perfect collections

[Seraphina]

I was just curious what the views on perfect collections were. It seems to me that these are the best way to go when ordering anime. I mean who wouldn't want one uniform box that contains a whole series opposed to having numerous singles floating around your house. It saves money, time, and space and I think it is almost always the way to go.

What does everyone else think?

[test]

Here is my point of view on it:

Pros of a perfect collection:
+ - Confined into a nice set -- smaller and clutter free
+ - Less dvds so you don't switch as often
+ - Neat designs (usually)
+ - Cheaper

Cons of a perfect collection:
+ - If you invite a friend over and say hey look at my anime collection, it would be kinda small with just a bunch of perfect collections opposed to like 24 dvd volumes
+ - Since single volumes are not HK's so, you're not getting as good of quality as if you got single volumes but some look pretty darn close depending on the set.
+ - Some collections have really cheap designs and sometimes the dvd holders are really cheap and they fall out.

There's my view on it. Personally, it all comes down to price. If all the volumes together is really not that bad of a price or the real boxset is at a good price (like Crest of the Stars -- only 30 bucks for the REAL boxset) then I will get single volumes....but, if the price is outragous then I will go with a perfect collection.

[Vicious]

Originally posted by test

Cons of a perfect collection:
+ - If you invite a friend over and say hey look at my anime collection, it would be kinda small with just a bunch of perfect collections opposed to like 24 dvd volumes

Well, I don't think that you should be buying something to impress your friends anyways.

While you're trying to make your collection look bigger, I'm trying to make mine smaller. I just started thinpakking alot of my titles so they take up less than half the space.

Also, you guys keep saying 'single volumes' when it seems like you're referring to the R1's. So I guess basically the question here is R1's vs. HK's. I think pretty much everyone here already knows what I'll choose when given the coice, so no need for me to repeat all that again.

I would like to addres one thing though. In the last sentence, the inital poster wrote:

"I think it is almost always the way to go."

Whereas the truth is that it is almost never the way to go. You're basically stealing. So I guess you're saying that stealing is almost always the way to go. Like test said, in the end it's about the money. So don't try rationalizing/justifying your choice by saying that it 'saves time, space, and money'. How the hell is it saving you time?

[test]

[i] How the hell is it saving you time? [/B]

Well, usually you buy HK's from online so technically perfect collections take up more time since you have to wait 5 buisness days for it to arrive rather than an hour going to a dvd store buying it and leaving. o_o

But yeah, it's price...I mean Hellsing -- great series but 120 bucks for 13 episodes in a boxset?! Hell-o??? I'd much rather spend like 15 dollars than 120....if it was like 50 to maybe 80 or 70 I would probably spoon out the money but somethings are just insane. When someone shoves 3 episodes on one volume and jack it up to 30 dollars it's outragous.

So, there's mine spin

[Cidien]

As i've said before. I like saving money and space as well. If I turned all my HK's and Perfect R1 Collections into single volumes i'd need 5x the shelf space.

ADV is pretty good, but companies need to do more. Hellsing is a perfect example of needless price hikes. There is no way someone can justify $120 for 13 episodes. Some boxsets, like Gundam Wing, are great. $150 for 50 eps isn't that bad. Gasaraki sells for $80 ($30 online).

If they can make money selling Gasaraki that cheap in seperate cases with a box can someone tell me how selling a perfect collection box for the same or something like Hellsing for $120 is justified?

These companies can still release a cheaper version. I'd replace my HK Hellsing in a second if they charged only $20-60 for it in a perfect collection case (like A.D. Police). I picked up A.D. Police for $16 at Best Buy. These companies CAN make money selling things cheap, they'd just rather make more money over making fans happy. (Sorry for rambling, very tired)

[Vicious]

Originally posted by Cidien
These companies CAN make money selling things cheap, they'd just rather make more money over making fans happy.

So could Nike who makes shoes for less than $5 and then sells them in excess of $100. How about Hilfiger or Polo. How much do you think it's costing them to make that shirt that you see on the rack for $50-$100. The DVD mark up on R1's is nowhere near as high.

Yet I never hear anyone complain about Nike or Honda or Dell or anything else as much as you guys complain about ADV/Bandai/Funi/etc. As much as everyone bitches and complains, if there was no alternative like HK's or fansubs, you guys would buy the R1's and be happy about it.

[r00ster]

Originally posted by Vicious
So could Nike who makes shoes for less than $5 and then sells them in excess of $100. How about Hilfiger or Polo. How much do you think it's costing them to make that shirt that you see on the rack for $50-$100. The DVD mark up on R1's is nowhere near as high.

Yet I never hear anyone complain about Nike or Honda or Dell or anything else as much as you guys complain about ADV/Bandai/Funi/etc. As much as everyone bitches and complains, if there was no alternative like HK's or fansubs, you guys would buy the R1's and be happy about it.

In all fairness... there's not a big HK Nike running shoes market in North America. I don't shell out that much money for a pair of shoes... I don't support Nike... but if I could get "bootleg" Hilfiger jackets readily, I'd probably buy that.

It's all about the availability of alternatives. The HK bootlegs are there, and affordable... and while the R1's are heading in that direction, they're far less readily available to me, personally, and they're far more expensive. The more they come down in price, and the more the stores up here in Canada are stocking them (praise London Drugs), the more of them I've found myself buying...

[Andromeda18_]

Originally posted by Vicious
Also, you guys keep saying 'single volumes' when it seems like you're referring to the R1's. So I guess basically the question here is R1's vs. HK's. I think pretty much everyone here already knows what I'll choose when given the coice, so no need for me to repeat all that again.

I was under the impression that by 'perfect collections' Seraphina was refering to both HK's and R1's. Sets that contain all the episodes of a series.

[rarnom]

Originally posted by Vicious
So could Nike who makes shoes for less than $5 and then sells them in excess of $100. How about Hilfiger or Polo. How much do you think it's costing them to make that shirt that you see on the rack for $50-$100. The DVD mark up on R1's is nowhere near as high.

Yet I never hear anyone complain about Nike or Honda or Dell or anything else as much as you guys complain about ADV/Bandai/Funi/etc. As much as everyone bitches and complains, if there was no alternative like HK's or fansubs, you guys would buy the R1's and be happy about it.

It is true that the markup isn't as high, but I still think it is too expensive. But that is me. If I can get it cheaper I will. Even if I didn't have a house payment, a kid, and other 'grown up' stuff to deal with I would still buy HK dvds, but having those responsibilities doesn't hurt my resolve. I have always lived very simply and frugally, even as a kid.
I agree with r00ster, I complain silently by not giving them my money. I buy shoes at discount stores and I buy most of my clothes second hand. I also think that most people don't buy cars new and usually buy them from someone from a newspaper.
Also, I think that it is silly to be mad that you hear people complain about R1 companies so much here because this is an ANIME board. I don't see people complaining about that stuff in the video game forums.

Originally posted by Vicious
Well, I don't think that you should be buying something to impress your friends anyways.

And you shouldn't assume that people buy stuff JUST to impress their friends... I think it is fun to show off collections. I mean you posted a pic of YOUR collection, wasn't that done in the spirit of showing off in a good way?? It is no different than showing your collection to a buddy.

p.s.: congrats on your modship at AN. obviously you are too cool to pm me back...:p

[Cidien]

Originally posted by Vicious

Yet I never hear anyone complain about Nike or Honda or Dell or anything else as much as you guys complain about ADV/Bandai/Funi/etc. As much as everyone bitches and complains, if there was no alternative like HK's or fansubs, you guys would buy the R1's and be happy about it.

Actually, I wouldn't be very happy about it. I would have no alternative and would be forced to buy only R1's but I know I would not be happy about it. How do I know this? I didn't know HK's existed until about two months ago and I was buying all R1's before that. I thought the prices were outrageous then. Ebay is the only reason I have more than a few R1 sets.

I don't blame these companies for wanting to make more money but I still think they could do more to please their fans. Even though the perfect collections are still a bit high in many cases just simply making more perfect collections faster would please a lot of people. ADV could have perfect collections for FMP, rahxephon, Neo Ranga, etc. out already, (or at least cheaper box sets) but they probably won't for at least a couple years.

[test]

It's all about money and every company wants to make as much money as they can off these dvd sets or a company selling anything else. Think about this:

You are the owner of a major dvd maker buisness o_O Let's say you are making a set of Hellsing...you got the box, the printers, the disks, etc;. Now, let's say the cost of one Hellsing Boxset costs 10 dollars for the company (Who cares if im way off)....now would you rather sell each one for 50 bucks to please fans or would you rather sell it for 100 dollars and get some angry fans but people would still buy it since they want only the real stuff and loose only a handleful of people because it was expensive.

Would you rather be earning a profit of $40 a sale or $90 a sale? I would rather get the $90.00....Some companies however are a little more generous and instead put more on a single dvd and so therer are only 3 disks for 13 episode series rather than a 4 disk 13 episode series.

Anyways, each company survives by wanting to make as much money as they can. They set the prices and people WILL buy them. Sure, some may not buy it because of the price and get a HK or just not buy it alltogether but MANY MANY people will still buy it or save up and buy it or wait until their birthday or special event.

Keep in mind though that these more popular series that everyone knows about and want are USUALLY jacked up in price and are spread out in many dvds....while these little shows that does not have such a fanbase is spread out on fewer dvds for a much cheaper price because people are not going to spend 120 bucks for a boxset of something that someone said was good, they would rather play it safe and spend 30 bucks for a boxset of a little show they never heard. Blah blah you get it o_o


BTW, some examples of the above ^^:

Hellsing -- 13 episodes -- pretty much well known...13 episodes spread out on 4 disks and the boxset is $120

Fruits Basket - 26 Epsiodes - not as well known as hellsing....26 episodes spread out on 4 disks and each disk is ~30....30 X 4 = 120.

For the SAME price a more well known series is getting away with their boxset for 120 dollars but it's only 13 episodes compared to a lesser known series that is 120 dollars if you bought all 4 volumes (no boxset yet) but you are getting TWICE as many episodes as that other more popular show.

[Hidalgo]

Wait isnt thist turning into the R1 vs Hk thread again.
Didnt everyone bitch at and insult each other enough on the last one.
Now as far as perfect collectiosn vs Hks singles go I always go with perfect collections. Though a few times good hk subs tempt me to buy a series as it is released in single dvds, but the overriding price will almost always make me wait for the perfect set. Now if the perfect set has wretched picuture quality i might be tempted to buy the hk singles or non perfect hk set, assuming it is of better quality.

[Vicious]

Originally posted by rarnom

Also, I think that it is silly to be mad that you hear people complain about R1 companies so much here because this is an ANIME board. I don't see people complaining about that stuff in the video game forums.

And you shouldn't assume that people buy stuff JUST to impress their friends... I think it is fun to show off collections. I mean you posted a pic of YOUR collection, wasn't that done in the spirit of showing off in a good way?? It is no different than showing your collection to a buddy.

p.s.: congrats on your modship at AN. obviously you are too cool to pm me back...:p

I didn't get mad at them for complaining about the R1 companies. But the things that alot of various HK forum members complain about makes no sense. You can't blame any company for trying to maximize profits. You can't get mad at a company for trying to protect their interest. You can't get mad at a company because they did what's in their best interest, or in the best interest of the majority of their consumers instead of doing what is in your best interest. That has nothing to do with R1 compnaies, but just general business sense.

I wasn't assuming anything. He listed as one of his cons, that basically the Hk's make his collection look smaller if friends were to come over and look at it. So obviously, that is a factor to him since he's thought about it.

And no, I didn't post the pics to 'show off' my collection. Someone asked for a pic and I posted it. I collect for myself, not for anyone else. Honestly, I hate it when people try showing off their stuff. They do that at the AoD forums all the time. Bunch of fuckin' snobs showing off how much money they waste on anime each month.

Thanks I guess. I didn't really have anything to PM you back with other than 'thanks', so I didn't. Being a mod there is kinda boring though, since there's not much for me to mod.

[rarnom]

Originally posted by Vicious
I didn't get mad at them for complaining about the R1 companies. But the things that alot of various HK forum members complain about makes no sense. You can't blame any company for trying to maximize profits. You can't get mad at a company for trying to protect their interest. You can't get mad at a company because they did what's in their best interest, or in the best interest of the majority of their consumers instead of doing what is in your best interest. That has nothing to do with R1 compnaies, but just general business sense.

I wasn't assuming anything. He listed as one of his cons, that basically the Hk's make his collection look smaller if friends were to come over and look at it. So obviously, that is a factor to him since he's thought about it.

And no, I didn't post the pics to 'show off' my collection. Someone asked for a pic and I posted it. I collect for myself, not for anyone else. Honestly, I hate it when people try showing off their stuff. They do that at the AoD forums all the time. Bunch of fuckin' snobs showing off how much money they waste on anime each month.

Thanks I guess. I didn't really have anything to PM you back with other than 'thanks', so I didn't. Being a mod there is kinda boring though, since there's not much for me to mod.

Yah, I understand, I mostly was curious to know if you got any discounts and just how it came to be that you became a mod there. Did they just one day say, "hey dude, be a mod here"??

I also get where you are coming from on the collections stuff I should have worded my response differently, because I had intended to say something about how "knowing you, you didn't post it to make friends", but I didn't quite get that out. I labor too much on my posts sometimes and things get lost in the final edit...

[Vicious]

Originally posted by rarnom
Did they just one day say, "hey dude, be a mod here"??

Pretty much.

I'm not at liberty to talk about discounts of any kind. :eek: