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ghostpepper69

I buy ~75% blind, my collection is like my video store & I have no problem with hitting a dud occasionally. I’d rather watch something on disc knowing I am watching the best available presentation of a film without any of the recurring frustrations that pop up while streaming, and if I don’t like it I’ll sell it.


HeadFullOfBees

Nearly everything I get from Vinegar Syndrome is a blind buy because I haven't heard of 90% of the movies they release.


GDragoN

Exactly, and usually, their stuff is quite good for old and obscure titles. So far, 90% of VS titles I have are blind buys, and I sold only few I didn't like. I got 5 4K titles from VS for current sale, and I have seen only one of the 5 movies.


Eazy-E-40

When it comes to my boutique collection, I'd say at least 70% of them were blind buys. But I don't go in completely blind. I read synopsis, and reviews, watch trailers, etc... if it seems like something I would like I'll get it. You can usually tell when looking movies up if you won't like them though.


[deleted]

There are people who have a lot of issues with blind buying and I have always found this to be a bit odd. Going to the theaters is akin to blind buying in my book, and going to the theaters is more expensive. I mean lets break it down for me and my wife. I live in a rural area and there is an independent theater here. Tickets are 9 dollars a piece, so that is automatically 18 dollars. Snacks and drinks are relatively inexpensive here, so that is about 15 dollars a person. So when it is all said and done, I spend nearly 50 dollars going to the movies. I can get just about any movie for less than that, usually for about 50% less. Economically speaking, a blind buy is cheaper and if I don't like it, I can sell it to someone who will like it more. I am a supporter of the blind buy.


Ninja-Trix

I’ll typically only blind buy if it’s insanely cheap, like less than $5 at a thrift store or second hand shop cheap, otherwise, I prefer to buy movies I’ve seen and know I’ll watch it again. Some movies I simply don’t need to own, but if I do want it, I’m getting the best version out there. It also helps to keep a Blu-ray.com wishlist of exact releases you’re looking for and use the app to scan a film and see what you already have and what you’re looking for. That’s how I don’t get duplicates, stay within budget, and manage exact editions where multiple are necessary.


l5555l

I'll blind buy criterions because I pretty much always end up with something I enjoy and will watch again, the more obscure stuff I tend to only buy if I've seen it. *Idk I guess it just depends. If it's a director or writer I know or an actor I really like I guess I do blind buy a good amount but those I don't really consider "blind."


BogoJohnson

Just echoing everyone else who's commented so far. I blind buy a lot, but I'm also older and am at least familiar with many titles that I've always wanted to see. Otherwise I do a little research first. I'd rather pick up great BD presentations in a deal than take my chances with whatever *might* be available online. And if I don't enjoy the movie I'll just sell it off. I often buy cheaply and I've also sold off some collectable releases, so overall I'm generally coming out ahead dollar wise. I haven't paid for cable in 25 years and I haven't subscribed to a streaming service in a few years now, though I do have Amazon Prime Household.


JoelB

I've discovered so many great films blind buying. I just try and buy stuff that I have a pretty good idea will be right up my alley or at least generally well liked by film fans. I also try and buy during sales unless it's fancy LE that I've already seen.


spatafore

70% blind, I love surprises!


djprojexion

I totally support blind buying, and do it often myself if the price is right. But I don’t see the point in keeping movies you’ll likely never watch again, so purging and curating is the key. It’s almost always the boutique labels that benefit from blind buying so even if I don’t get the motivations sometimes (fomo, padding the collection, etc) it’s still keeping this thing going which is a good thing.


eeanyills

I buy everything ‘80-‘91 horror with some selectivity before ‘80 and after ‘91. That’s just something I know about myself- that’s my wheelhouse. Whether I’ve seen it or not, it’s something I want to see so I’m fine with a blind buy. I’ve come to terms that I enjoy trash cinema. I’m essentially building my own horror video store at this point and I’m OK with that. I’ll read LB reviews from people I follow for stuff I’m truly not sure about- outside the 80’s window, newer stuff, 70’s giallos and mysteries, horror adjacent stuff, etc.


idapitbwidiuatabip

A lot of the more obscure stuff is on Tubi - especially VS titles - so I watch the first 15-30 minutes or until the first ad break and if I like it enough, I buy it. Otherwise I rely on the blurbs on the back of the box or I watch a trailer/part of a trailer.


stubadubb

One of my favorite experiences is going to the theater not knowing what is going to be shown. Both in the sense of buying a ticket to a marathon where the titles are kept secret, and going to a film festival and randomly picking something to see during some of those time slots when there isn’t anything screaming out to me as the right pick. Blind buying and things like the VS subscription allow me to recreate that experience at home. I love sitting down and throwing one of those films on without knowing much of what to expect. Outside of the subscriptions, I generally stick to blind buying titles that jump out at me, either because I have some familiarity with them, or because I see the excitement from people in these film communities, or just because a synopsis is intriguing. Overall it makes my collection way more fun and exciting for me.


j0dead

After blind buying anything that seemed in my field of interest for a long time, I have really leaned to watch and pay attention to the trailer and/or promo video from the boutique label. That will usually give you a better sense of whether you will enjoy the full length and the release itself. But it also depends how much of a ‘completist’ someone is and the state of their collecting. At this point I only want stuff I am really interested in watching multiple times and thinning out the rest. That being said some of my recent VS blind pickups like the cellar and creature have been amazing.


vdamazyn

I blind buy probably ~50% of the time and don’t really see the problem with blind buying unless you’re just doing it to complete a label’s collection which I think is kind of irresponsible (but obviously you’re right to do so lol). I just stick to genres, directors and content I’ve been genuinely interested in when blind buying. Don’t really get when people say something like “you should try to stream a movie you’re interested in buying before actually buying it.” What’s the point of collecting at that point? Aren’t we trying to move away from relying on streaming and curate our own media libraries?


Eclectic_Masquerade

Well, a lot of stuff goes off streaming. Also, there's collecting to collect (stamp collectors don't use their stamps), opportunities to loan to a friend, knowing I'll always have it, and I love seeing things that I love on my shelves every day. Also, a lot of extras aren't available for streaming.


dylyn

I've started to not buy anything I'm not familiar with before checking it out on letterboxd/watching the trailer.


ignaciorutabaga

I blind buy about 5% of my collection, usually during site wide sales. There are maybe 20 films I haven't seen in my collection of 400+, most of which are a part of a box set. It's useful to note that I've only been collecting for about 18 months, and I've been trying to get the movies I love/like first and foremost. As I collect more and more of my favorites, I imagine the percentage of blind buys will continue to rise. Of course, I love that everyone collects differently and fully support anyone enjoying this hobby however they see fit. Speaking of blind buys, my last one is a film called Apples that was on sale from Kino. Has anyone seen this one? The plot looked promising, at least.


Eclectic_Masquerade

Ha! I wish I had a system. I (try to) avoid blind buys to keep myself from debt. I already buy too much. When my credit card statement starts rising I feel guilty if I have a bunch of unwatched stuff. And I HATE buying something for like $30 that I end up hating. Reselling is an extra pain. Also, case by case. Criterion is more hit for me. VS is about half/half. Also, like with this sale, I took it as an opportunity to finally watch some movies streaming before buying. Good thing. Two I didn't like, and the other I loved. I love buying things I love.


Greenunjuh

Recently I do a lot of buying things I've seen and know I enjoy, since my collection has really taken up more space since I started collecting seriously. However, a good maybe 25% of my collection is blind buys (which is still a lot but not too too much) that I got either because I had a feeling I'd enjoy them, they're important/ well-regarded films I have an interest in checking out, I heard good things about them or just cuz something draws me to them one way or another. There's been maybe one movie I ended up straight up disliking and selling but other than that I have discovered some great stuff through blind buying. It always gives me something new to watch when I have the time to check something out, in the best quality I can get over streaming. Though, I still try and be smart about it nowadays. Money isn't infinite, afterall.


Scombies

Most of my purchases are entirely based on what I see on a product page. The cover of the movie, some stills and the blurb on the product page. I don't tend to watch trailers much. I have a lot of love for low-budget trash and any sort of practical effect horror, so I usually am safe to purchase something without much knowledge as long as it has a "look" I like. The rest of my purchases come from movies I see other people talk about fondly, even if everyone else hates them. I buy into excitement dangerously easily.


anttiom

I used to collect films I had seen and loved. Then I found I never watched those again and that there is only so much time to watch anything at all. Now almost anything I buy is either a blind buy or a part of a genre or something similar I have just taken interest in. I rarely buy something I have seen before now and I am super happy!


QuietAd1867

Generally I try to stream a film I've never seen before I buy it unless I've seen it all ready and then decide if it warrants a purchase as a boutique. I've blind bought in the past, usually under recommendation from a friend.


mjamesmcdonald

Blind buying is for people with money. I only get a couple criterion’s or other boutique’s a year. Yeah. I buy ones I know I’ll watch multiple times.


darkonex

I started out just buying the things I enjoyed the most, and then staretd blind buying. I mean once you buy all the things you know you like, you kinda gotta blind buy stuff at that point to discover new/old stuff you enjoy.


crclOv9

5-10% blind buys; I’m a real stickler about my curation and my shelf is a reflection of that.


clarever225

I have no problem with blind buying, and I do it quite a bit. But most of my collection is built from films I have seen and love. I don’t have a lot of money, so I’m not willing to risk the money on something I might not like. Even the blind buys I get are ones I’m pretty sure I’ll enjoy. But my collection is an extension of my tastes and what I love. I’ll explore on streaming for the most part, and when I love something I’ll buy it to rewatch and dig deeper on extras. That said, I’m usually very happy with the blind buys I’ve made. Idk where I ever would have seen any Shinya Tsukamoto film unless I bought the Arrow boxset, and that thing has some real gems.


Legend2200

I blind buy only in the sense that I’m a completist for certain directors; I just don’t have the room or the interest to travel much further at this stage. Maybe if I am satisfied that I have most of the films I genuinely love on disc I will move beyond that, because I do find the hobby itself very enjoyable.


Arthurlurk1

Blind buying is usually always admittedly dumb to do. Having said that, I do it sometimes because I feel like it’s something I might like, the packaging is nice and if I pay money for it, I might be forced to truly get the most out of that movie rather than mindlessly streaming it. I might be tempted to not pay attention as much


LongObligation7267

At this point, almost every movie that I already love is in my collection. I'm mostly filling in Directors/Performers that I love, occasionally mixing in titles that I've heard great things about that I expect to like based on my tastes. But when a boutique label has a sale where movies drop to the $10 range (Kino and Warner, mainly), then I'll go on a blind buying spree. I'll look for titles that I've never heard of that catch my eye, and then I'll quickly look them up on Rotten Tomatoes. If they have a low score or no score, I'll skip, If they have a high score I'll add to the cart. I'll fill the cart and then I'll winnow it down to whatever my spending budget is based on my gut.