Know your MSRP. Anything
around 40% off the Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price is a good deal.
Don't be a cheap sonofabitch, but don't get swindled. You also have to
figure in shipping and tax, sometimes. What I do, if I buy a DVD online, is
take the total and divide it by 1.08 in order to simulate buying the disc at
a store.
Know your online discounts.
There are plenty of sites that tell you if a coupon or certificate is
available. Here are some of my favorite online DVD buying resources:
www.dvdpricesearch.com - This is
the best site for comparing prices. It basically does all the shopping
around for you, plus it notifies you of discounts and lowered MSRPs. It also
scours hard copy ads. An awesome site for DVD-philes like me.
www.a2zdeals.com - They are better at
organizing coupons than the aforementioned site, and sometimes they have
discounts not mentioned on said site.
www.half.com - They have an automatic $5
off $10 for new customers program, and if you trust other people, you can
find great deals here. They also have a lot of other discounts that you can
look up at the above two sites.
www.deepdiscountdvd.com - This
is an online e-tailer, but it is undoubtedly the best one. They have a price
match policy, so if you find a better deal elsewhere, give them the URL and
they'll beat it. Their shipping and handling is free, but to compensate they
raise the price of the DVD. But you can't find better deals anywhere if you
base it purely on total cost. Right now you can grab Memento for $16.79, s/h
+ tax included. What a deal! But.....
Know your DVD edition
details. You see the abbreviations THX and DTS, and you wonder what the
fook it means. Well, those few letters can mean a difference of like 5
bucks. You must know what you're getting when you buy a DVD. Check out the
film transfer- is it anamorphic widescreen? What's the aspect ratio? What
region code is it?
Most
important to me is what features are on it. For example, the Memento DVD I
mentioned above is cheap, but thin on features. W/ a movie like Memento, you
just know there's bound to be a "forward" version of the movie
somewhere, along w/ some director's commentary so he can explain what the
fook he was thinking. But there isn't, and you should be suspicious of
future "Special Edition" releases that render the first DVD
release useless.
Take Spy Kids for example. The DVD comes September 18, and you know there
was recently a re-release of Spy Kids: Special Edition. BUT! The additional
scenes are NOT on the September 18 release. In fact, that release is pretty
bare-bones. Not worthy of a purchase in my book. Now take Shrek for example.
On November 2nd, you will be treated to a fooking ton of extra features in a
2-disc set. Now that's more worthy, right? Here's some places to find out
the nitty-gritty on DVDs:
www.dvdjournal.com - Good, detailed
reviews. Gives you a whole list of a DVDs extras, and every month there are
DVD giveaways.
www.dvdtalk.com - Same as above, only
w/ a useful forum.
Know your release calendar.
Plan your purchases by scouting what's ahead. Combining orders saves on
shipping, and the more you spend, the more certain coupons will aid you. You
can also anticipate the releases and save up for them. BestBuy almost always
puts first-week releases on sale. One of the few times going to a store is
cheaper than buying online. You can browse their weekly ad at their official
site, www.bestbuy.com or buy a Sunday
LA Times.
Do not fear Ebay. This is how I acquire most of my DVDs. If you have the persistence and perseverance to competitively bid and bid and bid, more often than not you can find great deals. Beware though. Read listings carefully and ALWAYS ask the seller if you're not sure on something. It is a pain in the ass to dispute transactions on Ebay. I recommend digging up Dutch Auctions, where you're almost assured to get a DVD cheap.