'm certainly going to try it once the sale starts, anyway. Worst they can do is say no.
 
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Hmmm. I might pick up Sanjuro/Yojimbo. I've queued up a few films mentioned in this thread on netflix to see if I'll get anything else.
 
Ok, totally ready for this...

1. Renewed my B&N membership that had lapsed. Annoyed that they changed it from expiring at the end of the month to expiring on the exact anniversary of the date that it was purchased -- means I won't get three Criterion sales out of it this time around. :bomb: But oh well...

2. Got a $100 B&N gift card with my reward points from my credit card company (pro tip: if your credit card has a rewards program, retailer gift cards tend to have the best point-to-dollar ratio of any of the rewards offered -- definitely the case with mine, by far)

3. Made my list of the titles that I want -- 17 that I definitely want to get, a few more that I'm hoping to grab if the deals are good enough.

If we do get a brief period of overlap between the b2g1 and the Criterion sale tomorrow night, I'm totally ordering 21 titles at once. :lol:

Bring it on, B&N! :D
 
[quote name='sixteenvolt420']Here's to hoping for an amazon pricematch.[/QUOTE]

Amazon will more than likely price match it on at least many of the titles (they usually do), but it will be a match of the straight 50% off discount, not including the additional member discount or any other coupons. It's those extra discounts beyond the 50% that really make this a good deal.
 
Oh, one other thing worth noting... When I opened my copy of Solaris that I got from Borders last month, the disc was missing -- the booklet was there, but the disc holder was empty. It was definitely factory sealed, as the shrink wrap had the blue Criterion blu-ray sticker on it. Had a hell of a time getting a replacement copy out of Borders (and actually, I never did get the return shipping label that they said they'd send me for the original one -- not even worrying about it at this point unless they try to bill me for the replacement as well).

I'm sure that it was probably just a fluke and won't be a common issue (when my replacement finally arrived, it was fine), but still, knowing that such things are possible, it probably would be a good idea to actually open the discs and check them when you get them rather than leaving them sitting sealed on your shelf. I would have never even thought about it before, definitely glad that I wanted to watch Solaris right away...
 
Bah, it looks like B&N has already removed the Criterion titles from their B2G1 sale online -- at least the titles that I had checked which were a part of it the other day. So much for that plan. :cry:
 
[quote name='arcane93']Bah, it looks like B&N has already removed the Criterion titles from their B2G1 sale -- at least the titles that I had checked which were a part of it the other day. So much for that plan. :cry:[/QUOTE]
Just checked the ones I saved and they were all removed. BN has learned!
 
The sales started and it's very painful to look at my checkout.

sigh

Black Moon
Kagemusha
Charade
Kiss Me Deadly
People on Sunday
Last Year At Marienbad
The Great Dictator

and this is after applying the non-member discount & cutting out some other titles... sigh.

Might pick them up again when High & Low is released.
 
Ordered Kiss Me Deadly with the 15% coupon that expires on 7/13 ([FONT=Verdana, Arial]L7C8F9D). Other than that, I think I'm going to hold out for a little bit and see what coupons appear. In past sales, I've jumped the gun and bought a bunch of stuff early on at higher prices, only to have a good coupon appear about a week or so into it.

I really hope there are some in-store coupons at some point, since those stack with the member discount. Not getting a member discount online is lame.
[/FONT]
 
[quote name='arcane93']Ordered Kiss Me Deadly with the 15% coupon that expires on 7/13 ([FONT=Verdana, Arial]L7C8F9D). Other than that, I think I'm going to hold out for a little bit and see what coupons appear. In past sales, I've jumped the gun and bought a bunch of stuff early on at higher prices, only to have a good coupon appear about a week or so into it.

I really hope there are some in-store coupons at some point, since those stack with the member discount. Not getting a member discount online is lame.
[/FONT][/QUOTE]

that's what I'm doing too. no reason to jump in so fast. they get tons of titles with this sale... and I agree. this sale is pretty lame with very little coupons so far.
 
[quote name='Guerrilla']I think I remember them removing coupon usage from Criterions in previous sales.[/QUOTE]

I never had any problem with coupons in-store. Didn't do a whole lot of online ordering -- only in those few cases where I couldn't find what I wanted in-stock locally anywhere -- so I can't speak to that.
 
This will be my first experience with getting Criterion Collection Blu Rays. I did manage to get a copy of Benjamin Button during the 5 for 20 BBV sale.

Looking to get:

Kagemusha
Yojimbo and Sanjuro
Seven Samurai
Still Walking

So is the general consensus to wait for coupons?
 
[quote name='arcane93']I never had any problem with coupons in-store. Didn't do a whole lot of online ordering -- only in those few cases where I couldn't find what I wanted in-stock locally anywhere -- so I can't speak to that.[/QUOTE]
Sorry, I meant, I think that they've previously removed the ability to use online coupons on Criterions during the sale. I've never had a problem stacking the printable coupons in-store, and have done so to great effect. However, there are very few in-store coupons at the moment. Coincidence? ;)
 
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