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How many of us woke up this Christmas to find our stockings needlessly stuffed with horrible DVDs such as Ghost Dad, Gone Fishing, The Happening, Weekend at Bernie's or, the infamous "worst movie ever" Ballistic: Ecks Vs. Sever? These movies were probably purchased out of a pharmacy dump bin for $2.99-$4.99 and cleverly placed into your stocking as some sort of filler.
Of course, not all movies are as bad as those listed above. If you're fussy like me, you may not like or want most of the movies you receive. And some movies may be positively embarrassing to place in your collection. "How can you consider yourself a Kubrick fan if you own a copy of Dunston Checks In?" your friends will inevitably ask. And you will sigh, posture slumping and say, "My mom bought it for me because I liked monkeys as a kid."
Unwanted DVDs and the Environment
Putting something back in circulation is better than hoarding it or tossing it into a hole somewhere. When someone buys a used copy, it cuts down on the new copies that need to be made by one. When 1,000 people do it, it cuts down on the new copies by 1,000. In order for people to buy used, someone has to sell used. Get it?
There are several ways to get rid of those DVDs in a way that profits you to some extent. (I can't promise that anyone will take Ballistic: Ecks Vs. Sever off your hands. You may have to re-gift that at your own risk. ) If you're looking to become some sort of used DVD millionaire, you are looking in the wrong place. But if you're looking for store credit, cash or tax breaks, you've come to the right place.
- Online Buy Back
Bre Software has an online buy back system. They offer a whopping 12 cents for Ballistic: Ecks Vs. Sever.
BuyBack Madness is another online DVD buyback site. They won't take Ballistic: Ecks Vs. Sever, but they do pay a bit more for good movies than Bre. - Sell your DVDs yourself
You can list them on Ebay or sell them on Craigslist for whatever you think you can get for them. - Trade at Brick and Mortar Stores
I used to trade my DVDs for store credit at Babbages at the mall. There was this one time, however, where I brought in my stack of unwanted Christmas DVDs, all of them still wrapped in the cellophane. The clerk wouldn't take my DVDs. He wasn't allowed to take DVDs still wrapped in cellophane, cause I might have stolen them from Suncoast Video.
"So what's stopping me from stealing some DVDs from Suncoast and taking off the cellophane before I bring them here next time?" I asked the clerk.
"I don't know." he said.
And that was that.
The Lesson: Call ahead and ask if you have to remove the cellophane before you try and trade in your DVDs for store credit. - Donate Your DVDs to Libraries
You can donate your DVDs to libraries and get a tax credit. - Donate to Videos for Voices
Donate your unwanted to DVDs to Videos for Voices. This organization helps children with apraxia, a motor-planning speech disorder. You can get a little tax credit for your good deed. - DVDs for Soldiers
Donate your old DVDs to veterans. Or you can donate to Operation Showtime and support the troops still in the service. The choice is yours. Please be kind to the troops and send them watchable movies. - Goodwill
You can donate DVDs to your local Goodwill and rake in the tax cred.
More on Donation:
Last Minute Gifts: Go Online for Donations
Donate Your Hair to Charity : Planet Green
Give without Taking from the Planet this Holiday
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