Limited Editions and Funky Box Sets

I just received my Blade Runner Region 1 Five Disc Ultimate Collectors Edition. Phew that was a mouthful. I already have the Region 2 Blade Runner set of the same elongated name. But why do I want 2 sets? Well the packaging on the R1 urinates all over the R2 packaging, even though the R2 has some cool things in it like picture cards etc the R1 has more, go on, click on the links and then click on the pictures for each just to see how awesome it all is…ok, did you check it out? Looks really good doesn’t it?

So what is the catch? And what the hell is the point to this post? Well that little box set cost £36 which was the cheapest price I found it at, and I ran the risk of being hit with a customs charged as it was region 1 and imported in (I guess)…

£36 is a lot of money. Well it is to me, and it is to a lot of people and for what really. A plastic outer case, some photo sheets, and plastic origami figure, a little car, a case and 5 discs, what is the actually build cost of that package I think I will row the boat out at say that to actually make that box set it cost £7.50, so with the mark up they make a hell of a lot of money on each box set sold. After all most of it is a marketing ploy rather than creating a really good quality set out of metal for example.

And the thing is I wouldn’t class myself as a serious collector, I couldn’t spend £100+ on the Alien Head DVD from Japan or example, all because the Japanese version had DTS sound tracks. What I want to know is why can they just not make that box set available in the UK (where I live) or in A N Other country (Where you may live?), why have they arranged it so that there are different sets, some much better than others in different parts of the world? It must be arranged by the studios.

But as with all things, items are only worth as much as someone was prepared to pay for it, and yes I was prepared to pay £36 and have two box sets of the same films (just different add-ons) so I guess I should just shut up and salivate over my new shiny box set. But looking through a forum’s trade list yesterday and there were OOP (Out Of Print) DVDs going like a steel book R1 Limited Edition of Blood Diamond going for £35 now to me that is not value, whereas I am prepared to pay £36 for the Blade Runner set, I am not prepared to pay £35 for a steel book of Blood Diamond (even though I think the film is really good). Personally I think that is a rip off and cannot see how that price can be justified.

So the upshot of this is that it is all down to perceived value rather than cost. I saw value in the Blade Runner set at £36 but not the Blood Diamond at £35, someone else may think the other way around. I think sometimes one can get a little carried away and buy anything at inflated prices because it has limited edition written on the front and you think there is only a few copies in circulation whereas in reality the Limited Edition (in most cases) is nothing but a title on a box.

What do you think?