Desirability of steelbook collecting

[creasey275]

The year 2012 has seen a massive surge in steelbook releases, and collectors. Of the 35 pages of threads on HDN steelbook forum, 24 have been started this year. Back catalogue films, new releases and multiple releases in different countries has, I imagine, lead collectors to become more choosy about which to buy and where to buy it. "Limited" releases to 4,000, shop exclusives and steelbook treatment(debossing...) are now crucial deciding factors whether customers buy, and judging by the posts on numerous thread here and elsewhere reporting that a lot are keeping steelbooks sealed, over-riding the film itself.

Now for the statement.

In 2012 the huge increase in steelbook releases has lead to the decline in desirability of steelbooks. Discuss.

 

[Jango]

It is still cheap for people buying in the UK.

sure but i wouldn't wonder too much when steels going for less if you exclude int. bidders with high postage.

 

[lgans316]

Shipping cost of 10.5~11 GBP is fine if the seller ships by Registered (International Signed-For) post as that's the actual rate. The price goes down if more items are there in the package but not worth it if you buy just one Steelbook.

 

[Jango]

as a seller point of view you right but as a buyer it would still cost me nearly the double as it was a long time available from zavvi, just a couple of days after release date...just sayin, as a seller you have to compete with zavvis free int shipping.

 

[frankfish44]

I agree with Jango

Scammers are a very small percentage of buyers on eBay. When it is clear to me that an item is struggling to even reach purchase price on auctions, why not offer more affordable shipping to increase the buyer base ? Some sellers IMO just put the nail on the coffin by insisting on more expensive shipping options. It makes no sense to spend the same amount on shipping as purchase price. Making shipping more affordable attracts a couple of extra bidders driving up the price IMO. I do this when I sell items.

 

[lgans316]

It costs 10.25 GBP precisely to ship one Steelbook from UK to EU by Registered post if the Steelbook is packed well. Otherwise it will cost 1.45 GBP less. So I am not sure how a seller can afford to offer low cost shipping for a single Steelbook.

Also let's not forget that eBay charges 10% of shipping cost as fees.

 

[Jango]

they cant your right, thats why it makes imo no sense selling single steels there are oop/released on a short term, it needs a real high demand to make it worthy, but thats not the point, the point is that you have to calculating these extra costs even if they not going straight to the sellers profit. i think a lot of people would still buy FDTD for the same value or even slightly above the original price (example: zavvi oulet). so i really cant see a value decreasing right here.

 

[lgans316]

Another Skyfall JB HI FI Steelbook:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/161170105095?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

 

[stephen3001]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Le-Grand-Bleu-Blu-ray-Steelbook-1-4-Quarter-Slip-/261346866841?pt=UK_CDsDVDs_DVDs_DVDs_GL&hash=item3cd97cb699&nma=true&si=LlE1a3o09gCw%252B7LPvE4QDxITGY0%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

 

[sunnyx]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Le-Grand-Bleu-Blu-ray-Steelbook-1-4-Quarter-Slip-/261346866841?pt=UK_CDsDVDs_DVDs_DVDs_GL&hash=item3cd97cb699&nma=true&si=LlE1a3o09gCw%252B7LPvE4QDxITGY0%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Yep, I think that really sums it up, £21.25 for LGB 1/4 length. IMO this steel was never highly sought, it was members panic buying on an identicle 'grail' steel and trying to sell it for a profit for less than cost price!

 

[stephen3001]

I agree completely Sunnyx. It also didn't help that, IMHO, the actual steel itself was a major disappointment.

 

[lgans316]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/271339817687?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

 

[sunnyx]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/271339817687?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

bargain price!

 

[pjking]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/271339817687?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

My sale that. For what I'll get back after fees and postage, I would have rather have given it away

 

[xage]

Update: Nevermind - I checked the OP of this thread and found out that the nature of his rant is basically "Reseller's Path to Financial LOSS" due to a "wrong investment" in steelbook "RESELLING" than "COLLECTING"


In my honest opinion, Such rant you expressed conveys more of a steelbook reseller path to financial loss (ones who wasnt able to break-even with cost of acquisition vs cost of sales if he/she invested on Steelbooks.)


If you feel the value is going down I guess the challenge is more relying to yourself whether you

1. Would continue Spending to your "Steelbook" Collection
2. Stop buying and focus more to other hobbies
3. Prevent yourself checking microdetails of "SOLD" steelbooks in ebay

Make Sense?


By the way since you posted it a year ago... any change or renewal of faith had happened to you?

I want to share with you guys what I think is becoming a reality.

The value of the Steelbooks is decreasing every day, except of course for the "Grails" that will never decrease.

I think this is because too many collectors or just regular people are buying to resell keeping the Steelbooks sealed and waiting for the right time. I don´t blame anyone I´m the first one that has done that a couple of times.

The are more sellers than buyers.

Long time ago this would never happened because not a lot of people would keep their Steelbooks sealed ( they never new that the value was going to increase ) and most important people would buy just a copy, no multiple copies to resell them later.

A few examples, that in my opinion, makes my point:

The dark Knight rises Taiwan with notebook not OOP yet but sold for: 23,21 €
The Amazing Spiderman Taiwan: 32,19 €
Prometheus Korea: 40,92 €
Prometheus Taiwan: 56,19 €
Battle royale ( even cheaper than when it was released ) 12,55 €
The girl with the dragon Tattoo Japan: 50,91 €
Alien Anthology Japan: 36,68 €
Real Steel Blufans: 57,64 €
Sucker Punch Comicon: 70 €
..... etc .........

:violent:

 

[lgans316]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/390720692828?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/190996878625?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/231112386466?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

 

[blumaster]

Unstoppable actually sold for more than *current* retail cost.

 

[blurayisnice]

If you buy to resell (whether it's 1 extra copy or more...), you should; use as many discount codes as possible. Check regularly if the price has increased, decreased or stayed the same (before release). Cancel if too many people are reselling on eBay & other websites. Or just buy the extremely cheap steelbooks .

But I guess this is just common sense .

And yes, steelbooks do sell for less than 1-2 years ago.
But the market has been flooded with steelbooks since then, so it's necessary to 'filter' the crappy steelbooks .

(I don't sell on eBay btw, in fact, I don't sell much. I only sell when I feel like selling ).

 

[Heche1981]

I definitely think that the collectibility of SteelBooks has declined somewhat in the last year or so. There really are too many to choose from, and the market has been over-saturated with floods upon floods of new releases on a weekly basis now. Companies like Zavvi and PLAY.com are putting their own interests first (read: profit), rather than providing us with a premium product that remains collectible. I also believe that the SteelBook brand itself has been cheapened, and can no longer be considered as a premium medium

Another factor which I think contributes to the decline in collectibility is lack of knowledge. There may be many more SteelBook collectors now than there ever was before, but many newbies to the hobby are either misinformed or uneducated about what is actually available to collect. Most tend to see what Zavvi have to offer and assume that's all there is, but don't realise that there are now over 350 UK Blu-Ray SteelBook releases to choose from! Then you have your international releases, and the so-called "grails". It's easy for a newbie to become easily overwhelmed by it all!


As a buyer, I tend to buy everything as soon as it comes out, so I don't really have much experience in the buying of SteelBooks on "the black market" (so to speak). I also have no clue about the resale value of used SteelBooks, although I do have a vague idea of which sealed titles are worth money.

As a seller (I sell duplicates to support my SteelBook addiction), I have definitely found that it is harder to shift new releases now than it was maybe a year or so ago, as there seems to be dozens more SteelBook fanatics who are all in the same boat - Sell to support. Where I would previously be able to sell titles like Roger Rabbit for double the money to French collectors, I have now struggled to sell other popular OOP titles such as Aladdin, Rocketeer, and Rambo: First Blood for a decent price due to so much competition!


Star Trek: Into Darkness and Who Framed Roger Rabbit are perhaps the two exceptions this year, and maybe Skyfall to a lesser extent. It has become apparent that the money in SteelBooks lays in the older HMV titles, numbered / limited releases, various misprints / store recalls, and Asian imports.

I am currently sitting on several duplicates which I am keeping stashed away for a rainy day, and I'm confident that given time they will become sought after, but at this moment in time there are just too many sellers offering the same items. It is definitely a buyer's market right now!

 

[ben6212]

this definetly proves the whole value decreasing...seriously wtf?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rambo-blu..._DVDs_GL&hash=item3388a4dbde&autorefresh=true

 

[CyberAthlete]

They have, significantly. A lot of the steelbooks purchased last and earlier this year have had marginal gains in value IF any at all. The number of steelbooks has increased drastically as well with every title new and old getting some form of SB treatment and the overall worth of collectibles has gone down.