Subject: Re: TWIN PEAKS SET (the Japanese laserdisc boxed set)
From: boyajian@ruby.enet.dec.com (The fox so cunning and free)
Date: 1992-02-19, 22:45
Newsgroups: alt.tv.twin-peaks,rec.video.releases

[I'm re-cross-posting this to rec.video.releases, since I've gotten a
fair number of mail messages asking these same questions.]

In article <16343@awdprime.UUCP>, ken@batman.austin.ibm.com writes...

} Would you let us know where we might find such a gem of a set and how
} much we might expect to pay for it? (I know it's rude to ask how much
} something costs, but I simply must have this)

I ordered my set through Sight & Sound (in Waltham, MA -- phone number
is 617-894-8633), my usual laserdisc pusher, who deals regularly in
Japanese imports.

(Disclaimer: I have no connection with them, other than as a customer.)

Note, though, that they do not have any currently in stock. When the
set was announced, they up and ordered 10 of them, but all 10 quickly
got reserved. No doubt as they get more requests, they'll order more,
but you may have to wait a month or two for them to arrive. I ordered
my set in November.

As for the price, I paid (not including the 5% MA tax I had to pay, or
shipping, which I didn't need, as I picked mine up in person) $672.80.
Now, a few people will say that the list price of 61,800 Yen should
equal only about $500, but keep in mind that S&S has to pay for shipping
from Japan (and once you've hefted one of these babies, you'll realize
that the shipping cost was probably not small) plus import duties. They
also don't get a very large profit margin on imports (which is why they
never offer standard discounts on them, as they do with domestic releases),
so there's a mark-up involved there as well. An extra $200 is certainly
cheaper than a flight to Tokyo. :-)

If you can find someone else that can sell you one cheaper, by all means
go for it.

Regardless, the price I paid is still worth it. The price works out to
be about $45.00 per 2-episode disc. I paid the same or more for import
discs of THE TWILIGHT ZONE (80's) and MAX HEADROOM, and even in comparison
with the following prices for television series material on domestic
laserdisc, while the price may be on the high side, it isn't grossly out
of line:

ST:TNG                $35 for a 2-episode disc
AMAZING STORIES       $35 for a 3-episode (half-hour each) disc
                      (this is proportionally equivalent to the TP
                       import disc price)
THE PRISONER          $40 for 2 single-episode discs
TWILIGHT ZONE (60's)  $40 for 4-episode (half-hour each) disc

It's a large gulp to make all at once, but I think it's worth it.

-- "They say the best things in life are free." "Free!? Hamton, this is the 90's. Take out a loan and buy a clue." --- jayembee (Jerry Boyajian, DEC, "The Mill", Maynard, MA) boyajian@ruby.enet.dec.com