Open Or Sealed? The Debate

Open or Keep Sealed? (Multiple Answers ok)

  • I open all of my Steelbooks and watch them

    Votes: 227 61.5%
  • I open none of my Steelbooks-I buy/rent Amaray/inferior Steel to watch

    Votes: 28 7.6%
  • I open only the non-'rare' Steelbooks, keep the rest sealed

    Votes: 52 14.1%
  • I fall somewhere in between-I open 50%/keep sealed 50%

    Votes: 41 11.1%
  • It depends on the title completely

    Votes: 50 13.6%
  • Doesn't apply-I don't buy Steelbooks

    Votes: 2 0.5%

  • Total voters
    369
Feb 2, 2010
572
Vancouver BC
How many people open their Steelbooks when they buy them or do you just leave them sealed.

So far i have 13 Steelbooks and have opened 3 i opened Angels and Demons,Inglorious Bastards and District 9.

I fear if i open my pirates and nightmare before christmas ones i will have to modify them to be able to put the discs in and not have them in a sleeve
 
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@nicblue I think it's wonderful that you get to enjoy your steels this way and take very great care of them...But I have to say that I get a rush of having sealed copies, I don't know what it is, but they just are so nice side by side all sealed up...some I can't bare to open even if I have multiple copies.

But no matter what I keep sealed, it is for me ! for my pleasure of having them sealed as I do not intend on reselling them! I enjoy them in different ways depending on the title (sealed or opened) and not to mention that it has been only a year since I started collecting. But I still am in a phase that I collect blu-rays Amary as well so I tend to open those to watch and keep my steel sealed. But at the end of the day, it can bring up complex emotions on what to do, it can be confusing what decisions to make as some I can never bring myself to open even if I have multiple copies. I don't know if what I just said makes sense to others who collect like I do.

And just an FYi, for those who say it's rubbish to buy multiple copies and keeping them sealed I just think first of all that it is not their business nor they have the right to pass judgment. This board cater to a different vast category of collectors and it is our money and we can do as we please with it if it makes us Happy. If buying multiple copies of a gorgeous steel and keeping them sealed gives me a rush and I don't intend of selling them back, I'm doing this for me and nobody else. Another collector's view on my collecting habits who doesn't agree is pointless, we are all free to do as we please.

That being said, I've opened a few steels this year and will randomly open some more this year to enjoy as it is special depending on the release, but if I'd open a steel, I'll have copies sealed of it also.

to each his own.
 
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@nicblue I think it's wonderful that you get to enjoy your steel this way and take very great care of them. I personally am Extremely OCD but since The Frozen copies being Mostly not OCD, i've come to tell myself to be less OCD when it is the release itself that is this way. I did open my UE there were micro scratches on the lenti Elsa Side but inside was Flawless... I have notice that Blufans do struggle with the final product being shrink wrapped OCD with some exception. I really enjoyed opening my UP box set and showing pictures, enjoying the movie, next I will open my KFP 1 and 2 ... I didn't open my GOTG only bought Taiwan Version that was enough for me didn't feel that since it was WWA that the price warranted me dipping in the Nova Choice just for different Slips(Only the Full Slip looks awesome IMO but not paying for just a slip)... I told myself this year I will first be more picky in my purchase choices and not buy as much, as this is such an expensive hobby. But I will indeed start opening more steels but when I open them I put them with my Blurays but I am just careful if I slip them in and out not to scratch them, I don't put them in polybags, I don't take in and out my copies that often, although one that I am in awe of and do as nic does is The Frozen Kimchi 1/4 slip this is one of my favorite steel last year the matte finish is lovely and the slip it just is a nice little piece of art. Next I need to Open one Thor 2 as I didn't yet and just re-watched the movie tonight (for the third time). I can't get myself to open a Kimchi one, those I want to keep sealed so I don't know which copy I'll open. True though That I worry about removing a steel from a Lenti and scratching it, I think it might only be Blufans that shrink wrap their steel in their Slipbox. But I think I will definitely open a Thor Blufans and Thor 2 Blufans...with GOTG blufans...so basically the point is, the copies that I will open, I will have sealed spare copy of it. And for the opened ones I will take extra care as I do right now. I've not scratched one and I am not using the polybags, just strategically putting them so they are not against other lentis that can scratch them but a smooth Slipcover ...But I have to say that I get a rush of having sealed copies, I don't know what it is, but they just are so nice side by side all sealed up...some I can't bare to open even if I have multiple copies. I don't know what I'll do with The Maze Runner, which one I'll open... probably a Film Arena one to see their exquisite package as they look on pictures.

so @nicblue I think it's really great you get to enjoy all your steels, I wish I could do that but I am not there yet, but I will start opening more copies this year, although it seems that for me the year is starting slow in terms of releases...lost of pre-release so far but have not received them yet...just a few

no matter what I keep sealed, it is for me ! for my pleasure of having them sealed as I do not intend on reselling them! I enjoy them in different ways depending on the title (sealed or opened) and not to mention that it has been only a year since I started collecting. But I still am in a phase that I collect blu-rays Amary as well so I tend to open those to watch and keep my steel sealed. But at the end of the day, it can bring up complex emotions on what to do, it can be confusing what decisions to make as some I can never bring myself to open even if I have multiple copies. I don't know if what I just said makes sense to others.
When I think of the 'monetary' angle for some, I can't help but think about this:
For decades Disney has had limited 'windows' for buying their movies before they 'Go Back in The Vault'.
I always found that a disgusting practice that is tantamount to threatening people (mostly parents) into buying their movies before they are 'gone'. I was so angry about it, that back in the mid-eighties when I worked at a video store, I told people how to buy and dub their Disney rentals (with a $20 box to defeat macrovision).
But most people bought their copies every time the threat was put out over the airwaves "Only 60 days left to get your copy before it goes back in the vault for 20 years." Little did I know the evil empire that is Disney would be what is now- almost a monopoly in the movie industry gobbling up every brand in sight....
But I digress.
There have to be people out there who bought all the Disney VHS Special Editions in their Clamshell cases, and never opened them (to be mint condition) thinking about how much they would be worth one day.
Hell, my early 90's Special Edition Laserdiscs where the sh*t back in the day! My ABYSS: DIRECTORS CUT box was something people drooled over (you could not get this stuff in any other format).
Now my LD's of ALIEN:DC, ALIENS:DC, CRITERION PULP FICTION, CRITERION FISHER KING....
All these are worth nothing now. They mean something to me. But the world of media formats will keep changing and that is just a stone cold fact of life.
I just do my best to not think about how I have had to change each movie from VHS to Laser, Laser to DVD, then DVD to Blu, and Blu to Steelbook Blu! The final stage for me is not 4k discs but Solid State. (Streaming is not a format- so I don't consider it. Also the fact that it is faux ownership).
I think we, as consumers, want the tactile and tangibleness of ownership (the record cover, the steelbook) and not just ones and zeros in a box. One thing that I have started doing, that works really great and satisfies the collector in me: I will transfer my discs of a series (like, say,Ren and Stimpy) and put them on one or two USBs. Then I make a Blu ray custom cover(like a real blu ray cover) and use the title The Complete Ren & Stimpy with great art and all the specs on the back. Then I glue the USB caps inside the blu ray amaray (so the USB itself is removeable), and Viola! I have an entire series in one blu ray case!
Of course, this probably is not what the studios would want because they want to move many sets of discs.
I don't think any of us have a crystal ball that can tell us where things go next, but I do know that even though maybe sometimes it feels like I'm getting punked everytime I have to adopt a new format- I know I'm not because most often it brings great pleasure. As long as I'm only in it for that, that's all I care about.
And I will take out my giant Collector's edition laserdiscs from time to time to look at them. They are/were awesome even if they aren't worth a dime now.;):D
**Oh- I almost forgot! - Disney guy, with his mint, unsealed Clamshell VHS Disney Collector's Edition. They are worth nothing. (Investing in media as an investment- bad idea;))
 
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@C.C. 95 same as I do, it is what it is worth to US, how much we personally value it. I still buy Vinyls and have my Vinyls since I was a teenager and there is nothing to me more amazing is to listen to a vinyl as compared to an Mp3. To hear some crackling in the vinyl and the richness of the sound compared to something reading ones and zeros... I came across my old Walkman's lately and just felt nostalgic as I still have my vinyls that I put onto cassettes, so I understand how you feel. So at the end of the day, we collect for ourselves and if it feels right, it creates great memories and brings us joy...and nobody should tell us what to do. same with books, I love hardcovers and the smell and the feel of the pages upon my touch...I have a kindle to read when it's dark or i'm not home but I always buy the book even if I have the Kindle edition as I might just read the physical book at times or simply from beginning to end...same as when you unseal a vinyl, the smell of it is intoxicating...as long as we're happy !
 
@C.C. 95 same as I do, it is what it is worth to US, how much we personally value it. I still buy Vinyls and have my Vinyls since I was a teenager and there is nothing to me more amazing is to listen to a vinyl as compared to an Mp3. To hear some crackling in the vinyl and the richness of the sound compared to something reading ones and zeros... I came across my old Walkman's lately and just felt nostalgic as I still have my vinyls that I put onto cassettes, so I understand how you feel. So at the end of the day, we collect for ourselves and if it feels right, it creates great memories and brings us joy...and nobody should tell us what to do.
@Actarus, I'm a musician by trade (35 years), don't get me started on audio!!! (Some of the mods have already commented that sometimes I get a little long-winded and write books as opposed to posts!!)
Maybe another time. Short version:
Mp3 bad! Very very bad! Convenient...But very bad!
no.gif
 
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@Actarus, I'm a musician by trade (35 years), don't get me started on audio!!! (Some of the mods have already commented that sometimes I get a little long-winded and write books as opposed to posts!!)
Maybe another time. Short version:
Mp3 bad! Very very bad! Convenient...But very bad!
no.gif

lol I agree, one of my favorite Producer, Joe Claussell, still records everything Analog and we have a pure Analog vinyl...it's just not comparable... reprints of vinyls that I bought in the 90's when everything was analog for vinyls, the digitally remastered versions of today that are put on vinyls you can even hear the difference. Some purists producers still out there.

but still a Wave(or mp3) that is converted from a vinyl source(for convenience when listening to my ipod when I am out) is still richer in sound than a simple straight Mp3...From a vinyl source, it does retain some of the richness, especially if you have an analog sound card to convert the vinyl with an analog tube amplifier.
 
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lol I agree, one of my favorite Producer, Joe Claussell, still records everything Analog and we have a pure Analog vinyl...it's just not comparable... reprints of vinyls that I bought in the 90's when everything was analog for vinyls, the digitally remastered versions of today that are put on vinyls you can even hear the difference. Some purists producers still out there.
@Actarus, Google or Wikipedia 'Loudness Wars'.
In the 80s the first CDs were mastered very low. Now in the 00's we have loudness wars, about mastering music 'too hot'. Many producers of note have called attention to this. Essentially, cranking the volume on a master creates a 'brick wall' of sound that eliminates dynamic range and nuance through heavy compression.
Peaks and Valleys in the spectrum get eliminated and there is no contrast. This is so prevalent in today's music, that many people think that things sound wrong when dynamic range is present. (Example: the complaints about the sound in INTERSTELLAR. People complained that they could not hear parts because they were too quiet, and other parts were too loud. They are used to so much compressed dynamics that this sounded like a mistake.
Surely, the sound is not supposed to get so quiet and then so loud!!)

Here is an example of remastering over time of a Michael Jackson song. Notice the waveform as the peaks and valley (dynamics) disappear, and it becomes a 'brick wall' of sound.
image.jpg
Anyway...look that up. It's a real war! And I for one want my dynamics!!
FYI -The term 'Hot Single' came from radio stations in the 50's. Producers started mastering their LPs louder than usual, and the VU's were spiking on the radio station's mixing boards and the DJs would notice that a particular record was 'hot' compared to usual volume level.
 
@Actarus, Google or Wikipedia 'Loudness Wars'.
In the 80s the first CDs were mastered very low. Now in the 00's we have loudness wars, about mastering music 'too hot'. Many producers of note have called attention to this. Essentially, cranking the volume on a master creates a 'brick wall' of sound that eliminates dynamic range and nuance through heavy compression.
Peaks and Valleys in the spectrum get eliminated and there is no contrast. This is so prevalent in today's music, that many people think that things sound wrong when dynamic range is present. (Example: the complaints about the sound in INTERSTELLAR. People complained that they could not hear parts because they were too quiet, and other parts were too loud. They are used to so much compressed dynamics that this sounded like a mistake.
Surely, the sound is not supposed to get so quiet and then so loud!!)

Here is an example of remastering over time of a Michael Jackson song. Notice the waveform as the peaks and valley (dynamics) disappear, and it becomes a 'brick wall' of sound.
Anyway...look that up. It's a real war! And I for one want my dynamics!!
FYI -The term 'Hot Single' came from radio stations in the 50's. Producers started mastering their LPs louder than usual, and the VU's were spiking on the radio station's mixing boards and the DJs would notice that a particular record was 'hot' compared to usual volume level.

you definitely know more than I do, but I do know about the peaks and the lows of a wave file once recorded from Vinyls...some vinyls are recorded louder than other but the music I listen to they are very well in mastering correctly... so for the purpose of listening and not having to turn one song up and down when I am listening to several songs in a row I normalize them but make sure the peak is not cut off and the lows same thing... but I know exactly what you are talking about, if you open an mp3 or wave file today, you cannot see the shape of the wave file, all is cut off above 0 if I remember correctly, I do it instinctively...but this is why it is challenging to make playlists with purchased wave files (that are too loud) and my vinyls that I correctly normalized so I could listen to them one after another without being too low or loud. But I try as less as possible to mix my vinyls songs with purchased wave files especially because of that... but I have duplicate files from my vinyls, one normalized correctly to go with my other vinyl songs and a 2nd once which I normalize louder to be able to mix them with the purchased Wave file (like you say over normalized)...but nothing compares to the richness of a vinyl...I am so OCD with My vinyls as well, so my OCD for my steels come from a long time ago come to see it... I've always been this way, taking care of things...vinyls, books, closes, shoes, steels etc...
 
you definitely know more than I do, but I do know about the peaks and the lows of a wave file once recorded from Vinyls...some vinyls are recorded louder than other but the music I listen to they are very well in mastering correctly... so for the purpose of listening and not having to turn one song up and down when I am listening to several songs in a row I normalize them but make sure the peak is not cut off and the lows same thing... but I know exactly what you are talking about, if you open an mp3 or wave file today, you cannot see the shape of the wave file, all is cut off above 0 if I remember correctly, I do it instinctively...but this is why it is challenging to make playlists with purchased wave files (that are too loud) and my vinyls that I correctly normalized so I could listen to them one after another without being too low or loud. But I try as less as possible to mix my vinyls songs with purchased wave files especially because of that... but I have duplicate files from my vinyls, one normalized correctly to go with my other vinyl songs and a 2nd once which I normalize louder to be able to mix them with the purchased Wave file (like you say over normalized)...but nothing compares to the richness of a vinyl...I am so OCD with My vinyls as well, so my OCD for my steels come from a long time ago come to see it... I've always been this way, taking care of things...vinyls, books, closes, shoes, steels etc...
Interestingly, I have heard something about iTunes addressing the loudness war.. (I have never ordered from or used iTunes so this is what I heard). Apparently they are using an algorithm to normalize files. Keep in mind- producers and artists are pushing the volume level for a reason- to be the loudest voice in the room. But iTunes told them "go ahead and make your records loud. We are just going to undo that with our algorithm." A strange, but kinda cool victory against the loudness freaks...:thumbs::D
 
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Sitting on them? Sound like your living in them. House of steel

Yep imagine how long that would take to sell off. At a reasonable 5 steels a week that would take 200 weeks, nearly 4 years!

@lgans316 you need to get your butt moving as you don't want them to depreciate when 4K comes winging it's way in just how Bu-rays took over DVD's.
 
To me a collectible is no longer a collectible when it sells for less in the secondary market. So.to me value is important. Buy, sell, reinvest, buy, sell, reinvest and it goes on until I hit the breaking point. Already burned my fingers with the previous Manta release by buying direct, so won't buy when they are potentially going to sell for less than cost elsewhere Anyway money saved for now and most importantly for something else.
 
Well I have to agree that Manta Labs retension values are poor. The revenant is selling less than cost price after fees including the leather. Seen some go for as low as £30 plus postage. It will continue to dip until there's little point trying to get rid of them and you might as well just give them away to a family, friend or a fellow collector.

In other words I am no longer hyped or afraid this will go OOS. I be happy to patiently wait for a bargain at some point.
 
To me a collectible is no longer a collectible when it sells for less in the secondary market. So.to me value is important. Buy, sell, reinvest, buy, sell, reinvest and it goes on until I hit the breaking point. Already burned my fingers with the previous Manta release by buying direct, so won't buy when they are potentially going to sell for less than cost elsewhere Anyway money saved for now and most importantly for something else.

So do you buy everything to sell? I mean do you even open anything or keep anything for yourself?
If I lived by that rule (everything I buy is for my pleasure anyway) then over half the stuff I own (figures/ statues/ toys, CDs, vinyl, DVDs, Blu Ray, box sets, steels, poster) would of been sold. (I used to trade PS3 games in once I completed them and I usually sell a ammray if I get the steel, or the odd steel I can't stand which is rare or has damaged and I've now got a mint version or getting an upgrade with better package etc)

I open everything except the odd figures that you can see from inside the pack/ box like a couple of pops I own (they have the window) and a few figures like the Shaun of the dead Winchester pack and the Simpsons Halloween special island of dr hibbert for example. I buy it all Because I enjoy it all.

I get that some people don't open all their steels but I was under the impression they always double dip. One open one sealed
 
I get that some people don't open all their steels but I was under the impression they always double dip. One open one sealed

The one open and one sealed type collector which a lot are is to buy one to open and keep the other sealed hoping it gains value for trade purposes for a steel they missed out on of similar value, or hope it gains in value and offload it to make a few quid to support the next purchase.

There are the collectors that never open any steel.

There are collectors that just buy every single one and sell to make a few quid and keep the ones they like.

There are others that are more casual collectors that open every single steel.

Everyone's different to a certain degree but we all have one thing in common, we are all collecting, just in different ways.
 
So do you buy everything to sell? I mean do you even open anything or keep anything for yourself?
If I lived by that rule (everything I buy is for my pleasure anyway) then over half the stuff I own (figures/ statues/ toys, CDs, vinyl, DVDs, Blu Ray, box sets, steels, poster) would of been sold. (I used to trade PS3 games in once I completed them and I usually sell a ammray if I get the steel, or the odd steel I can't stand which is rare or has damaged and I've now got a mint version or getting an upgrade with better package etc)

I open everything except the odd figures that you can see from inside the pack/ box like a couple of pops I own (they have the window) and a few figures like the Shaun of the dead Winchester pack and the Simpsons Halloween special island of dr hibbert for example. I buy it all Because I enjoy it all.

I get that some people don't open all their steels but I was under the impression they always double dip. One open one sealed

All 1000+ Steels are not for resale lol. As sunnyx said it will take me years to clear out. However I still sell some. If that makes a decent profit then use that to fund the next purchase. If I sell for a loss then take it up.the chin and carry on.

I got loads of sealed and unsealed ones in my collection. I am sure a vast majority of hard core Steelbook collectors are in the same league.
 
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