For me, I am very picky with steelbooks. I look at how much it costs compared to the cost of the regular version, how much the artwork appeals to me specifically (and how much better I like it than the artwork on the standard version), and of course what the movie itself means to me. If a steelbook satisfies these criteria in a way that seems worth a purchase for me, I will buy it. It does give me a sense of joy and appreciation every time I pull the steelbook out to watch the movie and I can see that beautiful artwork!
Absolutely. Certain people are very obsessive on steelbooks. Of course, how someone chooses to spend their own money is their own business, but if you’re spending hundreds on 10 copies of Iron Man, including copies with foreign slips, you surely have to assess if it’s really worth it.
I look at steelbooks as an investment, good store of value so to speak. Buying 5-10$ steelbooks adds little value, collecting rear ones can be a good investment.
We got the same reasoning Sam. As you said I only buy movies I would actually watch a second time as there is a lot of trash on the movie market these days... Depending on how much I like the movie I consider buying the steelbook version. Also, I would never pay 2x the price for the steelbook so ye.
Exactly the same for me. And while there are still a lot of movies I want to own, it feels nice to know that I don’t have the urge to buy anything steelbook. But that I have to like the movie AND artwork on the steelbook
My bad habit that I stopped doing recently was buying blu rays just because they were cheap. A few months ago I kind of stood back and realized that my shelves were becoming like Netflix, lots of crap with a few good movies mixed in. I started the process of getting rid of them but this weekend I’m going on a purge and am going to sell probably 50% of my collection
I try to target films I want to watch uncompressed in the best quality, but I can definitely see how tempting it is with some of the prices going around 😅.
@@princesmith8008 I've only just started collecting, mainly 4k. The majority are the normal slipcover versions. My only steelbook edition I have is Alita 4k. Early days but I'm going to stick to films I know I'll watch and avoid the impulse purchase 😅
@@mig1017 Yeah man, that's the right way to do it. When it comes to buying physical media in 4k, I only get movies which I *really* like or the ones which look and sound great (but they still need to be more than just eye-candy). But as far as steelbooks are concerned, those purchases are much more rare to be honest. As in, I'll get it for titles which are not just good but they also need to be among my favourites lol.
I've always HATED blue cases (still do), they look terribly cheap, and all over the place with their covers. Steelbooks are standing in a perfect straight line, looking better together, than they do separately :) It's never a matter of exclusivity for me, so I've never bought a movie for a crazy price. I mainly collected movies in a form of steelbooks or collectors edition, or boutique label editions, or nothing at all. I can be okay with a nice slipcover and I repackaged many of my blue cases with clear ones (like Arrow uses), so my collection is still mainly blue-case-free. I don't hate standard black 4k cases, so it's not an issue anymore :)
I hate also blue cases!! I don’t understand why Indicator ships some standard Blu ray editions with blue cases!! As I paying a product of a boutique label!!!
@@johnnydarko2736 I don,t see the point in steelbook dvd/blu-ray cases TBH. They can get easily scratched+they look abit bland. The cardboard sleeves are so much better looking. And you also get holographic and fancy wording and lettering almost as if out of the case itself is coming out of you. You don,t get that sensation with asteelbook film
@@bedfordshiremodeller4491 😧😧😧😧 I don’t understand you people. Better looking?? Absolutely not. At least with steelbooks I take care of them. Regular cases idgaf, I just throw em.
I started to fall into that trap of needing steelbooks and limited editions and so on. Then after a while it finally hit me that it shouldn't be about the packaging, it should be about the movie itself.
A bit of both in my opinion. If it’s a ‘special’ film to you or part of a series that you love, it makes sense (in my opinion) to fork out the extra for a special edition steelbook case. If it’s any and every release that you end up buying, it becomes an unhealthy obsession. Looking at the forum HiDefNinja, there are certain members who spend nearly each and every day on the site, saying how they’ll be buying what seems to be every single release, often to the point where they don’t even like the design but have to buy it just to add it to the set.
In times we have , it’s not even important to buy physical media anymore , when you can stream most films anyway . So when I buy me a Blu-ray , I wanna have the best possible version they have and the cover is a very important part of the whole deal . I am allways very happy when there was a little booklet or some cards or something else included ( not talking about a figure ) So the package is very important , at least for me
Dear Elliot, thanks a lot for sharing your experience and thoughts on collecting. I find all these reflections very interesting and encouraging for people like me that want to shake off hoarding habits. Very inspiring indeed, especially when you mentioned how hard was for you to give up and get rid of your steelbook editions. I hope I can get the courage to follow your example. Cheers!!
Steelbook collector here and I absolutely agree with your notion. Am considering selling some of my own steelbooks myself. However I still collect certain titles, more specifically if they’re from filmmakers or actors I greatly admire, or stuff that I watched and really loved growing up - the stuff that brings good memories.
Since getting into Criterion and boutique, steel books have lost their luster but I still get some, especially if there is no boutique blu. I always make it a point, though, that I enjoy the movie. I had to get The Wind Rises and Secret Life of Arrietty, but I refuse to get Earwig. I think for me, it goes Criterion - boutique - steel - then regular releases.
Yeah, same order for me. I don't really buy them anymore unless its a movie I LOVE. I do have a couple custom cases that I will probably never ditch though.
Great video dude, i’m in a very similar boat - used to absolutely love picking up super rare steelbooks, and hunting them down from overseas etc.. but at a certain point I realised I wasn’t actually doing anything with them. They usually just sat on a shelf and eventually I just stopped altogether. Now i’m much more about picking up films I care about, and less about whatever cool steelbook there might be 🙏🏻
I love steelbooks I don’t think I ever could do that. I wish my entire collection was Steel. To each their own, great video . Appreciate your opinions.
Hey Elliot. This has been a bit of a wake up call for me and my unhealthy collecting habits. I’m going to need to have a long hard think about things. Thank you for sharing.
So glad to see you're back at it Elliot! Ex-Magic collector here, I was able to get out by switching to collecting vinyl, blurays, and comics instead, so I'm not sure I came out ahead... lol
Although I’ve a huge SteelBook collection, I totally agree with what you’re saying here. Having said that I still love Steelbooks, just feels so premium. I won’t be getting rid of the ones that I’ve in my collection but will only be buying the selected ones going forward. If you don’t mind me asking, which platform did you use to sell your Steelbooks?
If you sell on ebay, expect this question every time: 'Have you still got the J card?". I used to chuck them out, but now have started keeping them in a special box.
Thanks for this video, very helpful for me. If you wouldn’t mind sharing some of your other new collecting habits in another video I would love to hear them!
All physical media is pretty “cosmetic” for me in my opinion… I like the look and feel of even a crtierion, steelbook or standard bluray. I know some discs are done better and I love high quality but for me more than anything I just love the collecting aspect and the feeling of holding it in my hands. It’s very textural, and steelbook is the best it can feel in my personal opinion. Just so sleek and smooth and the weight of it.. can’t describe it all but it just feels really great.
Absolutely. Nothing like a physical copy with beautiful artwork of your favorite film. I can just look at my collection. He made a point that you can only see the spine in the shelf but I've made my shelf where they can stand face front so l can see the artwork.
I too chased Steelbooks until I came to the same realization. They are delicate and damage easily. Steel is suppose to be hard and durable. Steelbooks are like glass or thin aluminum. Kept the few I bought for the artwork but ceased hemorrhaging my wallet.
Do you have any DVDs in your collection? There are many films that don't have a blu-ray release, and I am wondering what you do if there is a movie you want to own, but it's not on Blu-ray. For example, Criterion's Eclipse series is DVD only.
Nice video Elliot. I have an incredibly small collection of dvs and blu rays, but I use the same mindset to decide what goes in and what goes out in my collection. I have only 2 steelbooks and don't plan to get another. I like to have full control of my collection, to think a lot before purchase an item and feel great and satisfied with what I have. Can't wait for the next video. Cheers.
I was looking for something like what you mention in this video, since I was wondering if is really necessary to collect steelbooks. I noticed that my collection of Ghibli and Batman Steelbooks began to show scratches, even when they're inside plastic protectors. Why? I bought them 3 months ago, and have only touched them 2 times carefully. *The paint layer is very thin and not properly adhered to the metal.* Thanks a lot for this video.
I too, have gotten away from collecting steelbooks. I don't even remember the last one that I picked up. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on them. And as a fellow Magic the Gathering player, it's good to hear you bring it up. Cheers my friend!
Got into collecting steelbooks a couple years ago and now I see some that I prefer the original artwork better but just wanted to have another steelbook. Still collect em but only get em if I’m a fan of the art. I totally get you
Well done for getting rid, pretty much lost interest in steelbooks these days too. First started picking them up when Play began releasing them and the prices were generally reasonable. Once Zavvi got into the steelbook game the prices started to creep up and the number being released increased too. Unfortunately quality control seemed to disappear and I lost count of the number of damaged ones I had to send back for replacement or accept a discount on because it was sold out. Once the prices shot up with 4K (which I still haven't adopted) I thought enough is enough. Now I'll only pick one up if it contains something not available elsewhere, for example it was the only way to get the B&W version of Parasite for a while. I've also noticed some older ones on my shelf are getting rust patches on the spines, which is pretty rubbish.
I agree with everything you're saying but.....I still love them! They're a cool, fun, unique way of collecting blu-rays rather than the same boring blue cases with ads, logos, and unnecessary info. The best thing to do is to be selective of which steelbooks to collect and also which digipack, digibook, and other cases. Plus they usually have unique artwork that the regular blue cases don't have. For example, the upcoming The Thing 4k steelbook, which I'll be purchasing on day 1. Thanks for your video though.
Agreed James. For a few movies I really enjoyed and didn't get an official release for the Steelbook I've even had customs made for- Tomorrow War & Puss in Boots Last Wish steelbooks as they are fun movies that hit a big note with me!
Although I don’t collect as many steelbooks as I used to (when I had 800 in the collection) I still like to pick up the occasional release, the recent Star Wars 4k steelbooks are beautiful and have roughly 300 now in the collection.
Great Video Elliot. I'd love for you to do a Video on your selling process. Sell locally? Sell on Ebay? How did you find the process with shipping / selling! Did you make a profit ya think? Curious....
Have you ever considered pitching all the boxes and cases to your physical media? Keep all the disc in binders to reduce space? I am close to pulling the trigger on this.
It's a tempting prospect, but then you lose the joy of being able to glance upon your collection and be awash with memories. Loose discs just become purely practical objects, destined to be forever hidden in a binder or spindle, and tucked away in a closet or storage unit
Great video Elliot. I admire your decision to re-evaluate your collecting habits. I've never collected steelbooks. I do own some of them but I go for the cheapest edition most of the time.
I once drove 3 hours to go to the only store that had an Interstellar steelbook and when I finally got back home it was split in half down the middle hahaha. Pain. They are definitely more delicate than you'd think. They can get dinged up and have dents before even bringing them home. I think they're also kind of a cash grab by the companies. I completely agree with this video. I might still buy the occasional steelbook in the future but I'll certainly never go out of my way again.
I only get the Steelbook Edition if I REALLY love the film, or if the price is extremely low and the cover art looks irresistible but even then, I need to atleast like or admire the film.
Interesting, I'm the opposite, I've stopped getting plastics after I was shocked at how bad the depreciation was when I wanted to sell some of them. If a title I want is available on steelbook, I'll get the steelbook. The latest 4K Unforgiven is the jewel of my modest collection at the moment. Looking forward to adding a couple of Hitchcock classics that are coming out this autumn. Mulholland Drive will be my next gem on display.
Some steelbooks go up in value but some don't. plus, price going in is high. I only buy them used cheap or if they are the same price as a new movie. If I need the movie and like the artwork. The price is what turns me off.
@@MentalDeviant They usually go down less as they usually limited or are released in waves. So people who are egar to get them will pay full price or more for a used version.
Great vid! I too collect steelbooks. You are a stronger man than I! I've never even thought about stop collecting steelbooks but all of your reasons make perfect sense. Take care.
Well done Elliot. Last Steelbook I chased was La La Land. It was $44.99 CAD and after a week...I knew I had a problem as I don't even have a 4K player. You do You. Peace from Ontario Canada!
Elliot, I have just discovered your channel and I'm very happy to subscribe. I have also just began collecting steel books but for a specific reason. I wanted to have my top 20 movies of all time on Steel book 4K. Although a few of my favorite movies have not come out on steelbook yet I m collecting what has been released. Thank you so much for the idea I have never thought of displaying my steel books on the wall! Thanks again for the tip and glad I found your channel!
Collecting steelbooks is a very addicting habit. There is one major pain, in that you can't get every title as steelbook. Sometimes even sequels in a franchise, of which only the first titles get a steel release. That is the most frustrating part for me. I personally sold most of my steellbooks lately, for financial reasons. But having one room filled with wall to wall steelbook-shelves is one thing i still want to have someday 😁
I completely agree. Very addictive. I hate that series thing also which is why I didn’t get that Harry Potter release cause I feel like that’s the only one coming out. But with that said. I love collecting them and can’t wait for that wall to wall of steels.
At 2:50….That’s what I’m talkin about. I love that. My problem with collecting steels is that I want the best collection. So I would buy movies that I was not interested in but because it’s a steel I would buy them just to grow my collection. Now I’m trying to get out of that and get the ones I really want. That’s what I gotta try to get pass. I thought about stopping also because of the price. Very expensive!!!
Interesting point on sequels. I'm refusing the get the Back To The Future or Star Trek compilations because I won't have turkeys in my collection. I want BTTF 1, and Star Trek 2 only - but these aren't available on their own!
Man, I used to collect loads of VHS tapes, DVD's, Blu-rays and started on 4K. I collected vinyl records, CD's, action figures and comics. My shelves were resplendent and much envied. Somewhere around turning 40 I just got bored of it. So weird.
I have the same exact collection of everything you mentioned. If I was to get a house, I'd definitely get a movie room and display all you mentioned including my favorite film posters.
I was saying something the other day to a friend about my recently deceased brother's obsession with collecting - I am not against collecting, I do it myself, but at the same time it's important to know when to let go. I am glad you have pretty much come to my same observation, albeit from a different angle. I personally am very careful to pay it forward to someone who can truly appreciate and enjoy something I am letting go - which I am sure you do too.
I just happened on this video as I'm a recent subscriber. I'm a die hard collector and your insight has made me consider how much worth I'm getting out of my physical media collection. I've run out of space and need to find another way to store and display everything. I got into steelbooks a few years ago mainly because of the Scream Factory steelbooks. While I'll keep most of what I have now, I can see that thinning out my collection could improve things.
Yeah I slowed down on collecting steelbooks because they're impossible to keep in good shape and they're definitely very delicate. I only pick up limited editions when the artwork grabs my interest or if they're cheaply priced. This is always an interesting topic for collectors and thanks for making this video!
You’re mostly correct here, however, there are some premium blu/UHD releases where they include the best products and features into the steelbook releases and not in the standard plastic case releases. For instance, there are many scream factory releases where they only package the latest 2k and 4K transfer discs in the steelbook releases and not the standard releases. I found this out the hard way when I bought their Night of the Demons and pumpkinhead standard blus only to find out that I bought the inferior products
Pretty good video. You raise some great points. Depending on the steelbook they can get scratched, dinged or bent, etc. So I buy the clear cases to put them in as an extra layer of protection which is of course an added cost. What I will say is that some of the blu-ray cases and even the 4k cases it's not uncommon for the disc to be loose or not lock in place on the spindle. For me I still love steelbooks but I will never go out of my way to try and get every steelbook release. I collect the ones for movies I really like. Indiana Jones, Back to the Future, LoTR/Hobbit, Spider-man etc.
Currently I’ve gone in the opposite direction. My collection to too large to continue collecting basic everyday Blu-rays and 4K discs. I’m only buying limited editions and other unique types of media.
I have been subscribed for a while. I'm glad you're posting again. Spot on. I have one steelbook and that is for Rock 'n' Roll High School Blu-ray. It's the best version of the film, and has lots of extras. It's a film I love, so I ordered it. It arrived with a small dent on the front bottom edge. It's also got a bit of paint imperfection on the the lip where two halves meet. You can't see it unless you open the case. If I were a real collector, I'd have sent it back, but there's no guarantee the one I got would be better. I kept it and that's fine. It didn't cost that much. Funny that, as you say, they're so delicate, given they've got "steel" right in the name.
One reason to consider a steelbook is if it's from a very indie label. Some years ago on Synapse Films' podcast, it was mentioned that 4K transfers (which Synapse puts a ton of care into) are very expensive, so the steelbooks and LE releases help them JUST to recoup their expenses. Then, after those all sell, they can start with the regular releases and make a little profit on the product. So I would buy a steelbook from them just to support them because I love what they do.
While I partly agree with you about some things, I would like to point out one reason I love steelbooks & the reason why I started collecting them, simply because I truly truly love film & movies, I just I just think a $200 million dollar movie or even a $15,000 movie deserves something better than a 10 cent ugly plastic case & steelbooks do that. Film has so much love put into it at times, I just think this kind of art form that has so many people put their love, sweat, & tears into making deserves beautiful packing if people want.
Elliot - Long time watcher of your videos, but I have never left a comment. First of all, so glad you’re back. Your presence on RU-vid was greatly missed. I have always enjoyed watching your videos because your passion for movies and collecting is so pure and unpretentious. But I will admit that as a much older movie fanatic, I knew you couldn’t keep buying blind and collecting without being a bit more discerning. I keep my collection to only what I love, nothing else, and it’s still at 500 or so. Anyway, keep on with your culling and keep making videos - we all support you!
Great video pal! I also get little joy from steelbooks. I have about 30 steelbooks total, and will probably keep them because they are of films I enjoy and the hassle and stress of selling something as delicate as a steelbook and mailing it to someone might end up being more hassle than it's worth lol cheers for an honest look at collecting
The only time I actively picked up steelbooks was when I couldn't get the regular case or in the case of the Indiana Jones 4k set, the standard cardboard packaging was terrible.
Hi Elliot. You’ve mentioned a few times in videos that you’ve sold some of your collection off, I’m guessing some of this through eBay ? Would you be happy to share your seller ID so I can keep an eye on anything you’re looking to offload ? It’s nice to have that piece of mind that I’m buying from someone I know has taken good care of said physical media. Cheers Andy
You sold 500 blurays from your collection? May I ask where and how you unload that many? eBay? Record/video store? I have some of my own I want to get rid of but can't find the best way to do so.
@@ElliotCoen I am not that old but at least nowadays I don't have much problem with rare type cards (but also I use sleves and rarely pay any extra for rares)
I love steelbook’s but understand your view completely. Not so long ago I lent a 4k Steelbook out to a family member - when I got it back the entire back of the glossy print was scratched and the front had a couple of small dings in to 😢. I don’t know if the family member was heavy handed or if the damage happened when my gf picked it bk up and transported it home loose in her bag.
I only get a steelbook if I love the artwork that is on it which is unique to standard releases, still haven't gotten around to displaying them properly though haha
From time to time as a movies collectors we need to see this kind of videos to keep remembering what reason you collect for And from my experience with time your goals and reasons changes so you may lost for sometime This video make you check again if you're in the right street of your journey For me steelbooks has some hassle and as you said need some care I have about 50 steelbooks As artwork they amazing Get them if you found that no to small difference in price between the regular and steelbook edition For me I didn't buy anything above 20 $ Maybe one movie above that on my collection Thanks man and we need more of this video's
I'm a minimalist with only a handful of steelbooks in my collection. I'm pretty selective about the ones I buy, particularly as many titles can only be obtained in Canada through online orders. I felt a little sheepish when I heard your comments about the spines. I actually do pay close attention to what the spine of a steelbook looks like because that's the part that's on display on my shelf. Fortunately, most of my steelbooks do have attractive spines. 😊
I’m in the same boat as you. I’m at the point where steelbook aren’t catching my eyes as much, and I realized half of these get dinged up scratched so Easily. I used to be like you collect them all, but now a days I’m fine with just the 4k slip cover
I know what ya mean Elliot. The steelbooks I actually prefer are the ones that have the films original artwork on them as I feel it enhances the image quite nicely! It’s actually my wife who really loves steelbooks so she’s the one who ends up buying the majority of them and I’m like “if you truly want it then go for it” 🙂💿
I’m not crazy in general about Steel books. I will get a Steel Book if a movie I really want releases with no other option or if I love a movie and the Steel book version has art that I feel is worthy enough. I also feel like you that maintaining some Steel Books is a headache for me much like slip cases. I rarely keep a Slip Case as well. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this topic!
Buying a steelbook for me comes down to is the cover cool to me, and are there any features that I don't have. Extra features sadly are becoming more limited, sans Anniversary sets. The generic covers for Blu ray discs these days are so generic. The steelbooks and boxsets remind me more of the days of VHS when a box would catch your eye.
I agree with your viewa on this.I did start collecting them myself but noticed dents ^ scratches and even rust issues so i quickly decided to stop collecting them.
I don't deliberately go for steelbook, but if it looks like a bargain, I'll get it. I do like the digibook style of packaging with its pictures and text. It seems to have gone out of favor some whatever reason. WB had a good line of those for their classics and I've quite a few (Bonnie and Clyde, Shawshank Redemption, The Outlaw Josey Wales, Clockwork Orange, etc).
That's a good point about the steelbooks being so delicate. I don't like ordering them online because sometimes they get damaged in the mail. They don't always ship them in boxes. What I don't like about the regular plastic cases is that they come with those big holes in them that you see when you open them. I decide which ones to get based on the artwork and price.
Totally understand. I generally collect special editions but that's because you get actual extra content like posters badges sleeve options booklets etc. I will always choose a boxed spec ed over a steelbook and even then only of a film I must have.
I only purchased them if the price is the same or less then the standard Blu Ray, so I do have a few that I purchased on Ebay I never look to purchase them, I do wish All blu ray’s would come with a digital download, hey. Criterion are you listening ?
We are singing the same tune, Elliot. The steel books scratch and ding so easy. I stopped collecting before I got in to deep.lol I just kept the ones with outstanding artwork.!!
I personally, own approximately 970 Steelbooks (mostly Blu ray, but I do have a few DVD editions as well). I do watch all of my movies, time and time again (depending on my mood or the Holiday/time of the Season), and have no doubts, that although, when I decide to sell,....I will get all of my money back for my collection. Satisfied with my habit.
Good video. I had hundreds of SteelBooks and black top 4K blurays but sold them all ( at a fairly big loss) and just bought them all again on a digital platform for my Apple TV and feel so much ‘lighter’ and I find I watch more movies via Apple TV 4K than I did when the physical copies were sat on my shelf. The picture quality really isn’t hugely different.
Don't rely on digital. I have discs for everything and also have the digital copies. Digital gets censored (The French Connection) and can be deleted (Amazon Kindle). No one can do anything to my discs.
I have always been a selective steelbook collector, picking up only the titles that have artwork I really like, as such, I have a relatively small collection. I have generally not been overly keen on them for the very reasons you point out. Additionally, the way that Zavvi is gouging the pockets of the collector with their numerous re-issues, variants and poor artwork must be making it very difficult for most collectors. For quite some time I have been looking at my collection (approaching 4000 titles) and have been considering slimming it down, interesting to hear of your recent rationalisation. The big problem I have now is that Criterion have entered the 4K arena and I know they are going to output some cracking titles if their blu-ray releases are anything to go by.
Steelbook collecting is like collecting pieces of art, as such, specific ones are rare, limited print items. Some of them retain their value (if you care for them properly), while the rarest ones often experience a significant gain in value in a short period of time. Some folks would argue that collecting steelbooks is like investing....except more fun.
What u said makes 100% sense. I'm thinking Kung of moving on from my whole blu ray collection and steelbooks. 98% are still in package new. Viewed once and expensive for nothing. I have so many streaming options that save loads of space
I am also downsizing, and I have one shelf I try to fit about 700 movies and its movies I have an emotional connection to and that I know I have the time or will take the time to watch again, I had over 5000 movie on bluray and UHD. I also have many of them as digital copies anyways.
I’ve also been debating about that because lately I’ve been watching everything lately digital like Hulu, Netflix, HBO MAX, anything that has to be digital and all my movies were just their collecting dust and taking space and I’ve decided to sell all my movies because I haven’t touched them for a good while. You don’t have to do what I wrote here but that was my own experience and what I thought of but whoever enjoys this keep doing it 👍🏼
I love the MtG analogy, and now foils are so prevalent and practically pringles. I don't consciously keep a lot of steelbooks but I agree with a few people in the comments, it comes down to some unique covers. Although I never completed the set, the limited Universal Monster covers were amazing and I got a couple Ghibli (two of the wife's favorites). Otherwise, I appreciate the pop like in the Ghostbusters cover but that is pretty much it.
I have what I consider to be a decent collection of Steelbooks but I definitely see the reason why you stopped. I personally like them but even I may stop collecting them once I finish my current Ghibli Steelbook collection.
