Why the heck are the DS9 DVD sets so bloody expensive?

I mean, who wants them but me? Or is that the problem?

And, does anyone want to hazard a guess as to when, or IF, the original Star Trek series will ever be sold as a box set, so I don't have to shell out $18 for two episodes out of sequence, which is the case with the current DVD's?

 

Here is information on the European release of the TOS box sets. I've heard that the Region 1 releases will more or less coincide with Europe, though I can't find any documentation of that on the Web.

 

Wow! Great info! Thanks!

 

Let's face it, all these box sets are a tad overpriced....which is why it's a good idea to wait a bit and find them used and in nice shape for a lot less. WHY these sets have such a high list, though, is a mystery, that just slows down sales, IMO. They're nicely packaged and presented--as are the B5 boxes--but yikes! The prices for BUFFY and ANGEL--not to mention most vintage series--are far more reasonable. Not all, though, as we know....

 

That's my point exactly. Stuff that's obviously gonna burn up the shelves, like Buffy and Angel, and as of today, the Gilmour Girls, is easy to find at a good sale price, especially when it's first released. You'd think that those would be the boxes that cost an arm and a leg, but instead it's stuff like DS9, which has a niche audience even among Star Trek fans. And the ironic thing is, I really only care about the last 4 seasons of DS9, but the idea of shelling out $300-$400 for it just seems wasteful. I can't believe ANYBODY pays full price for these monsters, and they don't really go on sale, either.

I remember that here in Atlanta, Media Play had a misprint in a flyer, and it said that DS9 Season Six was going to be sold for $19.99! Actually, it was $99.99, and they had to post signs all over the store disclaiming the misprint.

 

Initially I wasn't going to buy any of the DS9 sets, especially after spending so much on the TNG sets. I saw the DS9s all on their original run, and like many other fans, never really considered just how good they actually were. DS9's run fell at the end of TNG and while VOY was getting started. It was somewhat difficult juggling schedules just to get to see two Treks a week.

Nevertheless, there were a few episodes I was passionate about, fourth season's "The Visitor" being one of them. I decided I'd buy the fourth season when it came out, and possibly the fifth for my other passion, "Trials and Tribbleations".

It seemed expensive buying $200 worth of discs for two episodes, but really there were other titles in there that I recognized and wanted to see again.

As I sat down with my wife to watch the first episode of the fourth season, "The Way Of The Warrior", the two-part intro of Worf to the series, we both became hooked, realizing what the "Niners" were telling us all along - DS9 really WAS the best Trek that had ever been done. It captivated our interest and mesmerized us as we watched the long story unfold again.

I kept up with each of the remaining seasons, always getting them around release date at whatever the best sale price was. There was a $20 rebate on the final two seasons which helped lower the overall cost. Having seasons 4-7 wasn't enough though, and I just HAD to acquire 1-3 as well. Season three I acquired rather cheaply on eBay, and I found a sale at Christmas time on seasons 1 and 2 at Best Buy.

In fact, just this week, we finished watching season 3 after going back and viewing 1 and 2, and we're just gonna keep going to the conclusion again. Then we'll give it a rest for awhile and watch the TNG sets that have gotten a rest recently.

 

Easily obtained used for $50, even on eBay with a little patience.

 

X-Files and Star Trek are just too expensive (as are the Japanese ER sets which I want dearly--the domestic sets are in after-the-fact widescreen and seem to be made from worn prints in several cases...but I guess we expect Japanese stuff to be expensive). It's really all about gouging, IMO.

 

I've considered getting TNG's sets, but like everyone else, the price is what holds me back. I do scan for used sets every now and then, though. For my budget, that seems to be the way to go. I just wonder how many more of these sets would be sold if the list price were maybe $20-$30 cheaper.

FWIW, I have all but five of the TNG episodes on 8mm videotape. At least they don't take up as much room as the old VHS tapes did!

 

DS9 is by far my favorite star trek series, apart from the original. I got totally immersed in the world they created and each season seemed better than the previous one. I was disapointed when I found that each season was going to cost a hundred bucks, and wasn't going to pay $700. for the whole series. However decided to take a chance on the Chinese imports available on ebay and got the whole series for $125 delivered. The packaging is not the best, but the discs are flawless, video and 5.1 surround are excellent and there are even extras. I would highly recommend it for fans who don't need the fancy packaging of the domestic releases and are just interested in content.

 

I just looked on Amazon this morning, and noticed that the DS9 sets sell cheaper, used, than Next Generation sets. They seem to be averaging between $50-$60 per set, where Next Gen sets are $20-$30 more.