Nerdy about… Movie Stop

 

Every movie collector has their own special place to buy cheap dvds. Mine used to be Amazon Marketplace and Blockbuster. As I say all the time: there’s no shame in buying used dvds and both these spots were a cinephile’s wet dream for cheap dvds. Who doesn’t love Blockbuster’s Previously Viewed 4 for $20 sale they do at times? I know I used to love it. That was before they went belly up and all the Blockbusters in my area closed down (thank you Netflix and Redbox.) The only risk I encountered with Blockbuster was the chance the dvds were absolute shit. The employees never check the discs for any damage, so you get what you pay for (like I did with Finding Nemo once). Amazon Marketplace is a good alternative. You can buy new or used dvds from other Amazon users. The downside is the snail mail a.k.a. United States Postal Service. The biggest drawback is the chance the seller would just take your money and never send your item or the item isn’t what was promised. A year ago I found the answer to my prayers: MOVIE STOP!

For those of you that have never heard of Movie Stop, think Game Stop, but for movies. They are dvd nirvana. I’m not being dramatic here. The one I frequent with my other half (they know us now) always has Buy 3 Get 1 free sales on used dvds. Around Halloween, horror movies are dirt cheap. I only buy the used discs. I can count on one hand the number of brand new movies I’ve purchased from them. In case you’re concerned about getting a screwed up lemon of a dvd, not to worry. The employees carefully check the movies customers trade in with them. If it’s damaged or “sketchy-looking” they’re not taking it. I’ve traded in quite a few movies with them and they’re always thorough. I’ve never bought a movie from them that was damaged and trust me, I’ve bought quite a few in the past year.

Depending on which store you go to, the selection is pretty decent. They even have Criterion Collection dvds, although, I’ll admit I bought my Criterion discs I wanted from Barnes & Noble when they had their 50% off sale on Criterion. When it comes to used discs, they are at the mercy of whatever other customers trade in to them. So, if you’re looking for some rare Chilean film called En La Cama, you had better hope a customer trades it in, otherwise you’ll have to order it brand-new (which isn’t cheap). And in case you’re wondering, yes, I’m looking for that film!