Laserdiscs

skinkrawl

skinkrawl

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Anyone on CAG collect these mysterious relics?

If so, where do you find them? How much are you paying? What titles are you looking for?

I began collecting six years ago and total over 1000 now. I have a ton of extras and would love to trade with anyone if there's interest, or just discuss these old guys and give them their due. Plenty of cool discs released in their day, and players that make any modern gaming system look cheap in price.
 
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usually I find good deals on Ebay or laserdiscvault.com. Otherwise pawnshops or thrift stores sometimes have some. As far as pricing goes it better to buy in bulk lots instead of individually. I've seen some go for a few dollars and others a few hundred.
 
Most of my recent success has been via Craigslist. People wanting to dump the entire collection because it's taking up too much space. A lot of non-working players out there. Amazing to think many of them were over $1000 new.
 
glad my family could never afford or wanted this tech..it totally skipped me over. Now, for my plastic bin with 100lbs of VHS tapes..if only I could decide to dump that or keep it to show my kids one day how life was before HD..
 
Ah good ol' LDs. I still have a couple of working players and a very minimal collection:
The OG undoctored Star Wars trilogy, the now OOP The Compleat Beatles, The Beatles Anthology and a couple of other musical odds and ends. It was a neat format, IMO.
 
You've got some good ones, Vader. I've got every Star Wars version they released on LD, including the Definitive Edition (I guess Lucas decided it wasn't definitive enough and released 463 other versions since).
 
I bought a used one probably 8 years ago. I think I sold it like 4 years ago though. I started to collect them, but then gave up. I bought a lot (bundle) on EBAY for the player and like 40 movies for under $100 if I recall. I did have Star Wars and my shining gem "Cool As Ice"
 
I haven't bought a laserdisc in years but I've got a bunch of 'em. I'm pretty sure my player still works, too. I've been thinking about putting the whole collection up on Craigslist just to get it out of my house!

Two of my favorite LDs were the 12 Monkeys and Armageddon special editions.
 
If anyone is interested in selling some, let me know, I've got a list of titles I want to get. I love the huge box sets they did. DVD could never come close to replicating what LD did with some movies in terms of packaging and extra stuff.
 
I've actually imported anime LD boxsets for myself. It wasn't cheap. For example, Akazukin Cha Cha cost me nearly $1000 used with shipping waaaay back in '98 I think it was. I think the DVD set is currently valued around $500 today in Japan and everyone is pushing their complete LD sets on Yahoo Japan auctions for around $100 and less. I can get HUUUUUGE collections of anime LDs from Japanese auctions now for like $20 bucks (and a zillion for shipping), but it's just not worth it. DVDs, online video sharing and fansubbing has really killed their collectability and value.

I love LDs myself, but with tens of thousands of records, VHS tapes, CDs, DVDs, I really have no room for LDs other than for my most favorite series and even then it's more to collect than to play. Took me forever to find a used LD player too, like 1000s of garage sales and I think I've only seen two in my lifetime. I've found more of that rotten SelectaVision crap than LD related stuff. LOL!
 
I'm still rather fond of laserdiscs, though I don't really have much of a use for them anymore. My player still works, but where I used to have many that were unavailable on DVD, that has long since been remedied. I do love the Criterion releases that never made it to DVD, though (and in some cases have special features not released elsewhere); I have Criterion laserdiscs of Pulp Fiction, Trainspotting, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, The Princess Bride, Polyester, Citizen Kane, and Boogie Nights, as well as a bunch of cool ones that were later released on DVD like Breathless, Repulsion, Stranger than Paradise, and some others. I have non-Criterion laserdiscs of some other rare films, like The Oldest Profession, Andy Warhol's Bad, and Steven Soderbergh's King of the Hill; of those I think only Bad is currently available on DVD.

The only laserdisc I'd buy if I came across it is the Criterion release of Pink Flamingos, I think. Though I did almost buy a big cool Aladdin set Disney released that I found in a used record store a year or two ago.

I do still have a working laserdisc player, but my primary use for the discs these days is to hang them on my wall--they look pretty cool. I have some of my favorite records hung up, too. And yes, sometimes I take them down and play them.
 
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i remember back then when my dad got the LD player and his first LD was Full Metal Jacket. the worker recommended the movie and it had just released. i was just a kid in elementary school and watched this awesome movie. my dad was like dont say the f word. LOL
 
Half Price Books has always been my spot for LD goodness. Maybe I'm just lucky but I've picked up Criterions for $3 a pop before, good ones like Casablanca and Vertigo. I don't think I've ever paid more than $6 at HPB.

And speaking of Selectavison/CED, I need to get rid of mine. Love the technology but I am officially out of room. Anyone in Indiana interested? :)
 
I bought the Jurassic Park Letterbox Edition for cheap off eBay when I was on my Jurassic Park collecting kick, and that really got me into Laser Disc. I've never been able to track down a player (and refused to pay for shipping one from eBay) but some of the discs that have been released are pretty damn great sounding... The Japanese import ones especially... Unfortunately, my cat knocked over the Jurassic Park one, and tore the binding of the outer box. Ahh well, maybe one day I'll get into tracking some better ones down.
 
The Criterion Collection released a bunch of good stuff on LD that they never put out on DVD as Criterions. Seems they were more open to different styles than they are now, or that they could get the rights easier before DVD became popular.

I think the "look" of laserdiscs is what makes me still interested today. They are bigger, the art is cool, the backs have info/writeups/behind the scenes stuff with cool promo pics or stills from the movies. The box sets are ridiculous in size and seem more meticulously put together than any other movie form.

I'm glad to see some response to this. I thought there would be two replies, one of which would be "What are laserdiscs?" Hope to hear more about collections and all the cool stuff that's out there on LD.
 
[quote name='skinkrawl']The Criterion Collection released a bunch of good stuff on LD that they never put out on DVD as Criterions. Seems they were more open to different styles than they are now, or that they could get the rights easier before DVD became popular.[/QUOTE]

You hit it right with the second one. Laserdiscs were niche enough through their entire lifespan that the studios didn't want to put a lot of money or effort into releasing them; it was more cost effective to license them out and let someone else take the risk. Therefore, it was relatively easy at that point for Criterion to get bigger titles. That's also why you see some bigger titles in the earlier Criterion DVD releases -- Silence of the Lambs, Robocop, Armageddon, etc. -- which they've since lost the rights to and will never have them again. Once DVDs became more mainstream, the studios saw more profit in releasing the titles themselves, and Criterion couldn't get the rights anymore. Fortunately for them, they'd found a niche market in the meantime, which they've been able to maintain up to this day. Still, I'm sure it's not that Criterion doesn't want to release those other films, it's more that they can't get them at this point.
 
I have always been interested in collecting LD's but since my money goes to games, statues, and blurays I think i don't need another collecting hobby. What is the rarest Ld?
 
[quote name='arcane93']You hit it right with the second one. Laserdiscs were niche enough through their entire lifespan that the studios didn't want to put a lot of money or effort into releasing them; it was more cost effective to license them out and let someone else take the risk. Therefore, it was relatively easy at that point for Criterion to get bigger titles. That's also why you see some bigger titles in the earlier Criterion DVD releases -- Silence of the Lambs, Robocop, Armageddon, etc. -- which they've since lost the rights to and will never have them again. Once DVDs became more mainstream, the studios saw more profit in releasing the titles themselves, and Criterion couldn't get the rights anymore. Fortunately for them, they'd found a niche market in the meantime, which they've been able to maintain up to this day. Still, I'm sure it's not that Criterion doesn't want to release those other films, it's more that they can't get them at this point.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, probably true in most instances, but they did get the rights to do the Benjamin Button 2 disc DVD and Blu, so it is still possible for them to secure cool films. More studios should get Criterion do the 2 disc or special edition release, as their efforts always result in a better product. I wish they could have done the Zodiac special edition...
 
Side-note: If any of you ever run into a copy of "Let It Be" on LD, buy it!
It is super-rare and worth quite a bit. More than likely the film will never, ever be legally distributed again since it basically chronicles the breakup of The Beatles and they don't want their legacies tarnished at this point.
You even see George bitching Paul out!:lol:
 
[quote name='skinkrawl']Yeah, probably true in most instances, but they did get the rights to do the Benjamin Button 2 disc DVD and Blu, so it is still possible for them to secure cool films.[/QUOTE]

Haha, well, we may have different definitions of "cool" films (I quite like a lot of what Criterion puts out now, and have, um, a few reservations about Benjamin Button), but . . .

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a bit of an oddity. It would be closer to say that Criterion did the production work for Paramount and licensed their name to them than it would be to say that Criterion put out the release. The actual blu-ray/DVD production and distribution for it is done by Paramount (that's why the blu-ray is in a standard blue case rather than Criterion's usual clear, wider case, and also why it can frequently be found cheaper than most Criterion releases). It's not a normal Criterion release.

As to why it's that way, I'm not sure. I've heard that David Fincher insisted on it and Paramount complied, but I don't know how true that is. Nonetheless, it doesn't seem that it's going to be a common arrangement, since it hasn't happened with any other titles.
 
i actually just put collection out last night as i am still unpacking from a somewhat recent move. i usually find them at the flea market in some cases for 1.00. or 5 for 10 or something. most of my collection was given to me by a guy who frequented the best buy i worked at. he upgraded to dvd all his films and game them to me. he told me before knowing i owned some, he threw out a couple hundred.
 
Wow, a thousand laserdiscs! I only have about a hundred. Most of mine are either rare anime or silent films and stuff.

Several films like Napoleon, The Crowd, The Wind etc. are only available on VHS or Laserdisc.
 
Yeah, I only have about 20 or 30 of my LD's at this point.

My silly favorite disc to have is Doc Hollywood as I still don't believe it's ever been produced in letterbox on DVD or Blu-Ray. Not the greatest film in the world, but still entertaining to me.

The thing that stinks for me is that my player isn't all that great. It's a manual flipper without digital audio.

I had found a couple players on Ebay or Craigslist in the last few months, but just decided to wait on it.
 
[quote name='skinkrawl']If anyone is interested in selling some, let me know, I've got a list of titles I want to get. I love the huge box sets they did. DVD could never come close to replicating what LD did with some movies in terms of packaging and extra stuff.[/QUOTE]

Send me a copy of your list. I still have a decent collection of laserdiscs, some of which I would be willing to part with.
 
Haha, I mean cool in terms of a diverse array of new and old, small and large budget. Although, I did enjoy BB, but I know I'm in a vast minority. I loved the Criterion of old that would release The 400 Blows, Boyz n the Hood, and Man Bites Dog in a row. So vastly different, but all top quality releases.
 
I used to have a decent LD collection. I had a Pioneer combo DVD/LD player, with a Yamaha AC-3 (Dolby Digital) demodulator for LDs with 5.1 DD audio tracks. I remember firing up the Japanese import of Star Wars Ep 1, the pod race scene had such awesome surround. Great PQ for a laserdisc as well, even if the movie didn't hold up to the PQ and AQ.

I ditched my LDs when HD started becoming mainstream, a number of years ago.
 
I got a free Laserdisc player that was salvaged from a trash pile! took it home and it works almost perfectly-- the tray gets stuck occasionally but nothing I can't live with. It's pretty old and simple (manual flip, analog only audio) but it's been fun to have for 80s era music videos that never came out on DVD...

I did pick up a few movies, I think I have the original Star Wars movies but each from a different release set.
 
I got in on laserdiscs when I was in high school and college, and for many years I used to review them for a Canadian video magazine (getting free LDs was a massive coup in those days!). I loved the format because it really was the best way to watch anything in standard-def, and obviously was a precursor to the DVD that took over quickly by the time we got to 1997-98 or thereabouts.

Unless you bought used (which fortunately I could do since I lived near several places that rented them out), or got in on the format very late in the game, it's worth noting how expensive laserdiscs were -- new releases were routinely $30-$40, and multi-disc sets were (much) more than that...I remember wanting the ALIEN box set but it was over $100. I got the CLOSE ENCOUNTERS Criterion box set for my birthday in high school and that retailed for $125 as many of the more elaborate Criterion releases did. So back then you really only bought the movies you REALLY had to have -- which is why I always find it funny when people complain about "expensive" DVDs or Blu-Rays. We can get the entire STAR WARS 6-movie Blu-Ray set for $90 in HD...that STAR WARS CAV box set many of us bought in 1993 was $250 (or more?). So "kids today" don't know how good they have it! lol.

That said, I got rid of most of my LDs when the going was good. I liquidated most of my collection to Big Emmas when they were buying in bulk (I'd get $500-$700 for titles that were probably worth about a combined $20 two years later lol) or selling on Ebay. I do still have a few LDs that weren't available on DVD (and still aren't), but for the most part I'm happy I moved on. LD was still great for what it was and when it was.

BTW I uploaded a few laserdisc demos on Youtube -- including a hysterical one with Leonard Nimoy pitching the Magnavision player...check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0f3524BQ0Ms
 
I'm not a collector, but I work at a movie theater where we show classic films every Saturday and Sunday first thing in the morning. Our home office orders all of our movies for us and accidentally purchased a Laserdisc for Arsenic and Old Lace, thinking they had ordered a DVD. It's been sitting in our office ever since seeing as we have no real use for it. I didn't know that there was still a small market out there for these things.
 
The really crazy thing about back when was that LD players were typically around $1000, and some went for well over that.

Laserdiscs were the first movies that were really collectible to the public. For a long time, VHS weren't really offered for sale to the general public. I remember once asking a video clerk about being able to buy a particular movie, and they asked "Why would you want to own it?" Most video stores at that time only stocked one copy of each movie, so they never had to sell anything off, just keep renting them forever. That's why the movies were so expensive, because people just didn't really consider owning them other than dubbing copies of VHS tapes.
 
I am looking for "The Complete Al" on laser disc. It is a mockumentary from the 80's all about Weird Al Yankovic. If any of you LD lovers out there happen to have this, I would love to take it off your hands.
 
[quote name='topcello']usually I find good deals on Ebay or laserdiscvault.com. Otherwise pawnshops or thrift stores sometimes have some. As far as pricing goes it better to buy in bulk lots instead of individually. I've seen some go for a few dollars and others a few hundred.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the link to laserdiscvault.com; I don't really see myself ever buying anything from there, but I had fun poking around on their website last night all the same.
 
[quote name='GOTA']I just hated having to flip the discs half way through the movie[/QUOTE]

The Pioneer DVL-919 combo LD/DVD player I had played both sides of the LD without having to flip the disc. The first LD player I bought (can't memember the model, also a Pio) didn't, and it was a pain to flip the discs, esp. on CAV discs that only had 30 minutes of the movie on one side of the disc.
 
[quote name='ShirtSizeXXXLXT']I am looking for "The Complete Al" on laser disc. It is a mockumentary from the 80's all about Weird Al Yankovic. If any of you LD lovers out there happen to have this, I would love to take it off your hands.[/QUOTE]


I have the "compleat Al" on laserdisc (and yes, it is spelled that way!)...

I met him a few years ago after one of his concerts & got him to sign it... he held it for a while and said something to the effect "I have not seen one of these in years!"... I told him I was the original owner of it from way back when (showing my age)...

I've heard it still brings a pretty good amount of $ since it never came out on dvd... good luck finding it!
 
[quote name='GOTA']I just hated having to flip the discs half way through the movie[/QUOTE]

My Panasonic flips them over for me (well, it plays both sides anyway) but honestly, I took to transferring a lot over to DVD-R
 
We have about 100 LD's, a lot of them are foreign import JP anime (Macross 7, Sailor Moon, etc)

I bought my wife The Last Unicorn LD sealed from eBay for $11 for christmas and usually I find them at flea markets, thrift stores and pawn shops for ~$5 in the Midwest.
 
Great place for me to get LDs has been craigslist. If you really want a bunch, post that you're looking for them and people will hit you up wanting to sell a collection. Most are usually surprised that anyone even wants them, so you can get a player and 50+ discs for super cheap.
 
[quote name='bearkiss']I have the "compleat Al" on laserdisc (and yes, it is spelled that way!)...

I met him a few years ago after one of his concerts & got him to sign it... he held it for a while and said something to the effect "I have not seen one of these in years!"... I told him I was the original owner of it from way back when (showing my age)...

I've heard it still brings a pretty good amount of $ since it never came out on dvd... good luck finding it![/QUOTE]
I have been a fan of his since I was a really little kid. I rented "The ComplEAT Al" (never noticed the spelling before...lol) once and tried to get my local rental place to let me buy it, but they wouldn't budge. I've always wanted it and have kinda been casually looking for it these days. There is a couple LD's on ebay, one for $80, and one for $60. I kinda don't want to pay that much for it though...especially considering I don't even have a LD player...yet.
That's a great story you have about getting him to sign it. Don't ever let that one go man, I know how much that must mean to you.
Isn't he such a great freaking guy? I got the chance to meet him last summer...just me and him. He was so awesome. Here's a pic.
14bt6au.jpg
 
:D GREAT picture of you with Al! Unfortunately when I met him, I did not have a camera with me (this was late 90's before all cell phones had them built in!)... and it was an after concert meet & greet which basically consisted of an autograph session with just a few words said back & forth...

I may have the signed laserdisc, but I'm jealous of the picture you got with him!
 
I don't have an interest but my buddy does and I nabbed about 250 discs about a year ago for him on Freecycle. Most groups allow requests to some degree.
 
[quote name='venturin']Is Pulp Fiction worth anything to the collectors? I have that and a few others[/QUOTE]

It's not worth much. Mostly what collectors are looking for is stuff that never came out on DVD or the really cool sets put out on LD. What's recently hurt the price of common laserdiscs is the price of DVDs falling through the floor. They weren't worth a staggering amount before, but now that DVD is so cheap, people go to them for a cheap option.
 
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