Get out.... stop..... or keep going?

[cooey]

Here's one for you guys..... sitting here recently I and looking at the money some of these steelbooks fetch I was wondering, do I really need all of these steelbooks? I could sell the majority of mine, replace them all with amaray versions and still have money left over.

With HMV and Play going, it looks like the UK market won't be getting as many steelbooks as we were once promised and the import prices from over the world is getting more and more expensive.

I'm very tempted to just sell 90% of mine keeping my Avengers collection, the ones my fiancé has bought me and any I've won in competitions, and selling the rest. Or do I just stop buying steelbooks and keep my collection as is and just buy the regular amarays?

 

[Apinamakina]

I only buy those steelbooks that I open and watch the actual movie too. I have never and will never keep steelbook I bought sealed and collecting dust on the shelves. I will always open mine no matter how rare it is.

So currently I have no need to sell my steelbooks since they are all movies I like to watch again. Although I have blind bought some titles that I have regretted buying and then putting them on sale.

 

[adrenaline78]

I'm in the same boat really. I figure I could sell all my steels and get a new car or something! lol.. ok ok, well not a new car, but some of you could.
I am trying to be more selective as I can't afford every new release, especially buying the same title from every country. I don't really have a method to my madness.I still haven't pulled the trigger on some real expensive titles, and I stupidly traded away one of rarer titles, which I am currently experiencing remorse.

 

[VRob98]

I find it very therapeutic to collect something

It can also be quite therapeutic getting rid of something I've sold off quite a few rare steels recently and not regretted it in the slightest. Basically, I think that if someone gets to the point of wondering whether they should cut back or stop altogether, it means they probably should do one or the other.

I think it's also pretty significant that nearly all long term collectors I know have now liquidated their collections either wholly or in part. But then those are mostly people who have gone into it quite obsessively and at considerable expense. I think that people who are much more selective in the first place might not reach that saturation point quite so easily.

 

[frankfish44]

As stated before, it depends on wheter you collect for yourself or if you are an investor i.e. collect now and hope to cash out in the future. If you are collecting for yourself, your steelbooks are most likely open. In this case I see no point of selling it. If you are investing, the decision is yours if the market is right.
PS I collect for myself. Although I have sealed copies, they are amaray replacements. I only ever sell items I am no longer interested in or something better is out in the market at cost.

 

[n3wk1d]

This same old question had been come and go many times, I've even packed them all up, classified them by value and country. Ready to be dump off.

But each time is not successful, everytime the question came back. My buying criteria gets more filter, I only buy those movies I like and with good artwork and ill still go for the best option that my money can buy.

I still have bunch of steels that I intend to off load, unpopular one.

 

[bigfub]

I've only been collecting a short while after getting lucky buying IM 1&2 from Play then thinking are there more steelbooks out there? Having joined HDN in September of last year my collection rapidly jumped from less than 50 to well over 100.
Now I'm taking a long look at where I am and trying to be more financially astute by buying releases I genuinely want as opposed to everything I can get my hands on I'll shed a few of the older purchases over the coming months and try to stick with releases that I either want for the film, the artwork or both

 

[mllNY]

why not take a mixed approach. Go through your collection and get rid of the titles you don't know why you bought (ones that were hyped up, ones you bought because they are the expensive/hard to get ones, etc...) while keeping the steelbooks of the movies you like/want in your collection. If your investment isn't too high in any one steel in your 'keep' pile then there is no reason to trade down to the amray version at this point.

Then just be more selective in the future as to what you do buy

I also think the flooding the market on steelbooks from studios has gotten to some of the original collectors as it de-values the overall collectibility and everytitle gets a steelbook

 

[cooey]

Well the list is up in the classifieds

I'm keeping the ones that mean something to me, the rest I will sell and then re-buy in standard amaray cases

 

[humperklonk]

why not take a mixed approach. Go through your collection and get rid of the titles you don't know why you bought (ones that were hyped up, ones you bought because they are the expensive/hard to get ones, etc...) while keeping the steelbooks of the movies you like/want in your collection. If your investment isn't too high in any one steel in your 'keep' pile then there is no reason to trade down to the amray version at this point.

Then just be more selective in the future as to what you do buy

I also think the flooding the market on steelbooks from studios has gotten to some of the original collectors as it de-values the overall collectibility and everytitle gets a steelbook

selectivity is the way forward................

 

[jbsolo]

jbsolo: Hi, I'm jbsolo and I am a steelbook addict!
everyone: Hi, jbsolo!

uh-oh! yeah...I need to cut back too....too many dups and I had a itch of action-figure syndrome last year...keeping one sealed and one open~! mods, can't we have a system here that we can have a bidding process on selling stuff! so instead of it going to ebay and strangers the commission can go to the Ninja site and fellow collectors here (and it will be safer too, I think!)

 

[Xavier]

I think everyone feels this way at some point. I have cut back earlier on. And will prob clear out some more here soon. I just dont have the space to display all the ones I want so I do rotate them around. I personally just want to show them off. A few I have gotten to use as tb later on.

I wish you the best with them and im glad you are not getting rid of them all.

 

[shejon01]

I'm not selling steels at the moment. But have massively cut back and even cancelled a ton of preorders. But to get my fix I've started trading a lot more over the past few months. It's just annoying that most of the time the shipping alone costs me more than it would to buy the steelbook myself.

 

[Wreck]

I've often thought the same thing, but I've carried on. What I have done though is be more selective with what I preorder and how much I pay for certain titles. I open and watch all of my Steelbooks, so for me it's about having films I enjoy as much as it is about collecting.

agreed.

I also usually have a clear out yearly of titles I no longer want and I also sell off stuff that is not as good as a release coming out that is better. Sure there are some titles I love that I have quadruple dips etc. But for titles that I dont love I try to stick to just one copy .. if that means selling off the old and getting the better then thats what I do.

ie. SPR German sold off to get SPR Play.

---------- Post added at 10:15 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:09 AM ----------

It tends to be the ones keeping them sealed and storing them on shelves that give up on buying them. I open and watch all mine and aren't even contemplating selling - although I don't have many.

very true statement ... as its also those steels that are worth more and thus the question gets posed to the collector in the first place. If a particular steel would go for $30 sealed ...but only $15-20 open .. .then open collectors dont see the point of getting that much money when they can just keep.

 

[stevo]

I'm thinking of trimming my collection a bit too, but I'm in no way quiting this hobby. I genuinely like my steels, and they make great decorative pieces, sort of like how some people use a shelf full of books as decoration. I have always been, and will always be a very selective collector. I never tried to collect every single steel out there. Unlike most people, I'm ecstatic to see that there is a flood of new steels coming into the market. That tells me there is a massive, expanding demand for steels, which in turn means alot of new collectors to this hobby. Nobody is forcing me to buy all these new releases, so I'm not overwhelmed by them in the least.

By some of the threads that I've seen created recently, I'm thinking that there are some speculations that steels have reached their highest point in price, and its time to sell and get out at the apex of price. I however do not share this view. I think we have a long long ways to go yet. My proof is the influx of new steels into the market. A simple law of supply and demand my friend. Besides, I've built my collection in a way that it will be highly liquid, even if this hobby goes down the tubes. So I really have no worries.

 

[RobPaul]

I slowed my buying down a lot last year, I don't know how many I've got, but I'm probably going to sell a good proportion of them this year. I'll stick with keeping the steels of movies I really love, and be very choosy in the future on any more acquisitions.

 

[Rodbull]

I've only bought steels of movies I love

I wouldn't buy a steel just because it's rare ........if I wanted to buy rare items to invest it wouldn't be a Steelbook.

One day the market will fall.....and these will be pennies.

If you have a gut feeling sell now before you get peanuts

---------- Post added at 05:37 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:32 PM ----------

I'm ready to sell up too.

And it's mainly because I'm thinking of moving out of my parents home and not only would that mean more living costs it would also mean a lot less space.

Build A new home out of the steels

 

[Wreck]

I'm thinking of trimming my collection a bit too, but I'm in no way quiting this hobby. I genuinely like my steels, and they make great decorative pieces, sort of like how some people use a shelf full of books as decoration. I have always been, and will always be a very selective collector. I never tried to collect every single steel out there. Unlike most people, I'm ecstatic to see that there is a flood of new steels coming into the market. That tells me there is a massive, expanding demand for steels, which in turn means alot of new collectors to this hobby. Nobody is forcing me to buy all these new releases, so I'm not overwhelmed by them in the least.

By some of the threads that I've seen created recently, I'm thinking that there are some speculations that steels have reached their highest point in price, and its time to sell and get out at the apex of price. I however do not share this view. I think we have a long long ways to go yet. My proof is the influx of new steels into the market. A simple law of supply and demand my friend. Besides, I've built my collection in a way that it will be highly liquid, even if this hobby goes down the tubes. So I really have no worries.

True ... blu-ray isnt going anywhere no time soon. People get overwhelmed by the sheer # of releases in steel and then think its time to quit cause they cant keep up ... its more like, calm down take your time ... buy smarter and be selective. Many times I trade a title or sell a title and can turn right around and buy 3 new etc. Just be smart.

The more steels means more the brand is in the limelight and thus more collectors come. Steels are not in the mainstream in USA yet ... wait till that happens this year with more waves (which are coming!) and we will get a huge influx of new collectors ... and then supply and demand ... more people coming in playing catch up and getting in the game .... People's collections will rise in value ... when that happens it opens up more opportunity.

 

[Rodbull]

I consider myself a relativly new collector as i only started in May last year, its funny because when you first start a new hobby you generally tend to buy anything and everything that is available and continually want more ( well this was the case for me ).

Looking through my collection this weekend made me realise that some of the steelbooks i own i don,t really need or want, they are there for the novelty value and wouldn,t even consider buying them now. As time has progressed as a collector and with the onset of no more play.com and hmv and the uk steelbook market slowing down i made a decision to sell the steels in my collection that i don,t need ( 12 in total ) and concentrate on buying and sourcing steelbooks that i really do want to add to my collection. There are quite a few but are older titles, But i agree that sometimes this hobby is like a whirlwind sometimes and can get a little out of hand. This is just from my own personnal experience guys...but i am here to stay and hope to trade and buy with most of you in the near future.................... p.s my wants are going to cost me ( sorry girlfriend ) a fortune!!!!

Thats me started early December 2012 now have around 50 and some haven't been cheap.

Costs can be cut down by selling a few things on or a few cheap buys from the EU amazons,and got some play.com at cost

Also once I bought a certain franchise I had to complete the set example mission impossible ,underworld.

 

[stevo]

True ... blu-ray isnt going anywhere no time soon. People get overwhelmed by the sheer # of releases in steel and then think its time to quit cause they cant keep up ... its more like, calm down take your time ... buy smarter and be selective. Many times I trade a title or sell a title and can turn right around and buy 3 new etc. Just be smart.

The more steels means more the brand is in the limelight and thus more collectors come. Steels are not in the mainstream in USA yet ... wait till that happens this year with more waves (which are coming!) and we will get a huge influx of new collectors ... and then supply and demand ... more people coming in playing catch up and getting in the game .... People's collections will rise in value ... when that happens it opens up more opportunity.

Amen to that brutha. We share the same views on this matter.

 

[sunnyx]

When I decided to sell most of my collection, all I got was load of PM's asking me why I am selling up or why you quitting. I never said I was quitting.

I decided to sell up most of my collection, and like many, wanted a more selective collection of what I actually enjoy (maybe 1-2 grails on the side ).

Most of my collection I have decided to keep are the opened steels which are the movies I open, watch and enjoy - and that's how it should be!

This hobby doesnt have to be expensive, it's only expensive if you make it expensive.