MPI announces pricing, availability and other details for DS: THE BEGINNING DVDs

[Midnite]

DS: The Beginning DVDs will be priced at $54.98 for each collection of 35 episdoes.  Alexandra Moltke will introduce the series in Collection 1, which will ship January 2007, with the remaining 5 collections released every other month.  At this time, these DVDs will only be available through the MPI DVD Club.  Benefits of membership include a free 6th DVD purchased through the club, free shipping via US mail, and discounts on specific DS merchandise.

Here is the message sent to club members:

Dark Shadows DVD Club Membership Benefits

The Dark Shadows DVD Collection may have run from 1 to 26, marking the end of the Dark Shadows series, but its true beginning has never before been told. With your existing membership in the DARK SHADOWS DVD CLUB, you'll be the first to have the opportunity to own all 206 never before released episodes of "Dark Shadows: The Beginning DVD Collections." These episodes will not be available at retail outlets at this time.

The pre-Barnabas episodes will begin with "Dark Shadows: The Beginning DVD Collection 1". This Collection will contain the first 35 episodes of the series plus all-new bonus features including a special series introduction from Alexandra Moltke.

Look for shipment of this item to begin in January 2007 with a special club sales price of $54.98 for each collection. A new Collection will follow every other month as before¢â‚¬¦there will be 6 in total for the "Dark Shadows: The Beginning" DVD Collection.

Get Every 6th DVD Collection Free!

As a token of our appreciation for your membership, every 6th Dark Shadows DVD Collection is on the house! After you have purchased 5 collections through the DVD club (1 every other month), your 6th collection will be completely FREE of charge! You'll continue to receive each 6th collection after that FREE of charge after 5 have been purchased at retail price.

Members will continue to receive the following benefits:

¢â‚¬¢   FREE SHIPPING (via US Mail) for all Dark Shadows orders
¢â‚¬¢   Exclusive Discount Offers on limited Dark Shadows Merchandise
¢â‚¬¢   An Exclusive Advanced Shipping of the "Dark Shadows: The Beginning" DVD Collection Release

With these new membership benefits in place, your membership status will be automatically updated to the new offer. You will begin receiving every 6th collection FREE of charge after 5 have been purchased at retail price through the DVD Club. This will be calculated on the overall number of purchases you have made during your membership.

For example, if you are on your 9th club installment, you would now only have to get to your 12th to qualify for the free collection. If you would prefer to maintain the benefits that you are currently entitled to in place of transferring over to the new offer, we ask that you please email webmaster@mpimedia.com to ensure that we can update your club membership accordingly.

Thanks again for your membership in the Dark Shadows DVD Club & please feel free to contact us if you have any questions about your membership!

MPI Home Video

[ProfStokes]

Thank you, Midnite, for the update!

I still think the DVDs are overpriced since they only contain 35 episodes each.  And, as has been pointed out elsewhere, the 6th free set and free shipping are not such great deals considering that one can save money by buying from other online retailers.  I hope that MPI will consider wide-releasing these DVDs at some point in the (near) future.

ProfStokes

[Sunny_Collins]

Thank you so much for the update on the pre-Barnabas episodes, Midnite!

I still think the DVDs are overpriced since they only contain 35 episodes each.  And, as has been pointed out elsewhere, the 6th free set and free shipping are not such great deals considering that one can save money by buying from other online retailers.  I hope that MPI will consider wide-releasing these DVDs at some point in the (near) future.

So those of you who aren't members of the club, will this make you consider joining? As for myself, I'll have to give it some thought. 

[Barnabas'sBride]

No, I'm not joining......I'll wait patiently to see if they show up on ebay and try to get them from there.

[BuzzH]

I still think the DVDs are overpriced since they only contain 35 episodes each.  And, as has been pointed out elsewhere, the 6th free set and free shipping are not such great deals considering that one can save money by buying from other online retailers. 

I agree, if I've done my calculations correctly, you will pay a total of $275, plus tax, by buying through the club.  If you wait for them to be available on Amazon, they will be $252, plus tax, and Amazon ALSO has free shipping.  Now, my figure of $252 is based on the fact that the other sets were about $42, but they could be even cheaper as there are less episodes per set.  They could conceivably be as cheap as say $35 each which would lower the already lower price to around $210.  MPI is just wacky IMHO w/their pricing scheme AND their strange decision to narrow their market.  Oh well...

[joe integlia]

"its true beginning has never before been told" lol. how can they make that claim? mpi released the same episodes on vhs and sci-fi aired them and abc aired them in 1966-67!

[David]

Joe, you are right, their claim about the "first time" is absurd!

As for the pricing & the lack of availability in stores, I'm pissed!
I got the post~Barnabas sets from DVDPlanet.com at $42a pop, a true bargain.
I should be able to do that with the pre-Barnabas discs.
Grrrrrr.......

David

[victoriawinters]

I'm still holding to my previous position of waiting until February 1, 2007 until I make my final decsion.  I would still get my free one should I sign up at that point.

[FireRose]

With your existing membership in the DARK SHADOWS DVD CLUB, you'll be the first to have the opportunity to own all 206 never before released episodes of "Dark Shadows

Seems like with that wording...  With your existing membership.  That pehaps joining the club just to get the Pre-Barnabas episodes may have a catch to it.

With some of the items they sale don't you have to be a member for so long to be able to become eligible to purchase them...  I wonder if that is going to apply to the Pre-Barnabas episodes? Especially with new members who are joining simply to get the Pre-Barnabas episodes.

Just wondering...

FireRose

[jennifer]

so the first set is pre Barnabas i'll wait too
thanks Midnite

[Nelson Collins]

"its true beginning has never before been told" lol. how can they make that claim? mpi released the same episodes on vhs and sci-fi aired them and abc aired them in 1966-67!

I'm sure it was just a typo.  What they meant was "...never before been told on dvd..."  

[Nelson Collins]

Potentially silly question, but is there a fee to join the MPI club?

If not, I may take advantage of it.  at approximately $46 per set with free shipping, it seems a pretty good deal all in all, esp. since I have never seen any of the pre-Barnabas eps.

[CastleBee]

"its true beginning has never before been told" lol. how can they make that claim? mpi released the same episodes on vhs and sci-fi aired them and abc aired them in 1966-67!

Hee hee - yeah, the only time that statement was actually true Viet Nam was beginning to heat up, Go Go Boots were in style and the Beatles had only been known in the US for a little over two years.  I think someone needs a history lesson. 

[Midnite]

Potentially silly question, but is there a fee to join the MPI club?

Not at all a silly question, and yes, membership is free.