As DVD's hit their peak in popularity, an industry is growing around the excess of previously rented titles, Video Business reports.
Take, for example, Hudson News, an airport retailer best-known for selling newspapers and magazines. It started selling used, and not new, DVD's last year. Borders, which has never rented DVD's, joined the resale market as well. In a more interesting case, People's Choice Video Express in suburban Chicago opened a separate retail store for the holidays just to unload its stock of used merchandise.
It's a simple matter of supply and demand. Customers are looking to save money in this economy, and there's a deluge of used DVD's coming from kiosk companies like Redbox and other retailers like Netflix.
.jpg)
Not all retailers are happy with the way things are going. John Sarantakis, who owns the People's Choice in Chicago, said he's currently selling used DVD's for $5 each, but he sees a downturn ahead.
"By next year, it’ll be very bad," he said. "We’re taking advantage right now. Next year, we’re hoping to sell them for $3. It reminds me of VHS, when we were buying from customers for $1, then it went to a quarter, then a dime."
Todd Zaganiacz, who owns Video Zone in South Deerfield, Mass., said that in 2007, used DVD's sold for $7, even 90 days after release. Now, the price slips to $5 by the third month.
It's funny how the Video Business article begins by painting used DVD's as a lucrative market, but ultimately shows how supply is outpacing demand. It's only a matter of time before there are simply too many DVD's out there. When that happens, consumers will get some great deals.
