I went to eBay last night in search of The Jungle Book. Our VHS tape has seen better days (in addition to being limited to where I can play it as discussed yesterday). The top about 1/8 of the screen is messed up (slanted and weird colors). It is just an old videotape is what it comes down to.
So I went on a search last night for The Jungle Book DVD to replace the tape, once I assured myself that it IS locked deep in the depths of the Disney vault and not available anywhere, I cruised to eBay.
Wow, there I entered a new world of DVDs. I was shocked how many copies of The Jungle Book DVD there were and furthermore, how cheap many of them were. I started to become suspicious though when I noticed the very wide range of prices. Some $1.99, no bids and auctions ending, and some $25 without shipping, multiple bids, and auction ends in days. Why this discrepancy I started asking myself?
It was then that I was opened up to the market of pirated videos. I was looking at the comments of some of the sellers and there was clear indication from the comments that they were pirated or illegally produced with references to "strange cover art" and etc. Many sellers (ok, the majority of sellers) are not in the US and many are in Asian regions, but very willing to ship to the US.
This is something I am just not comfortable with. In fact, it makes me downright uncomfortable. When Star Wars Episode 3 came out and I was bemoaning the fact that I could not (or would not as the case may be) go to the theater to see it because I had an infant at home. Yes, I could have gone, but it just wasn't *that* important to me even though I had seen all 5 others on the opening weekend. Yes, even the first one when I was 5 years old... we went to Denver and stood in line for the opening weekend. I remember it well.
Anyways, back to the story, I was whining to my coworkers about breaking the cycle of not seeing it in theaters when I was offered the opportunity to view it in my home. I was shocked actually, that two nameless people I work with, who if convicted of a crime with a penalty of over $200 could lose their jobs were in possession of very early bootleg copies. Ok, so they didn't come out and say this, one person put it like this, "I will leave an unlabeled DVD out on the counter when you come by to take care of my cat, if you are interested, take it home and watch it".
Sure enough, the DVD was there when I stopped by to bring the mail in and feed the cat. I wasn't even tempted, I walked by feeling halfway annoyed. I got a third offer, and far more open offer from my sister a few weeks later. She didn't care who knew, offered to send it to me and I politely declined.
So for about an hour last night I stressed over purchasing The Jungle Book DVD online. I examined sellers comments, looking for any indication of illegally produced videos, I read their statements about the video and I sought out sealed DVDs with the security label still intact and the original mail in rebate indicated inside. Sure, all this can be produced fraudulantly, but why? When there is obviously a market out there for pirated DVDs.
I finally convinced myself that if I really wanted the DVD, and I did, that I could just do my best to make sure what I was bidding on was legit and that if I was unhappy for any reason I could return it for a refund. I found a seller with 5000+ sales, 100% positive rating (however that is possible with 5000+ sales), an expensive DVD, showing the actual seal in the picture and indication of an enclosed rebate, and a statement that if the DVD was found to be produced fraudulantly that they would return the money and pay for shipping. I bid on it and then also bid on their Little Mermaid DVD with all the same listed information.
Now after all that I better win the auctions!!
All of this takes me back to the whole Disney vault concept. This just ticks me off. Kids are little for such a short time. When The Jungle Book was on DVD in 1999, I wasn't even married and definitely not thinking about the child I would have 5 years later and that my VHS tape would be crap by then. What other Disney DVDs have I missed out on that I might want?
What a scam! I can only assume that the DVDs that are authentic and selling for nearly $30 on eBay were purchased in bulk by those savvy business type people who were hoping to turn a profit at a later date from parents like myself who "need" these DVDs for their children. Yeah, yeah, I bought into it. (Or am hoping to win an auction enabling me to buy into it.)
Is this Disney vault concept really that profitable to Disney? Or is it more profitable for bootleggers? I have to admit that once I actually get the coveted DVD I will hesitate even opening it. It is a collector's item now. Yeah, yeah, about like I hesitated in putting the circa 1980 Little People Farm collection in front of Leif after I won it on eBay...
But for those parents out there who are really just looking for the movie to pop in for their kids, the movie that they loved as kids. And who don't care to put out nearly $30 for the authentic DVD so as to "insure" that the movie was not illegally produced as long as they could get it for $10... Can I really blame them? No, not really.
After all, I sat there for an hour last night telling myself, "but it's just a movie for a little kid who is only this age for a limited time".
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