Like any aficionado, film lovers are constantly striving to curate the perfect experience to consume the content they enjoy, whether it be in a movie theater, on a DVD or some other medium.
Even as streaming platforms such as Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video have risen in popularity, many film lovers still seek out DVDs in order to have direct access to what they want and love on their own terms.
This has helped fuel a market for physical media. The April 2024 Consumer Price Index showed a price increase of nearly 29% for DVDs in the previous 12 months. Further, there has been a 6.8% increase in the average prices of DVDs and CDs from 2023 to 2024, with a 20% increase compared with 2021, according to Consumer Affairs.
Ben Vanelli ’25, president of SJU Film Club, has many DVDs in his collection, of which he isn’t even sure of the exact number. He prefers to own DVDs because of the quality and the extras. His favorite is the 2002 film “Punch-Drunk Love,” starring Adam Sandler.
“Usually, it looks better. The quality is better, and sometimes, they come with bonus features that add to the movie, like director commentary or scenes they didn’t put in the movie,” Vanelli said.
Gabrielle Miller, assistant professor of practice in the department of music, theatre and film, began collecting DVDs before streaming services started to occupy the market.
“I grew up with DVDs,” Miller said. “I was around before there was the ability to stream on devices, and so DVDs are a part of my childhood. There’s a nostalgia to it.”
Miller also said she likes the idea of holding a physical representation of all the work that goes into a film.
“The idea of film having a finished end product, I like that about film,” Miller said. “I like that you [as a filmmaker] have to make these choices and have something that you are pleased with to go out for mass consumption. I understand that there’s so many different hands. It’s such a collaborative effort.”
Prices of DVDs and Blu-rays have rapidly increased as physical media has become rarer and less readily available.
Joe Trusello owns Goodies Disc Exchange, a West Chester retailer offering new and used LPs, CDs, DVDs and cassette tapes. Goodies has been operating since 1994. Two other locations in Aston and Drexel Hill have since closed.
Trusello said DVDs, which sell for anywhere from $2 to $9.99, are popular at Goodies.
“They really are coming back, and people are buying large amounts, too,” Trusello said.
Trusello said action-adventure is their most popular genre, especially if they have been filmed in Philadelphia and surrounding areas.
DVDs with the most appeal at Goodies tend to be those which are both local and nuanced, like the film “Bazaar of all Nations,” Trusello said.
“[‘Bazaar of all Nations’] was made for a short time, and when we get one of those in, it goes for around $35-40 because there’s not many out there,” Trusello said. “It’s all about supply and demand, like anything else.”
Trusello said his customers purchase DVDs as an alternative to streaming platforms.
“People come in and constantly they’re telling me, ‘I’m sick of streaming’ and ‘I want to own something, and I want to have it in my hands. Something I can enjoy anytime I want, commercial-free,’” Trusello said. “There is a real value to that.”
But Miller said that, at some point, space becomes an issue for collectors, and that may impact how much they are willing to buy. Another factor collectors may consider is the rising costs of the physical media itself.
“It’s not going to last,” Miller said. “It is not going to be an efficient use of your space in your home. It’s getting more expensive on the whole because of inflation. I think that the people that will be collecting DVDs are the people that collect vinyl. It’s a niche group.”
For now, Vanelli is not too concerned with space and said he sees hope that the trend of buying DVDs will last.
“People like having this physical aspect to their art because it makes them more personal in a way,” Vanelli said. “I can just go and buy it, and now it’s in my house.”
