Pre-Barnabas Episodes on DVD - UPDATE

[jimbo]

MPI has always lacked professionalism and imagination. For example, years ago they advertised the cast plaque as a "limited" edition. When many people like myself purchased the plaque, MPI subsequently and discreetly removed the term limited. Pure fraud. In terms of imagination- a team of five year olds can come up with better merchandising ideas. Is MPI still hawking that 1998 ornament? Or how about the boxer shorts? I guess something like collector plates are beyond its imagination? I am not surprised at MPI's latest tactic on the pre-Barnabas DVDs. Perhaps MPI can take this post to its internal meetings.

[FireRose]

I'm sure a checking account Check Card would work just fine.

Yes, but sometimes my checking account is abit on the sick side and MPI wants to automatically send those DVD's out every 2 months and they aren't going to be happy if the money is missing. I can't guarantee that the money will be there every other month due some of my medicine I have to pay for out of pocket. Because certain medicines my insurance doesn't cover.

I have ordered all the Dark Shadows DVD's from MPI, but the way I have been doing it. Is to send them a order along with the payment in full... Which was in the form of a money order.

This paying through a checking account more than likely won't work for me.  Because I have expensive medical bills. That eat my checking account down to the bare bones in certain months. So joining the club is going to be problematic for me and alot of others.

FireRose

[Darren Gross]

I'm sure once they're all released, suddenly SURPRISE they'll show up in stores. So probably a year from now you'll find them in Best Buy.

If they are going to be 5 episodes lighter than the current sets, than they should be cheaper.

[FireRose]

If they are going to be 5 episodes lighter than the current sets, than they should be cheaper.

I was thinking the exact opposite. That they'd be higher since it would seem that fewer people are going to be able to purchase them.

Also I was wondering if Dan Curtis' passing had anything to do with the rules changing? This didn't seem to come up until after he passed away.

FireRose

[MsCriseyde]

For what it's worth, it seems silly to me to take the episodes that could probably be considered the least desirable and make them more difficult to acquire than the others. Frankly, I'm not interested in them enough to jump through extra hoops to get them. I can certainly understand that other people's strong desire to have a complete set of episodes on DVD would motivate them to join the DVD club to finish out their collections, but I'm not going to sign up for the DVD club just for these episodes. I think it's silly.

[michael c]

last time i checked in on these episodes mpi was slashing prices on the vhs "collector's series".now they are going to make these very same episodes difficult to purchase on dvd?

that is way stupid and annoying.

as one of the many here who has already handed hundreds if not thousands of dollars to mpi for the rest of the vhs and dvd range i certainly feel i belong to a "club" as much as anyone.

no other series in mpi's catalogue can even approach the volume of episodes produced by d.s.(1200+!).most of us have purchased all of that.in some cases twice.i can't believe mpi dosen't consider that customer "loyalty".
and who besides the most devoted fans are going to even care about purchasing the dusty first year of an old soap opera?

incidently at no time during my countless phone calls to mpi over the years did anyone even mention the dvd club to me or that there was perhaps some benifits to joining.

[victoriawinters]

Truly, from a business and not emotional perspective it's like marketing 101 backwards.  Instead of finding new distribution outlets for a product, they are imploding them inward and cutting out distribution channels.  Now if they were marketing some really exclusive product for like rich people who like things exclusive, then the club only distribution angle would work.  However, Dark Shadows has never been the rich person's market who need exclusive feel goods to buy the DVD products.

After a wider distribution, it strikes me as rather odd that the narrow distribution channel is being taken.

Some of us may very well have to join the little exclusive club to get the beginning of the series on DVD but many of us won't be able to afford to do so as has already been discussed.  There are two choices:  take a risk with this proposal that those whom are loyal DVD buying customers would stop buying this product or widen the distribution a wee bit and generate another revenue building channel or two.  I would think a wider distribution release would produce more revenue and not alienate the fan base.

If I was selling a product and not a service, I would never engage in such a folly as narrowing my distribution channel ever.  It would be product suicide.

[retzev]

A last-ditch effort to cut out the middle-man and spook fans into paying full MSRP.

I know they're in the business of making money, and that's beautiful, but have their DS product been so unprofitable that they have to resort to this? I doubt it.

I'm insulted by these scare-tactics.

 

[BuzzH]

Also I was wondering if Dan Curtis' passing had anything to do with the rules changing? This didn't seem to come up until after he passed away.

Firerose, I thought the EXACT same thing and that question was in my post that went missing yesterday!  But when I rewrote the post that DID make it to I'd forgotten to re-mention that!  Thanks for mentioning it in YOUR post!  

[BuzzH]

For what it's worth, it seems silly to me to take the episodes that could probably be considered the least desirable and make them more difficult to acquire than the others. Frankly, I'm not interested in them enough to jump through extra hoops to get them. I can certainly understand that other people's strong desire to have a complete set of episodes on DVD would motivate them to join the DVD club to finish out their collections, but I'm not going to sign up for the DVD club just for these episodes. I think it's silly.

Right ON MsCriseyde!  I like the pre-Barnabas eps, but not enough to pay $60 for them, even if I could afford that price.  These suckers should be $30 and available to everyone!  And I will NOT be bullied by MPI into joining their stupid DVD club to get them.  Are you LISTENING MPI?!  Take this post to your 'internal' meeting!  

[BuzzH]

last time i checked in on these episodes mpi was slashing prices on the vhs "collector's series".now they are going to make these very same episodes difficult to purchase on dvd?  that is way stupid and annoying.

Hello?  Okay?  Why does MPI think this is a good idea when so many of the tapes had to be "bargain basemented"?  I know that many fans will buy these tapes so that it makes them a tidy profit, but not all fans like these eps and won't bother regardless of the current circumstances.  They should sell as many as they can to as many ppl as possible, and fast, before those who don't want them pass on them.  I could certainly understand, given the fact that the pre-B eps aren't the most popular, if MPI wanted to do a limited release (i.e. only producing say 500 boxsets) then do a "as demand dictates" after those initial 500.  Maybe that's not feasible or cost-effective, I don't know.  But publishers do it all the time to ensure they get their money's worth from an "iffy" publication.

Truly, from a business and not emotional perspective it's like marketing 101 backwards.  Instead of finding new distribution outlets for a product, they are imploding them inward and cutting out distribution channels¢â‚¬¦After a wider distribution, it strikes me as rather odd that the narrow distribution channel is being taken¢â‚¬¦I would think a wider distribution release would produce more revenue and not alienate the fan base¢â‚¬¦If I was selling a product and not a service, I would never engage in such a folly as narrowing my distribution channel ever.  It would be product suicide.

Excellant points Victoria!  Why piss off what is PROBABLY their most loyal customer base?  I have to wonder how the meeting that produced this current situation went.  "Okay, on to new business.  The Pre-Barnabas episodes of Dark Shadows are coming up.  How should we market them?"  "How 'bout this boss, let's punish the fans/our customers by NOT letting everyone get the most unpopular episodes!"  "Great idea!  Put yourself down for a bonus!"

have their DS product been so unprofitable that they have to resort to this? I doubt it.  I'm insulted by these scare-tactics.

I'm insulted too retzev!  

[Charles_Ellis]

MPI should know better- you don't go around stabbing you consumers in the back like this!!  We should ALL have petitions out at the Festival regarding this.  And where is Jim Pierson?  Does HE know what MPI is doing to us all?

[Gothick]

I know a couple of people who watch DS via Netflix.  It would seem that the 1966 shows won't be available via Netflix?

G.

[LdyAnne]

MPI should know better- you don't go around stabbing you consumers in the back like this!!  We should ALL have petitions out at the Festival regarding this.  And where is Jim Pierson?  Does HE know what MPI is doing to us all?

THe question should be does he CARE??? ??
Ldyanne

[Luciaphile]

I love these episodes and I've been dying for them to come out on DVD for ages. I don't care who's selling them. It's a matter of price.

I'm not paying $60 for them. If I can pick them up on eBay for cheaper, sure, but I don't need to shell out $240 for 4 sets. Meanwhile? I've got my VHS tapes, which play just fine, thank you very much. The reason I usually buy DVDs are for the extras, an area in which MPI has been severely lacking.