Anime prices.

Kez-chan · Post by **Kez-chan** » Mon May 03, 2004 9:05 am

I'm just wondering how much you guys in the States have to pay, roughly, for anime... the DVDs that come out here in the UK are usually the same in terms of episodes and stuff (ADV's releases in particular), but sometimes, they just don't bother. I can't see Azumanga Daioh coming out here for example (though I thought the same about Excel Saga!), so I've ordered the R1 disc from the very wonderful playusa.com (all hail!) and it'll cost me £15.99. That's $28.34 (I'm using a currency converter for this, so if it's wrong, I'll yell at it

). I think that's about average, is it?

But Chobits cost me £27.50! Argh! That's expensive! $48.74! Hmmph.

In summary, then: average shop prices (HMV, Virgin Megastore and such): £19.99 = $35.43
Play.com (UK R2 releases) prices: £14.99 = $26.57
Import copy of Utena: £21.99 = $38, plus a customs charge on top of that...
Import Sailor Moon R boxset: £89.95 = $159, OWCHIE

And this is after I shopped around. At least the online places don't charge shipping, but all the same. So, how does this compare with the cost in the US? (Not copunting the SMR boxset, which I know is stupidly priced. It was just an example of the cost involved...)

Thanks for your time

Starscream · Post by **Starscream** » Mon May 03, 2004 9:55 am

Most TV show DVDs here are usually in the $24.99 to $29.99 range, and this can be for 2 to 4 episodes a disc. Some companies - like Funimation - are notorious for charging exorbitant amounts for 2-3 episode, feature-less DVDs, while others are generous and push a lot of episodes (up to 6!) for $29.99. Further, some stores tend to raise prices, while others - Best Buy comes to mind - have them pretty cheap, often knocking off $5 or more depending on how long it's been sitting on the shelves.

Boxes really have a large range in prices, however, going from $49.99 to over $100 depending on what's contained in it, the company producing it, the store, etc. These prices are really inconstient, and sadly, my knowledge of them is limited to the two Sailormoon boxsets I picked up: Best Buy sold me the Classic set for less than $100 (I believe I paid $91 or so), and I got the R set from deepdiscountdvd for around $40 or so.

Ni-ban Neko · Post by **Ni-ban Neko** » Mon May 03, 2004 1:09 pm

The most expensive box sets I've seen have been Pioneer/Geneon releases - I've never seen their Fushigi Yuugi sets go for less than $150 apiece.

That's the exception rather than the rule, however. The least expensive anime DVDs I've seen in the US have run about $10 (at discount stores like Walmart) and the most expensive single DVD I've seen has been about $40. Most box sets tend to run between $50 and $100.

It depends in part on the store, as well - Best Buy and the other larger US retail chains tend to be less expensive than stores that specialize in movies (like Suncoast in the US) or in anime.

yamijounouchi · Post by **yamijounouchi** » Mon May 03, 2004 3:24 pm

you could try hong kongs. i got a thirty episode boxset of yugioh for $30. this site sells them.

Jumbled Thoughts · Post by **MarioKnight** » Mon May 03, 2004 3:40 pm

I think (correct me if I am assuming wrong) that Kez-chan is talking of legit anime releases. HK bootlegs are far from legit and doesn't support the people who made the anime at all.

Sakuya · Post by **Sakuya** » Mon May 03, 2004 3:49 pm

The DVDs at my nearest GameStop store costs $29.95 for the single ones. Or some of them are $29.99. The cheaper, less popular kinds are $27.95. The old ones are around $14.95. So basically, I just buy the old ones unless there is something that I must have immediately.

I haven't checked the prices of the boxsets though because they're usually out of my budget.

yamijounouchi · Post by **yamijounouchi** » Mon May 03, 2004 4:15 pm

MarioKnight wrote:I think (correct me if I am assuming wrong) that Kez-chan is talking of legit anime releases. HK bootlegs are far from legit and doesn't support the people who made the anime at all.

okay. but, i was just saying i buy them as a cheap alternative.

Cardcaptor Takato · Post by **Cardcaptor Takato** » Mon May 03, 2004 5:14 pm

Most anime DVDs are usually around $30 with anywhere from three to seven episodes per release. Typical DVD boxsets are usually anywhere from $45 to $200. Most dub-only DVDs are also usually sold for $20 along with Geneon's Signature Series DVDs.

peachvampiress · Post by **peachvampiress** » Mon May 03, 2004 5:31 pm

I went to Vancouver a while ago, and at Virgin Megastore they had the Sailor Moon SS movie for $51. What's funny is that right next to it was the signature series of the SS movie for $22.

Cardcaptor Takato · Post by **Cardcaptor Takato** » Mon May 03, 2004 6:02 pm

$51?! That's a stupid price for it since even Geneon's official online store sells it for $30! That's ridicilous!

Jumbled Thoughts · Post by **MarioKnight** » Mon May 03, 2004 6:47 pm

-_-;;; Remember that she mentions Vancouver in her post, which is in Canada, and that $1 US is worth ~$3 Canadian more or less, I don't feel like looking up the conversion rate. But the dollar in Canada is weaker the the dollar here in the US, so prices look higher in Canada than they do in the US.

peachvampiress · Post by **peachvampiress** » Mon May 03, 2004 7:37 pm

That'y my fault, I keep forgetting that I'm talking with non-Canadians ^_^

MarioKnight

and that $1 US is worth ~$3 Canadian more or less, I don't feel like looking up the conversion rate. But the dollar in Canada is weaker the the dollar here in the US, so prices look higher in Canada than they do in the US.

I'd be glad to look it up for you. According to http://finance.yahoo.com/m3?u one Canadian dollar is worth 73 cents American. Mind you that currency changes a dozen times a day.

Actually, a certain union in British Columbia :cough:fucktard care aids or whatever the fuck they're called:cough: probably made our dollar even more worthless, and just about stopped all of the economy in B.C. today (I kid you not). So you Americains be happy that you're dollar is valuable. On average, here in Canada, anime DVDs are $35-$45 dollars and manga in about $13-$16 a volume.

MonkeyDLuffy · Post by **MonkeyDLuffy** » Mon May 03, 2004 7:47 pm

I have seen between 10$-$30. I shop for cheap

Legit too. Good ol' Target. That's the place I go for cheap anime. They may not have a lot at one visit, but I guess every month they put out new ones. I wanted to buy Kiddy Grade for 10$ but I knew I didn't have enough for it.

crazydiamond · Post by **crazydiamond** » Mon May 03, 2004 9:20 pm

Hastings has almost *all* of it's anime DVDs priced at $25, except the Outlaw Star ones (which, I guess, have more than one disc) and they're, like $35 or more (I haven't looked in a while). The box sets, I don't really know about since I only looked at the SM ones (they're down to $95. I'm trying very hard to patiently wait for it to go down more...). I don't know how much VHS are since they don't keep them in the same place, but I'd guess around $13. However, sometimes they knock a *lot* off of prices of both, depending on what it is, and if they have newer versions of it. Example, recently they had Cardcaptors DVDs for like $5 because they were clearing their rental stock. I got all my Blue Sub 6 VHS there for $3.99 each because they were old rentals. Actually, I think I got 2 for 2 cents since it was buy 2, get one for a penny more and I also bought Oh My Goddess vol 4.

Aya Reiko · Post by **Aya Reiko** » Mon May 03, 2004 10:06 pm

Retail - Usually $20-$30 a disc.
Online - Ah, that's where you go for the big hauls
I got from DDD the Saber Marionette J Ultimate Collection for a mere $120. 57 episodes across 14 discs and Tsukasa Kotobuki's autograph (#824/5000). Pity it's no longer being sold there.

Kez-chan · Post by **Kez-chan** » Sun May 09, 2004 8:06 am

Thanks everyone

I guess they correspond a little more closely than I thought, other than boxsets, which I guess are more expensive to post to here because of stupid customs duty. (Bwaaah. Incidentally, my Utena DVD with the big ol' customs charge isn't frickin' here yet. I can't wait to find out the final cost...)

But yeah. Cool. Good to know I'm paying relatively the same price. Thanks again!