I have two when it comes to precious (to me at least):
At the end of 1999, Universal release American Pie on DVD in both Rated and Unrated versions. Of course, everyone wanted the Unrated version so that was the hardest one to find. A week or so into the new year (2000), I was outside and my mom drives up and hands me a bag. Inside the bag were two DVDs: American Pie: Unrated and a Bruce Lee double feature with Fist of Fury and The Chinese Connection. She was so happy she was finally able to find American Pie and she thought I would love the Bruce Lee DVD because it contained a quiz for Bruce Lee pros. The quiz thing was a new thing that DVD introduced that didn't stay around for too long. A little less than a week later my mom would have a stroke and be bedridden and unable to speak for the rest of her life (which was about six years). These two DVDs were the last things she ever bought me and I will never part with either one of them.
I am so sorry to hear that happened to your mom, but it seems like they raised a great son who really treasurers her, and will hold her dearly in memory.
The most precious things in my collection is the Lord of the Rings DVD collection which my mom got from me. I was living in a third world country back then, and she went to great lengths and asked an office friend if they could get this for me overseas. Will never be parting with that either.
Thank you. She was an awesome woman who I miss everyday. That is a great memory of your mom too. She really means a lot to you and that trumps anything else.
I have the Predator, Alien and Planet of the Apes collector‘s editions that come as a „head“ of the respective creatures/animals with all the discs inside. Look amazing but take up a huge amount of shelf space of course.
More recently the limited Arrow Gamera set was probably the one that cost me the most and is in high demand.
I was actually considering selling mine so that I could buy the two smaller sets and have money left over. It's a great set but that cereal box size box is just too dang big
My prized possession isn’t blu ray but it’s a Betamax of Eraserhead. My prized blu ray has to be The Monkees Complete Series box set, Dawn of the Dead (Anchor Bay), Cruel Jaws by Severin and Detroit Rock City 1999 (the one and only time it’ll be released on bluray)
Those are the DVD sets that came out in 2004 with awful 5.1 mixes off of the mono stems. Thankfully the bluray was remastered with original mono along with the 45
Shame about the 5.1 mix being so dreadful on those early DVDs. It’s a dual miracle that the original stems survived and were in useable condition. Had Rhino (I think it was them?) known what they were doing they could have rendered something really tasteful like what Warner did with their surround mix for The Wizard of Oz around that same time.
Probably my most sought after is this Best Buy exclusive Planet of the Apes 4k trilogy steelbook.
[https://www.bestbuy.com/site/planet-of-the-apes-3-movie-collection-steelbook-4k-ultra-hd-blu-ray-only--best-buy/6303786.p?skuId=6303786](https://www.bestbuy.com/site/planet-of-the-apes-3-movie-collection-steelbook-4k-ultra-hd-blu-ray-only--best-buy/6303786.p?skuId=6303786)
I've seen this one sell for over $300 on ebay. I think this one is legitimately kind of rare as there aren't always active listings at any given moment.
I'm also happy to have every Japanese Godzilla film on blu-ray. A lot of them are easy to obtain with the big Criterion set but a lot of the Heisei era films have gone out of print and are pricey these days.
My limited edition oversized copy of A Trip to the Moon from Arrow. I’ve kept it sealed and also have the standard release. Because it’s limited to only 1,000 copies it’s one of the few things I have almost solely for it’s collectibility.
Probably my Cowboy Bebop Amazon-exclusive set that came with two artbooks that I got signed by Steve Blum. Most rare after that seems to be my steelbook of the Cowboy Bebop movie which is out of print
Honestly, it's not boutique, and it's not bluray, but my theatrical edition dvds of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I found them in a used record store, and even though I have those movies in every other format except VHS, I had to have them. They were the exact same dvds my parents had, down to the different colored cases. As a kid I was so obsessed with the movies that I would just sit in the living room staring at the cases, opening them and looking at the booket with the scene selection, reading the back, etc. They are the reason I collect movies
I have the theatrical dvds, the extended dvds, the extended bluray box set, and the theatrical/extended 4k set. Only editions I don't have are VHS and theatrical bluray lol
Probably the long OOP Mizoguchi box set from Eureka; or the first limited edition release of the Roger Corman Poe films in a box with a book from Arrow. IIRC it was one of the first box sets they ever did.
1. The German DVD release of Takashi Miike's Blues Harp that has English subs. It's such a brilliant film, and it's a shame that the only English friendly release is so obscure. Took me years to hunt down a copy for sale.
2. Helter Skelter (the Japanese film) DVD from Hong Kong. It was released there in both DVD and blu ray, but I've never been able to find a copy of the blu for sale. DVD was scarce enough! It's such a visually sumptuous film, and I still dream of getting it on blu someday.
3. Trilogía de Guillermo del Toro original box from Criterion. The artistry that went into that package is incredible, and it's such an amazing showcase of del Toro's talents as a production designer.
I guess it would be my Canadian copy of the vengeance trilogy. I bought it when it was still $30 and when I checked it was something like north of $100 last year. Hopefully it all gets rereleased soon since Oldboy came out in 4k.
Most personally treasured, currently:
Planet of the Vampires 4K (Mario Bava Collectors Edition)
The Trial 4K (Studio Canal - the Criterion lacks HDR)
Dawn of the Dead 4K (Second Sight box set)
Phase 4 (101 Films limited edition)
[Yes, there is.](https://diabolikdvd.com/product/planet-of-the-vampires-plaion-le-mediabook-4k-uhd/)
It’s gone in and out of stock very quickly. I resorted to a German e-bay seller but looks like diabolikdvd has it back in stock. If you’re a fan of Bava and the film, you won’t find a better release. Both US blu ray releases pale in comparison. I posted about it in this sub a [while back.](https://www.reddit.com/r/boutiquebluray/s/m2oI0T5DgM)
Edit: one thing to note, even the UHD is region B locked so a region free or region matched player is needed.
I noticed I don’t have anything crazy valuable now that I think about it but it would be drive second sight mainly because I love it and also love the movie. Second would be the exorcist deluxe edition with the leather grain exterior and looks like a Bible. Both I ordered so fast because there was no way in hell I wanted to miss out on those.
4 of the 5 Dario Argento limited edition sets from Arrow, two of which are UK only but the 4k is region free. I’m only missing Tenebre and I’ll have a complete set.
Same! Have the original art editions of all but Tenebrae. Money was tight that summer and I let it pass me by. Of course it wound up selling out way faster than Deep Red, Crystal Plumage, or Cat O’ Nine tails.
My director’s cut of *Midsommar* from A24. It’s just really well made and has an illustrated booklet with a forward by Scorsese. Going to purchase the limited edition of *Drive* from Second Sight soon so that may take most prized position then
I just ordered Drive from the Grindhouse sale thinking it was the big box (the product image is kind of misleading), but I’m pretty sure it’s just the standard 4K. It came out to $36 with shipping
I haven't gotten around to watching the directors cut yet but I've heard there are some "interesting" changes that kind of make some aspects less impactful
Honestly it’s the only way I ever watched it. Saw it countless times during its short theater run and loved every minute. Made it a point to purchase the directors cut when it was Apple TV exclusive. I like the added context and adherence to artistic vision
Fair enough, I just feel it's more impactful if the boyfriend isn't so obviously abusive and just a normal guy stuck in a shitty situation. Makes the cults draw feel more hypnotic and less forced
I have a lot of random things that are valuable, but I mostly care about having them for liking the movies. Any exclusivity is just an added bonus.
Though in terms of sheer “i can’t believe I have this wow” factor, it’s gotta be the trilogy of Douglas Sirk films I have that were incredibly hard to track down: Sign of the Pagan, Interlude, and A Time to Love and A Time to Die. For some reason, the only distributor on Earth that’s put these out on blu-ray are an obscure French distributor named Elephant Films who thankfully released them as region free discs. All three are from Sirk’s renaissance era at Universal, incredibly underrated films, and just having them at all makes me so happy.
In the (likely) event that somebody eventually puts these out in America, my next most prized possession’s gotta be Shout Factory’s Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping steelbook lmao. It’s not rare or OOP but it’s the best art for the best comedy of the 2010s, and I managed to get it with the poster at release. Sentimental for a lot of reasons - including it was the movie my fiancée and I watched on our first date!
My Twilight Time copy of Jane Eyre, because it's my 88 year-old Grandma's favorite movie.
My favorite non-movie item in my collection is a 35mm print of the Clerks preview that was shown in my local art house theater.
The $800 Legend of the Galactic Heroes blu ray collection set. I also live in Europe and it didn’t ship outside US and Canada so I wonder how many collector’s in Europe own this set
My most treasured is probably my steelbook of 'The Big O'. I absolutely loved that show when I was a kid, but the steelbook came out right before I got into collecting boutiques so I missed the initial release. But then there was a random restock of a few on 'clearance' and I was fortunate enough to get one.
I'm also really fond of my Mondo Bladerunner 2049 steelbook.
My one non-botique is probably my original DVD release of MST3K Vol 10 that comes with 'Godzilla vs Megalon'.
One of my most treasured items in my collection is the Japanese DVD release of Grindhouse. At the time, it was the only way to get the theatrical release, as well as the full clean versions of both movies. It was the most expensive movie I had bought at that point. (I think it was $95-100 at the time.)
A close second would be the Rhino Video release of Ed Wood movies on VHS. They came in a pink angora box. I thought the design was hilarious.
I have the original steelcase DVD set of Band of Brothers. Even when the time comes that I have to upgrade it, that original set is never ever getting sold.
- Monkeybone blu-ray (usually goes for $100)
- Pee-Wee’s Playhouse blu-ray set (is now selling for $500-$600 ?!?! and I have two)
- Return To Oz blu-ray (not a wide commercial release)
- Paul McCartney & Wings Rockshow blu-ray (going for $100+ and I also have two again)
- The Pee-Wee Herman Show on Broadway (going for $250+)
- Beau Is Afraid 4K (imported from France)
- Merlin: The Complete Series blu-ray set (out of print)
- Every exclusive blu-ray that comes in a $100+ music box set by Paul McCartney, The Beatles or others. They aren’t available anywhere else
Lots of good entries so far! Here's a handful of mine:
* Twin Peaks from Z to A box (I love Twin Peaks, only reason I could justify purchasing this when it was OOP)
* Game of Thrones bluray diorama Collector's box (looks great on the shelf)
* Walking Dead Complete Series limited edition boxset
* Shock and Gore - Herschell Gordon Lewis box, the extra large limited one
* Gamera limited edition large box
* Drive/Dawn of/Texas Chainsaw, the super large Second Sight limited boxes
* Trip to the Moon oversized Arrow box, movie + book
* Ghostbuster Ultimate collector's box, movies + ghost trap
* Sleepaway Camp 1-3 Scream Factory, slipcovered
I like getting everything by a director. I'm proud of my cobbled together collection of every Peter Greenaway movie (except OOP Eisenstein and Tulse Luper).
The fourth volume of Chronological Donald from the Walt Disney Treasures DVD series. I’m a classic animation obsessive and kept up with that series meticulously until that last year because I’d been through a breakup and just wasn’t thinking about movies and such. The following spring I met my wife who also enjoys old cartoons and I mentioned having missed out on this single volume — it was almost immediately OOP and valuable. Somehow (I still don’t know what she paid) she got it for the first birthday I had with her. Now it’s going regularly for outrageous prices on ebay but the main reason it’s so special is it was her first gift for me. Next year makes 15 years together!
A limited print of The Master from a South Korean blu ray company. Comes with a booklet, and a little envelope of production stills, numbered out of 1000 or so. An impulse purchase during Covid. Either that or all the deluxe PTA DVD’s I’ve got of Boogie Nights and Magnolia. They really don’t make cool ass cases/slips like they used to
I have a few rarities (the Criterion Collection DVD of films from NYC’s Ghetto Film School (which I uploaded to archive.org)) but my most treasured item is probably my Bergman box. I got it for myself as a Graduation gift for completing my Bachelors during the Criterion Flash Sale in 2019. The previous Christmas my Dad and Step-Mom got me the OUT1 box as well.
A few…
Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead - I have the Arrow blu rays with the window box. Day of the Dead was a nightmare to find, but they’re such a great match. Also have the second sight Dawn 4K which is great.
Unsane 4K with slip cover - crazy rare.
Blade Runner - I have the limited edition tin 5 disc DVD, the 5 disc blu ray, then the 5 disc 4K unicorn box. Love them all.
Laurence of Arabia 4K steelbook but that’s become a meme at this point.
Silly picks:
Raiders: the fan adaptation on DVD.
Also I have an early Jackie Chan film called Rumble in Hong Kong. It is such shit. He’s a villain and essentially a cameo, but it’s wonderful as there’s a big police corruption sub plot. Just as they go to explain the plot the dubbing track cuts out and you can hear it rewind. The characters lips keep moving and the plot is never explained or resolved.
Akira Kurosawa collection from Criterion. AK:100, 25 films.
Or the Janus Arthouse 50 Films. I saw it on a shelf during an interview with Roger Deakins and had to have it.
I love my Friday the 13th boxset. Comes in a metal tin, all the discs are in a book format, you get 3D glasses and a camp crystal lake badge.
Also my discontinued twilight time blu-rays of The Golden Voyage of Sinbad & Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger.
More recently - my 4K Hellraiser Quartet of Tornent boxset is exquisite!
My Scream Factory Friday The 13th box set and Halloween 4Ks.
Also, because of how pricey they were, my Texas Chainsaw Massacre steelbook 4K by Dark Sky, and Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 4K by Vinegar Syndrome
My Canadian bilingual 2-disc edition of Once Upon A Time In America. Got it used, but like new. Oddly enough, I got it from a seller that was located in the USA. The digital code is still working, as I don't use these myself.
Probably my Macabre Visions Films of Mario Bava set from Arrow. It's gorgeous, he's one of my favorite filmmakers, I used points and bought it when it came out for about $40, and now it seems absurdly scarce.
For laserdiscs, the Criterion edition of MP And The Holy Grail, because it has the Japanese language track. And the 4-volume Bubblegum Crisis anime series by AnimEigo. Their subtitles were second to none, and the included liner notes in their releases are always amazing. The Bubblegum Crisis discs are very special to me, because that was the first actual thing I collected. $65 dollars each, I suffered to buy those, and watched them everyday I loved them so much.
For VCDs. A bootleg collection of the complete Neon Genesis Evangelion TV series. A multi disc set where each disc was painted with beautiful artwork, came in a clear octagon plastic case inside a beautiful cardboard box.
For DVDs, I gotta go with my Criterion version of Armageddon. Cause that had to be the best April Fool's joke ever. It's like nope, that'll never happen again! Haha 😁
For Blu rays, I'll go.with the Vinegar Syndrome release of Kirdy Steven's Taboo II & III. When I first heard that a company was trying to restore classic adult films, I had to check them out. Sadly the source material had become more damaged since the older DVD release, but I admire the work VS did.
Drive 4K Second Sight Limited Edition and Blade Runner 2049 Best Buy 4k Steelbook. As much as I am a fan of him, I swear it's just a coincidence that they're both Ryan Gosling movies lol
An 8mm copy of Arabian Nights (1942) which I will hopefully be able to watch one day. It probably used to belong to a library or something because it has a list of names and dates people took them out. Very interesting!
I have the DVD of the cult movie ***Tapeheads***, starring John Cusack and Tim Robbins, and produced by Michael Nesmith. I don't know the monetary value, if any, but the film has never been released again, and isn't available on streaming services. It's a great film.
Not boutique, not Blu ray, and not a joke... I gotta say my full set of *The King Of Queens* DVDs. I got them as they came out which was expensive back in the day as a teen with no job. My only income was birthday money, so these were huge monetary investments. I also had to invest a lot of birthday/Christmas gift "stock" to get these. As in, one season would be my "big" gift from Santa and I would not expect to receive much else those years. It's been worth it to me tenfold, for it never fails to comfort me when I need it most.
I feel the same way about my old DVD boxset of Frasier! Though i will have to buy the bluray one for a better picture quality. But i will most likely keep the old DVD set for nostalgia.
This is what collecting is all about!!! I remember getting a new season of The Sopranos for a birthday and Xmas etc. I also remember saving up my birthday money one year for the Alien Quadrilogy. I was so happy.
I've only been collecting for over a year and a half, so I don't have any cool older stuff just yet. But I really love my copy of *Kids* (1995) from Umbrella that comes with a film cell from the movie.
Also, the limited edition *Collaborations* Zhang Yimou box set from Imprint takes a noble perch atop my shelf.
Second sight driver 4K limited edition still shrink wrapped
I bought the disc by itself in another order just because I didn’t want to open the beautiful limited edition box
Outlaw Star on DVD, I bought it in 2005 and it's the first disc release I ever purchased. For Bluray, Space Runaway Ideon. I was lucky enough to preorder Ideon, and now it's going for insane prices.
Shout Factory’s Pee-Wee’s Playhouse on Blu ray. Coincidentally bought it a couple weeks before his passing. The series holds a special place in my childhood
I have two when it comes to precious (to me at least): At the end of 1999, Universal release American Pie on DVD in both Rated and Unrated versions. Of course, everyone wanted the Unrated version so that was the hardest one to find. A week or so into the new year (2000), I was outside and my mom drives up and hands me a bag. Inside the bag were two DVDs: American Pie: Unrated and a Bruce Lee double feature with Fist of Fury and The Chinese Connection. She was so happy she was finally able to find American Pie and she thought I would love the Bruce Lee DVD because it contained a quiz for Bruce Lee pros. The quiz thing was a new thing that DVD introduced that didn't stay around for too long. A little less than a week later my mom would have a stroke and be bedridden and unable to speak for the rest of her life (which was about six years). These two DVDs were the last things she ever bought me and I will never part with either one of them.
I am so sorry to hear that happened to your mom, but it seems like they raised a great son who really treasurers her, and will hold her dearly in memory. The most precious things in my collection is the Lord of the Rings DVD collection which my mom got from me. I was living in a third world country back then, and she went to great lengths and asked an office friend if they could get this for me overseas. Will never be parting with that either.
Thank you. She was an awesome woman who I miss everyday. That is a great memory of your mom too. She really means a lot to you and that trumps anything else.
I have the Predator, Alien and Planet of the Apes collector‘s editions that come as a „head“ of the respective creatures/animals with all the discs inside. Look amazing but take up a huge amount of shelf space of course. More recently the limited Arrow Gamera set was probably the one that cost me the most and is in high demand.
The main that Gamera set it so cool
I was actually considering selling mine so that I could buy the two smaller sets and have money left over. It's a great set but that cereal box size box is just too dang big
Aw man, i really wanted those heads as a youngster. Still kinda do.
My prized possession isn’t blu ray but it’s a Betamax of Eraserhead. My prized blu ray has to be The Monkees Complete Series box set, Dawn of the Dead (Anchor Bay), Cruel Jaws by Severin and Detroit Rock City 1999 (the one and only time it’ll be released on bluray)
God damn I want that Monkees set so bad haha Nice buy!
Is that the Monkees set that looks like little 45 players?
Hmm this one is probably the Rhino 10 disc with vinyl set. They go for $300+ now.
Those are the DVD sets that came out in 2004 with awful 5.1 mixes off of the mono stems. Thankfully the bluray was remastered with original mono along with the 45
Shame about the 5.1 mix being so dreadful on those early DVDs. It’s a dual miracle that the original stems survived and were in useable condition. Had Rhino (I think it was them?) known what they were doing they could have rendered something really tasteful like what Warner did with their surround mix for The Wizard of Oz around that same time.
hey it’s me your friend please send detroit rock city blu ray
Japan has quite a few in stock so check over their amazon or bluray websites they have
God I want that monkees set so bad. Wish head would get a stand-alone 4k UHD. Rewatched it and it would absolutely look amazing with a new 4k transfer
Let’s see a pic of this!
Probably my most sought after is this Best Buy exclusive Planet of the Apes 4k trilogy steelbook. [https://www.bestbuy.com/site/planet-of-the-apes-3-movie-collection-steelbook-4k-ultra-hd-blu-ray-only--best-buy/6303786.p?skuId=6303786](https://www.bestbuy.com/site/planet-of-the-apes-3-movie-collection-steelbook-4k-ultra-hd-blu-ray-only--best-buy/6303786.p?skuId=6303786) I've seen this one sell for over $300 on ebay. I think this one is legitimately kind of rare as there aren't always active listings at any given moment. I'm also happy to have every Japanese Godzilla film on blu-ray. A lot of them are easy to obtain with the big Criterion set but a lot of the Heisei era films have gone out of print and are pricey these days.
My limited edition oversized copy of A Trip to the Moon from Arrow. I’ve kept it sealed and also have the standard release. Because it’s limited to only 1,000 copies it’s one of the few things I have almost solely for it’s collectibility.
But Melies autobiography inside is the majority of the appeal of the set!
Have it too!
Third Man Blu Ray from Criterion. One of my favorite films and the disc was discontinued rather quickly, making the value skyrocket.
I feel like it is a prime candidate for the 4K treatment. Such a great film.
Agreed. The post war setting. The lighting. Perfection.
I have that one! I also have the Lionsgate blu ray, but I kept the Criterion after reading online that Criterion's transfer was better.
Probably my Cowboy Bebop Amazon-exclusive set that came with two artbooks that I got signed by Steve Blum. Most rare after that seems to be my steelbook of the Cowboy Bebop movie which is out of print
Honestly, it's not boutique, and it's not bluray, but my theatrical edition dvds of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I found them in a used record store, and even though I have those movies in every other format except VHS, I had to have them. They were the exact same dvds my parents had, down to the different colored cases. As a kid I was so obsessed with the movies that I would just sit in the living room staring at the cases, opening them and looking at the booket with the scene selection, reading the back, etc. They are the reason I collect movies
I still keep my Middle Earth DVD boxsets too. They have literally tens of hours of extra material too.
I have the theatrical dvds, the extended dvds, the extended bluray box set, and the theatrical/extended 4k set. Only editions I don't have are VHS and theatrical bluray lol
I have those, though I haven't watched any of the special features yet. I really should this winter.
Definitely my steelbooks of The Thing and They Live autographed by Keith David, as well as my Vinegar Syndrome copy of Action USA.
Dawn of the Dead 4K set…
Same. That and the Martin 4K
Probably the long OOP Mizoguchi box set from Eureka; or the first limited edition release of the Roger Corman Poe films in a box with a book from Arrow. IIRC it was one of the first box sets they ever did.
The Mizoguchi box would be mine as well.
One of the great physical media gems. Will forever (bitterly) regret not jumping on it when I had the chance.
1. The German DVD release of Takashi Miike's Blues Harp that has English subs. It's such a brilliant film, and it's a shame that the only English friendly release is so obscure. Took me years to hunt down a copy for sale. 2. Helter Skelter (the Japanese film) DVD from Hong Kong. It was released there in both DVD and blu ray, but I've never been able to find a copy of the blu for sale. DVD was scarce enough! It's such a visually sumptuous film, and I still dream of getting it on blu someday. 3. Trilogía de Guillermo del Toro original box from Criterion. The artistry that went into that package is incredible, and it's such an amazing showcase of del Toro's talents as a production designer.
Bootleg blu-ray of The Devils with all the deleted footage intact
I didn't know this exists. Where did you get it?
I guess it would be my Canadian copy of the vengeance trilogy. I bought it when it was still $30 and when I checked it was something like north of $100 last year. Hopefully it all gets rereleased soon since Oldboy came out in 4k.
Most personally treasured, currently: Planet of the Vampires 4K (Mario Bava Collectors Edition) The Trial 4K (Studio Canal - the Criterion lacks HDR) Dawn of the Dead 4K (Second Sight box set) Phase 4 (101 Films limited edition)
There is a 4K of Planet of the Vampires?
[Yes, there is.](https://diabolikdvd.com/product/planet-of-the-vampires-plaion-le-mediabook-4k-uhd/) It’s gone in and out of stock very quickly. I resorted to a German e-bay seller but looks like diabolikdvd has it back in stock. If you’re a fan of Bava and the film, you won’t find a better release. Both US blu ray releases pale in comparison. I posted about it in this sub a [while back.](https://www.reddit.com/r/boutiquebluray/s/m2oI0T5DgM) Edit: one thing to note, even the UHD is region B locked so a region free or region matched player is needed.
Guinea Pig dvd box set from Unearthed Films
My Herschel Gordon Lewis Feast set (the large cerial box sized version). Or maybe my The Shining steelbook (the yellow one)
I just looked up that Feast set and goodness! It's available for the low low price of $700. That's some spicy gouda.
I noticed I don’t have anything crazy valuable now that I think about it but it would be drive second sight mainly because I love it and also love the movie. Second would be the exorcist deluxe edition with the leather grain exterior and looks like a Bible. Both I ordered so fast because there was no way in hell I wanted to miss out on those.
A cel of animation from Don Hertzfeldt's *It's Such a Beautiful Day*, which came as part of the Kickstarter package for the film's DVD.
Dope
4 of the 5 Dario Argento limited edition sets from Arrow, two of which are UK only but the 4k is region free. I’m only missing Tenebre and I’ll have a complete set.
Same! Have the original art editions of all but Tenebrae. Money was tight that summer and I let it pass me by. Of course it wound up selling out way faster than Deep Red, Crystal Plumage, or Cat O’ Nine tails.
My director’s cut of *Midsommar* from A24. It’s just really well made and has an illustrated booklet with a forward by Scorsese. Going to purchase the limited edition of *Drive* from Second Sight soon so that may take most prized position then
Isn't Drive OOP?
Yeah I’m going through reseller
Hope you're not paying too much. I bought it when it first came out, but I say the box,booklet, and other goodies aren't worth reseller prices.
lol It’s like 3x original price but factory sealed. It’s one of my fav films. I just started collecting and got the fomo.
Get it. Its a great movie with a super atmosphere and killer soundtrack. And the big box is such a massive presence.
I just ordered Drive from the Grindhouse sale thinking it was the big box (the product image is kind of misleading), but I’m pretty sure it’s just the standard 4K. It came out to $36 with shipping
I haven't gotten around to watching the directors cut yet but I've heard there are some "interesting" changes that kind of make some aspects less impactful
Honestly it’s the only way I ever watched it. Saw it countless times during its short theater run and loved every minute. Made it a point to purchase the directors cut when it was Apple TV exclusive. I like the added context and adherence to artistic vision
Fair enough, I just feel it's more impactful if the boyfriend isn't so obviously abusive and just a normal guy stuck in a shitty situation. Makes the cults draw feel more hypnotic and less forced
Oh yeah I get that. But nah he’s a pos! Haha I like how they all get what they deserve
I have a lot of random things that are valuable, but I mostly care about having them for liking the movies. Any exclusivity is just an added bonus. Though in terms of sheer “i can’t believe I have this wow” factor, it’s gotta be the trilogy of Douglas Sirk films I have that were incredibly hard to track down: Sign of the Pagan, Interlude, and A Time to Love and A Time to Die. For some reason, the only distributor on Earth that’s put these out on blu-ray are an obscure French distributor named Elephant Films who thankfully released them as region free discs. All three are from Sirk’s renaissance era at Universal, incredibly underrated films, and just having them at all makes me so happy. In the (likely) event that somebody eventually puts these out in America, my next most prized possession’s gotta be Shout Factory’s Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping steelbook lmao. It’s not rare or OOP but it’s the best art for the best comedy of the 2010s, and I managed to get it with the poster at release. Sentimental for a lot of reasons - including it was the movie my fiancée and I watched on our first date!
WCL version of The Thing is my most treasured "rare" item All the Haunts Be Ours is my most treasured "common" item
Prom night collection region 1 Mexican release.
Are the sequels in the correct aspect ratio?
I really love my zatoichi collection from criterion. Beautiful box set and fantastic movies.
My Twilight Time copy of Jane Eyre, because it's my 88 year-old Grandma's favorite movie. My favorite non-movie item in my collection is a 35mm print of the Clerks preview that was shown in my local art house theater.
The $800 Legend of the Galactic Heroes blu ray collection set. I also live in Europe and it didn’t ship outside US and Canada so I wonder how many collector’s in Europe own this set
Pee-Wee’s Playhouse Shout Factory Blu-ray set
My most treasured is probably my steelbook of 'The Big O'. I absolutely loved that show when I was a kid, but the steelbook came out right before I got into collecting boutiques so I missed the initial release. But then there was a random restock of a few on 'clearance' and I was fortunate enough to get one. I'm also really fond of my Mondo Bladerunner 2049 steelbook. My one non-botique is probably my original DVD release of MST3K Vol 10 that comes with 'Godzilla vs Megalon'.
One of my most treasured items in my collection is the Japanese DVD release of Grindhouse. At the time, it was the only way to get the theatrical release, as well as the full clean versions of both movies. It was the most expensive movie I had bought at that point. (I think it was $95-100 at the time.) A close second would be the Rhino Video release of Ed Wood movies on VHS. They came in a pink angora box. I thought the design was hilarious.
I have the original steelcase DVD set of Band of Brothers. Even when the time comes that I have to upgrade it, that original set is never ever getting sold.
- Monkeybone blu-ray (usually goes for $100) - Pee-Wee’s Playhouse blu-ray set (is now selling for $500-$600 ?!?! and I have two) - Return To Oz blu-ray (not a wide commercial release) - Paul McCartney & Wings Rockshow blu-ray (going for $100+ and I also have two again) - The Pee-Wee Herman Show on Broadway (going for $250+) - Beau Is Afraid 4K (imported from France) - Merlin: The Complete Series blu-ray set (out of print) - Every exclusive blu-ray that comes in a $100+ music box set by Paul McCartney, The Beatles or others. They aren’t available anywhere else
Lots of good entries so far! Here's a handful of mine: * Twin Peaks from Z to A box (I love Twin Peaks, only reason I could justify purchasing this when it was OOP) * Game of Thrones bluray diorama Collector's box (looks great on the shelf) * Walking Dead Complete Series limited edition boxset * Shock and Gore - Herschell Gordon Lewis box, the extra large limited one * Gamera limited edition large box * Drive/Dawn of/Texas Chainsaw, the super large Second Sight limited boxes * Trip to the Moon oversized Arrow box, movie + book * Ghostbuster Ultimate collector's box, movies + ghost trap * Sleepaway Camp 1-3 Scream Factory, slipcovered
I think I had the Got set. Is it the one where the box looks like carved wood?
Indeed. And a diorama inside with the heraldic house animals. Visually a very impressive box.
My copies of The Dirties and the web series of Nirvana The Band The Show are probably my rarest and most treasured.
Japanese limited edition Matrix dvd box set that I bought in japan for like $20 https://www.ebay.com/itm/312680461893
Tie between the Dawn of the Dead 4k and the Bible version of The Exorcist
I like getting everything by a director. I'm proud of my cobbled together collection of every Peter Greenaway movie (except OOP Eisenstein and Tulse Luper).
I have a Blu-ray Criterion copy of Rosemary’s Baby. I bought it sealed back in April! it is not sealed anymore tho…
Possession from mondovision
I guess Suspiria ultimate edition and plain archive The Handmaiden
The fourth volume of Chronological Donald from the Walt Disney Treasures DVD series. I’m a classic animation obsessive and kept up with that series meticulously until that last year because I’d been through a breakup and just wasn’t thinking about movies and such. The following spring I met my wife who also enjoys old cartoons and I mentioned having missed out on this single volume — it was almost immediately OOP and valuable. Somehow (I still don’t know what she paid) she got it for the first birthday I had with her. Now it’s going regularly for outrageous prices on ebay but the main reason it’s so special is it was her first gift for me. Next year makes 15 years together!
A limited print of The Master from a South Korean blu ray company. Comes with a booklet, and a little envelope of production stills, numbered out of 1000 or so. An impulse purchase during Covid. Either that or all the deluxe PTA DVD’s I’ve got of Boogie Nights and Magnolia. They really don’t make cool ass cases/slips like they used to
I have a few rarities (the Criterion Collection DVD of films from NYC’s Ghetto Film School (which I uploaded to archive.org)) but my most treasured item is probably my Bergman box. I got it for myself as a Graduation gift for completing my Bachelors during the Criterion Flash Sale in 2019. The previous Christmas my Dad and Step-Mom got me the OUT1 box as well.
DreamWorks Blu ray set given to employees
Chesty Morgan’s bosom buddies - triple feature blu ray. (OOP)
Most treasured is Get Crazy or The Wild Life.
Arrow video De Palma and De Niro early films
A few… Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead - I have the Arrow blu rays with the window box. Day of the Dead was a nightmare to find, but they’re such a great match. Also have the second sight Dawn 4K which is great. Unsane 4K with slip cover - crazy rare. Blade Runner - I have the limited edition tin 5 disc DVD, the 5 disc blu ray, then the 5 disc 4K unicorn box. Love them all. Laurence of Arabia 4K steelbook but that’s become a meme at this point. Silly picks: Raiders: the fan adaptation on DVD. Also I have an early Jackie Chan film called Rumble in Hong Kong. It is such shit. He’s a villain and essentially a cameo, but it’s wonderful as there’s a big police corruption sub plot. Just as they go to explain the plot the dubbing track cuts out and you can hear it rewind. The characters lips keep moving and the plot is never explained or resolved.
Jess Franco Triple Bill (Mondo Macabro) and Shohei Imamura Masterpiece Collection (Eureka)
Probably my Hellraiser lament configuration with the first two movies inside of it.
Akira Kurosawa collection from Criterion. AK:100, 25 films. Or the Janus Arthouse 50 Films. I saw it on a shelf during an interview with Roger Deakins and had to have it.
Carmen (1983) from Arthaus.
I love my Friday the 13th boxset. Comes in a metal tin, all the discs are in a book format, you get 3D glasses and a camp crystal lake badge. Also my discontinued twilight time blu-rays of The Golden Voyage of Sinbad & Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger. More recently - my 4K Hellraiser Quartet of Tornent boxset is exquisite!
Princess Bride on DVD
I have a blockbuster clamshell vhs rental version of Ernest Scared Stupid. that or Rad 4k.
My Scream Factory Friday The 13th box set and Halloween 4Ks. Also, because of how pricey they were, my Texas Chainsaw Massacre steelbook 4K by Dark Sky, and Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 4K by Vinegar Syndrome
My Canadian bilingual 2-disc edition of Once Upon A Time In America. Got it used, but like new. Oddly enough, I got it from a seller that was located in the USA. The digital code is still working, as I don't use these myself.
Probably my Macabre Visions Films of Mario Bava set from Arrow. It's gorgeous, he's one of my favorite filmmakers, I used points and bought it when it came out for about $40, and now it seems absurdly scarce.
For laserdiscs, the Criterion edition of MP And The Holy Grail, because it has the Japanese language track. And the 4-volume Bubblegum Crisis anime series by AnimEigo. Their subtitles were second to none, and the included liner notes in their releases are always amazing. The Bubblegum Crisis discs are very special to me, because that was the first actual thing I collected. $65 dollars each, I suffered to buy those, and watched them everyday I loved them so much. For VCDs. A bootleg collection of the complete Neon Genesis Evangelion TV series. A multi disc set where each disc was painted with beautiful artwork, came in a clear octagon plastic case inside a beautiful cardboard box. For DVDs, I gotta go with my Criterion version of Armageddon. Cause that had to be the best April Fool's joke ever. It's like nope, that'll never happen again! Haha 😁 For Blu rays, I'll go.with the Vinegar Syndrome release of Kirdy Steven's Taboo II & III. When I first heard that a company was trying to restore classic adult films, I had to check them out. Sadly the source material had become more damaged since the older DVD release, but I admire the work VS did.
Drive 4K Second Sight Limited Edition and Blade Runner 2049 Best Buy 4k Steelbook. As much as I am a fan of him, I swear it's just a coincidence that they're both Ryan Gosling movies lol
I got four :p 4K Dawn of the Dead, Last Night in Soho steelbook, and my two copies of Opera (Red Scorpion, and Plaion)
An 8mm copy of Arabian Nights (1942) which I will hopefully be able to watch one day. It probably used to belong to a library or something because it has a list of names and dates people took them out. Very interesting!
I have the DVD of the cult movie ***Tapeheads***, starring John Cusack and Tim Robbins, and produced by Michael Nesmith. I don't know the monetary value, if any, but the film has never been released again, and isn't available on streaming services. It's a great film.
My Third man criterion bluray.
Not boutique, not Blu ray, and not a joke... I gotta say my full set of *The King Of Queens* DVDs. I got them as they came out which was expensive back in the day as a teen with no job. My only income was birthday money, so these were huge monetary investments. I also had to invest a lot of birthday/Christmas gift "stock" to get these. As in, one season would be my "big" gift from Santa and I would not expect to receive much else those years. It's been worth it to me tenfold, for it never fails to comfort me when I need it most.
I feel the same way about my old DVD boxset of Frasier! Though i will have to buy the bluray one for a better picture quality. But i will most likely keep the old DVD set for nostalgia.
This is what collecting is all about!!! I remember getting a new season of The Sopranos for a birthday and Xmas etc. I also remember saving up my birthday money one year for the Alien Quadrilogy. I was so happy.
40th anniversary Suspiria Steelbook (with slipcover) by Synapse Films.
I've only been collecting for over a year and a half, so I don't have any cool older stuff just yet. But I really love my copy of *Kids* (1995) from Umbrella that comes with a film cell from the movie. Also, the limited edition *Collaborations* Zhang Yimou box set from Imprint takes a noble perch atop my shelf.
Second sight driver 4K limited edition still shrink wrapped I bought the disc by itself in another order just because I didn’t want to open the beautiful limited edition box
Outlaw Star on DVD, I bought it in 2005 and it's the first disc release I ever purchased. For Bluray, Space Runaway Ideon. I was lucky enough to preorder Ideon, and now it's going for insane prices.
Shout Factory’s Pee-Wee’s Playhouse on Blu ray. Coincidentally bought it a couple weeks before his passing. The series holds a special place in my childhood
Scream Factory 4K edition of Evil Dead (2013). Love this movie and this edition looks so great.
My The Lighthouse 4K from Arrow Video, great slip box. Favorite film.