.jpg)
The Disney Vault is famous. We’ve explored the concept of the Vault before, so any of those not in the know can find a primer here. In short: Disney wants to make more money on its movies. They think the value of a film will go up if it’s only available to purchase for a limited time.
The Disney Vault has been getting more attention lately as Warner Brothers Studios has just employed a similar concept with another institution: Harry Potter. Despite the fact that “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2” only just became available for purchase four days ago, by the end of the year all eight Harry Potter films will be pulled from shelves. Even rentals will only be available until sometime next year (or at least digital rentals via Amazon.com; when I rented the last film, it told me I’d only be able to do so until April).
Now that other studios are joining the lock-and-key craze that Disney started, movie fans might miss out. If we’re not sharp and ready to pounce on a movie we want as soon as it’s released, we might lose the opportunity to buy or even rent it altogether.
Except I know a few ways around this rule, tricks I’ve learned in my many years of Disney fanaticism, trying to track down movies currently not available in stores. The first method is the most obvious: rent it.
Warner Brothers may be soon pull Harry Potter from rental shelves, but so far Disney’s never followed that practice. A movie that’s currently in the Vault can usually be found at a video rental store, especially if it’s Disney because the studio’s films are so popular.
Another great place to find a Disney film (and those Harry Potter films after they’re pulled) is the local library. Depending on your county system, you might even be able to rent for free. The library has been a great resource for me to find many older Disney films whose time in and out of the Vault has come and gone.
You even still have some options if you want to purchase a technically unavailable movie. The Vault system mostly affects physical retail; once production on DVD’s stops stock in stores tends to disappear quickly.
But we live the internet age now; anything can be found online. Amazon and sites of its ilk often still have copies of Vaulted movies much longer than any physical location I’ve ever been to. Amazon is also the place to go to buy used copies of movies from individual sellers.
eBay is a similar option, but I prefer buying from the Amazon Marketplace (where individual sellers like me can list their wares using Amazon’s system) so I don’t have to engage in a bidding war. You’ll want to be careful exactly which copy of a film you buy; look at the item’s description, if there is one, to make sure the copy of the film is in good shape. Check reviews of the seller to make sure what the seller says is trustworthy.
Using this method I’ve been able to purchase old copies of Disney films and soundtracks that are currently in the Vault, amassing a rather impressive collection. I now pass these tips on to you.
Related Articles:
Cars Land: Grand for “Cars” Fans
Visit the House from “Up” in Real Life
*(This image by Anonymous Account is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.)
