Do you buy used anime?

January 11, 2007 in Polls by Tom Langston (calaggie) | 2 comments

All right, I came up a better poll question than the boring name one that I started out with. The question is: do you buy used anime at all (B&M and/or online)? “Used”, or “pre-viewed”, means that the case has been opened and the disc has been viewed at least once so unopened DVDs from eBay do not count. The inspiration for this particular question was my visit to a Suncoast store this week; comparisons between it and other B&M used sellers are after the jump.

On Tuesday night, I bought used copies of Comic Party volumes 2 and 4 at $7.99 each at a Suncoast store. There were only one of 2 and of 4 on the shelf while two used copies of Comic Party volume 3 sat there priced at $14.99. I asked the cashier when she was ringing me up why this was so and she replied that the prices are set based on demand and quantity, same goes for buyback prices.

suncoast_used.jpg
Suncoast shrinkwraps their used DVDs.

Now one difference I noticed between used DVDs at Suncoast compared to Gamestop or Blockbuster is that the case is shrink-wrapped with all the pack-ins safely contained within it. Gamestop’s have hard to peel off stickers but the insert is usually included and the actual disc is kept behind the counter.

blockbuster_used.jpg
Damn you, Blockbuster, and your strange DVD cases!

If you buy a “pre-viewed” DVD from Blockbuster, the chapter guide is usually missing and the case usually has one of those weird holes (see below) in the bottom. Then again, Blockbuster usually doesn’t sell used anime so I guess my beef with them more heavily regards movies but I decided to include them as another variation of used DVD selling within a brick-and-mortar setting.

P.S. Just for the record, the results of the last poll were as follows:

“Should I have kept “Part-Time Otaku” as the name?”
* Yes, it was a cool name – 0
* Yes, for continuity’s sake – 2
* No, new domain = new name – 1
* No, the old name sucked – 1
* I don’t care what it’s called – 2
Total Votes: 5

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  1. kent’s avatar

    kent on January 12, 2007 at 6:26 am

    lol the evil hole so we cant walk out with it.

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  2. Noel’s avatar

    Noel on November 17, 2008 at 5:36 pm

    I used to work at Blockbuster and prepped those evil cases. The reason it usually is missing the chapter guide is because when they break down the cover boxes (they keep like 5 DVDs behind one cover box on the shelf, and pull out the cover inserts of the extra ones and file them in the back) they toss the chapter lists because there is no place for them in the file (usually flimsy and not the same size as the insert). Then, they usually throw away the original plastic DVD case and when its time to pull the rental off the shelf to sell used, it stays in its rental (anti theft) case, and just gets the cover insert put back in instead of the Blockbuster logo rental insert. Just for all those interested in the method behind the madness!! (Insert here meaning the picture you see on the outside of the DVD)

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