Steelbooks, really worth the fuss?

Desticado

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I'm obviously arriving late to this party so please help me understand.

Am I missing something or are steel book movies exactly the same as the non steel version but in a steel case and usually more expensive?

I can see how they're nice and pretty looking and feel special. But for me the important thing is the movie and to a lesser extent the extras and i'm not particularly interested in pretty packaging as I'm not interested in displaying my movies, although I appreciate for others it's a different matter.

So as far as the movie is concerned. Is there generally any difference?
 
9/10 there's no difference. I don't ever remember a steelbook having any extra content but sometimes you don't get the bonus disc that comes with the amaray with the steelbook edition.

I understand what you're saying but what's the point in collect ANYTHING really? There are some steels that are now highly sort after and a ridiculous amount of money now (iron man, I'm looking at you) but normally when a film gets released the steelbook version is normally only a pound or two dearer so if you like it then why not treat yourself.
 
Like anything that is collectable, if you don't collect it, you won't understand why those that do.
 
I've only been at this since Christmas (only got BD-player then) and I'd rather have something nice to look at on the shelf rather than plastic so picking up what I can for prices I can afford. Not in it for the profit, just the nice shiny packaging....
 
I'm in it purely for the looks. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I could be spending my hard earned money on far worst things (like crack, herion or prostitutes). I'm not in it for profit, but I have become far more picky as of late.
 
Like anything that is collectable, if you don't collect it, you won't understand why those that do.

Fully understand why different people collect different things, all of us here collect movies. I'm just keen to collect the best quality version of the movie and extras. If I can have a nice box too then smashing.
 
Fully understand why different people collect different things, all of us here collect movies. I'm just keen to collect the best quality version of the movie and extras. If I can have a nice box too then smashing.

Stay away from Steelbooks then :laugh:

As a general rule, new title Steelbook releases are a safe bet, but catalogue releases often omit bonus discs, different cuts of the film etc.
 
And the whole reason I asked in the first place is in trying to decide between the star wars blu ray saga and the new original versions.... when did buying a movie get to be so complicated! :suicide:
 
Desticado, I get it I really do. Why pay over the odds for a movie that has limited extras, if any, and a steel tin that could scratch dent and ding at any time should it not be cared for like a guide dog to a blind man.

I get it.

BUT... When you go outside your comfort and affordable zone and pick up a devilishly and visually pleasing case that differs from all others you see and feel something incredible happening... you are then taken on a wild and expensive journey around shops, the internet, websites you have never visited before, embarking on an epic adventure to take and upload photos, argue with customer sevice staff, and even shell out more money for plastic as well as steel, and it even reaches new heights and shelves get bought, bobble heads are given a new home, and forums catch on fire!

Once you go Steel, it's then a done deal. :smashin:

Oh and for me personally, aside from the film, I like collecting because I appreciate the artwork and the elegance of them sitting on my shelf.
 
Once you go Steel, it's then a done deal. :smashin:

Oh and for me personally, aside from the film, I like collecting because I appreciate the artwork and the elegance of them sitting on my shelf.

Well i can attest to that, always looked at steelbooks in a "its £1 more, is it worth it" kind of way, but then a work colleague posted some pics on FaceBook just before christmas.

Looking at them out of the wrapper, no J-Card and then getting one in my hand, it was like an artistic explosion, i compared some of my Amarays (Snow White, Salt, Taken, Avengers etc) and the steels were just SOOOO much better, so here we are, in May, 5 months later and i have racked up 58 steels (overkill??)

I have about 15 pre ordered for releases i would have bought on Amaray and am not regretting the switch, although its possible the bank balance and the wife are haha.....

All in all, yes, steels are worth it, same quality movie, but better (usually) artwork to have the basis of our love (movies) kept in and gives us the opportunity to put out on display - seriously, would you display the Phase One Avengers Amaray's??
 
To me its like the difference between paperbacks and hardbacks the contents the same but the HB are nicer.
I would not buy a steelbook that I was not going to buy in the first place in the normal kind also I would not pay silly prices or double up of films I already have on blu.

Some people seem to buy a steelbook even if they don't like the film but just get the cover I can see a day when a Blu will be replaced by an other format and the secondhand price of the steels will drop. So if collecting and thinking you have a long term investment Id forget it, although in the short term they may be.
I got Thor in steel because I really like the film and saw someone the other day mention it going for £50.
 
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I've seen Thor go for £101-130 this past week. I snagged mine for about £75 off a forum member sealed and mint, so chuffed at that. I've had an uncanny knack of knowing when a format is going out of fashion and have shifted stuff before then and made my money back. I collect them as I think they look great, but like yourself, wont buy if I don't fancy the film. Do people who display theirs sealed just buy an amaray copy to watch?
 
Does this really justify starting a new thread for, seriously?....in a dedicated space for steelbook enthusiasts :rolleyes:
 
Hmm, let's have a look...

Amaray cases:

-Cheap
-Durable
-Plentiful
-Easy to customise

Steelbooks:

-Expensive
-Easily damaged
-Limited quantity
-Requires a degree in engineering to customise

So you see, if you want the easy life, stay away from steelbooks. The problem is when you genuinely like them (some of them, not all of them, I don't just collect tin for the sake of collecting tin), you not only have to put up with the negatives listed above, but all the other crap that comes with artificial scarcity, such as squabbling over prices, dodgy traders, poor quality releases helped churned out by ninjas or something who even more bizarrely seem to have a direct line to steelbook manufacturers and the movie studios (lunatics running the asylum). Oh, and of course, people just buying because some go up in price. Those people have a real love for movies, right?

It's not fun, it really isn't.

But tell me some of them aren't works of art. Hi-res, glossy pictures of your favourite movies on a canvas of steel, lovingly protecting your discs. Who wouldn't want that? Well me, sadly, as the time spent researching the damn things is time that could be spent watching movies. The initial giddy thrill of hunting down a rare one doesn't last, maybe it does for others, but not for me. I don't want to reduce movies to a hunt for a piece of tin. They are worth more than that.
 
There are different levels of steelbook buyers though...

There are the freaks (buy every steelbook whether you like the film or not, 'engineer' cases, pay silly money for certain limited editions etc etc) ;)

And then there are others who just like getting films they like in nice cases. Needless to say I'm in this category :)

I think with newer releases you can sometimes get the steelbook for not much more than the amaray so that's a no-brainer most of the time. Steelbooks certainly hold their value more than amarays do which is a nice bonus. Its always nice to pick up a steelbook for a bargain price too (Hurt Locker for £7, Children of Men for £6, Robin Hood for £7 are some of mine for example).

Some of the stuff associated with steelbooks is quite amusing at times from what Ive read here and elsewhere (and reading between the lines). And a bit worrying at times too...
 
I'm half way between the 'freaks' and the 'others'. I try to only buy Steelbooks of films I'm interested in, but sometimes I'm tempted by the artwork. I'm not one of those slip nuts yet though. I open all of mine and data sheets go into a box. For that reason I've never felt the need to buy any of those expensive Asian imports. Sure if you keep them sealed they look nice, but that defeats the point of owning them in the first place (to watch the film).
 
To throw a recent one out their, Man With The Iron Fists - check the amaray case, then check the steelbook

I know which i'd rather have because for me, its the outside covers that do it, coming from a photography/background i like clean images, and since my introduction to steels, some of them are truly clean over their amaray counterparts
 
I'm obviously arriving late to this party so please help me understand.

Am I missing something or are steel book movies exactly the same as the non steel version but in a steel case and usually more expensive?

I can see how they're nice and pretty looking and feel special. But for me the important thing is the movie and to a lesser extent the extras and i'm not particularly interested in pretty packaging as I'm not interested in displaying my movies, although I appreciate for others it's a different matter.

So as far as the movie is concerned. Is there generally any difference?

I sold over half of my collection recently and after selling them I got back roughly what I paid for them. Some I made a loss on but some I made lots of profit on. If I were selling normal armoires, I'd have been lucky to get 30% of what I paid, so yes they are worth it.:thumbsup:
 
I'm pretty new to SBs, my first was Star Trek (first release by Play.com) which I was given by my fiancee for my birthday in 2009. At that time I did not know much about SBs so never really bothered buying them.

It was only December/January this year that I started to take notice of how nice they looked and started expanding my collection.

I'm now in the region of 50+ SBs and have been lucky to pick up some rare oop SBs for less than £20, such as Captain America.

I only buy movies I like, I do not waste money on movies that do not interest me just for the SB.

For me the collection of something that looks great and a movie I love to watch is enough for me to buy them over Amrays.
 
Hmm, let's have a look...

Amaray cases:

-Cheap
-Durable
-Plentiful
-Easy to customise

Steelbooks:

-Expensive
-Easily damaged
-Limited quantity
-Requires a degree in engineering to customise

So you see, if you want the easy life, stay away from steelbooks. The problem is when you genuinely like them (some of them, not all of them, I don't just collect tin for the sake of collecting tin), you not only have to put up with the negatives listed above, but all the other crap that comes with artificial scarcity, such as squabbling over prices, dodgy traders, poor quality releases helped churned out by ninjas or something who even more bizarrely seem to have a direct line to steelbook manufacturers and the movie studios (lunatics running the asylum). Oh, and of course, people just buying because some go up in price. Those people have a real love for movies, right?

It's not fun, it really isn't.

But tell me some of them aren't works of art. Hi-res, glossy pictures of your favourite movies on a canvas of steel, lovingly protecting your discs. Who wouldn't want that? Well me, sadly, as the time spent researching the damn things is time that could be spent watching movies. The initial giddy thrill of hunting down a rare one doesn't last, maybe it does for others, but not for me. I don't want to reduce movies to a hunt for a piece of tin. They are worth more than that.

Good post :) i still get a few but know exactly where youre coming from!
 
I have to say that I was in on the steelbooks in the days of DVD and liked the fact that the artwork was displayed in full on the front, same as with blu rays now. I have recently snagged all the marvel phase one steels from kindly folk on these forums, all sealed and mint and although they cost me 200 sheets, I'm delighted I did it. I've splurged about £350 in the past month on them and don't regret it one but. I could have spent it on booze and fags, like I used to, but now I have something I am proud to own. If push came to shove, I could move them on and not lose money on them,but that's for another day. To me, they are worth the fuss as its great to own a favourite film in a unique presentation format.
 

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