I think we may need to save the Treasures series

[merlinjones]

>>I said and I quote "You are wrong in me not wanting them out." So please learn to read before quoting what is convent to you.<<

Other than that pale objection, I see no evidence to the contrary in your many assertive posts arguing against the release of Walt's remaining films in any and all formats, whether retail DVDs, Treasures sets, DMC exclusives or just DVD on demand - - nor do you offer any positive or creative suggestions or ideas (-- subject themed box sets mixing popular and obscure material, TV season sets, animation collections - - whatever --) of how the material might be preserved, perpetuated, marketed or released (just a lot of reasons not to, some legit, some lame), so I'll stick with that collective interpretation of your posts.

Without question there are still plenty of folks -- whether fans, film buffs, animators or baby boomers --- who would buy Walt Disney animation titles to complete their collections - - whether Ludwig VonDrake, Jiminy Cricket, Ranger Woodlore, or whatnot. And the Disneylanders and would-be-Imagineers will always want the rest of those park shows too - - and of course everyone and their uncle wants "Song of the South".

That the largest media conglomerate on the Planet Earth (that's a fact) "can't afford" to offer its founder's works on DVD or can't find some creative way to market them anew or to finish this collection properly - - is a rather silly notion. Where there's a will, there's a way...

[pvdfan]

^Where there's no profit, there's no way. I have stated that about the only way they can do this on the cheap and make a profit is via streaming/digital download. The cost associated with making a DVD OF DISNEY QUALITY are ultra high. Thus why you will not see burn on-demand or any cheap route.

And where were these people you speak of when other waves in the series have came out? Right now on Amazon.com I can buy from them (not from the market place

- Zorro Volume 2
- Disney Rarities
- Tomrrowland
- The Complete Pluto Volume 1
- Mickey Mouse in Living Color Volume 2
- The Adventures of Oswald
- The Hardy Boys
- Elfego Baca and The Swamp Fox
- Mickey Mouse Club

This is just one store that has a huge amount of traffic. It says something when even they have copies of Zorro left over and it's run was 30k.

This whole issue is about the same as that of Mr. Toad's Wild Ride at WDW. Did it have fans who loved the ride? Absolutely. Was that fan base big enough to justify them keeping the ride when something more popular and valuable could be put in? Not a chance. The amount of people who loved the ride < the amount of people who would love the replacement. The same goes here for using the resources on new material(which you seem to hate anything new Disney) vs. works from the classic years.

My argument to begin with many pages back is why Disney would cancel the line. It has turned more into why classic material has not/will not be released. You can call it negative or "lame" all you want, but it is called being realistic.

[merlinjones]

>>My argument to begin with many pages back is why Disney would cancel the line. It has turned more into why classic material has not/will not be released. You can call it negative or "lame" all you want, but it is called being realistic.<<

As I've said, it's novel that any kind of genre "fan" would champion the cause of keeping classic films of any sort in the vault permanently, let alone Walt Disney's own library, but if that kind of retentive passion turns your more rational mind on, go for it - - it certainly helps to keep this thread active!

Of course, history has proven rather dramatically and repeatedly that being "realistic" has very little to do with the highly successful and emotional business created by Walt Disney.

I'm confident that in the longterm cycle of things, even Walt's minor works will far outlast your brand of cynicism du jour! The bigger problem is getting the library into a digital format sooner than later so that they might be rediscovered at all. That there are still 30,000 - 100,000 paying customers for these things is a plus today that won't be around forever if new generations miss out on Jiminy, Ludwig, Woodlore and friends should the film negatives and prints all rot away from disuse and neglect.

[pvdfan]

^Apparently pointing out the truth is too much for you, so it becomes me vs. Disney older stuff. Here's also a hit, 30k-100k is nothing to Disney. Hanna Montana does that in a week or 2 from release. When Ludwig gets those kinds of number, you will see every single episode out there with bonus feature galore. When Mickey Mouse can not sell 175k units of his color cartoons, that sends a very strong message.

[merlinjones]

>>Here's also a hit, 30k-100k is nothing to Disney." Hanna Montana does that in a week or 2 from release.<<

So the 30,000 - 175,000 people that pay a premium price for Walt Disney titles is all incremental sales gravy - - These are unique customers - - it's not like they will be buying "Hannah" instead!


>>When Ludwig gets those kinds of number, you will see every single episode out there with bonus feature galore.<<

That's a "straw-man" argument. How can a product can sell more than 30,000 copies if only 30,000 are made in the first place? Not to mention that there is no advertising for this line and the product is not placed on shelves at major retailers -- so it can't possibly sell any faster either! No one knows they exist! These are simply not marketed for wide release (unfortunately). They sell in a limited number by design of the manufacturer.

How can Ludwig prove his sales at any level when all 18 hours of his "Wonderful World of Color" shows remain in the vault?


>>And where were these people you speak of when other waves in the series have came out? Right now on Amazon.com I can buy from them (not from the market place):
- Zorro Volume 2
- Disney Rarities
- Tomrrowland
- The Complete Pluto Volume 1
- Mickey Mouse in Living Color Volume 2
- The Adventures of Oswald
- The Hardy Boys
- Elfego Baca and The Swamp Fox
- Mickey Mouse Club<<
This is just one store that has a huge amount of traffic.<<

So going by your own list, then, all of the following volumes have sold out at Amazon? (you tell me):
- Mickey Mouse in Black & White Vol. 1
- Mickey Mouse in Black & White Vol. 2
- Mickey Mouse in Living Color Vol. 1
- Chronological Donald Vol. 1
- Chronological Donald Vol. 2
- Chronological Donald Vol. 3
- Chronological Donald Vol. 4
- The Complete Goofy
- The Complete Pluto Vol. 2
- Silly Symphonies Vol. 1
- More Silly Symphonies
- On the Front Lines
- Behind the Scenes at the Walt Disney Studios
- Your Host, Walt Disney
- Annette
- The Adventures of Spin & Marty
- Davy Crockett
- Dr. Syn The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh
- Disneyland U.S.A.
- Disneyland: Secrets, Stories & Magic
- Zorro Season 1

So, by your list, that's 21 sold-out Walt Disney Treasures titles to 9 still in-stock titles for this entire series (many at the higher manufacturing runs) -- including four out of five of the most recently released titles?

That means roughly 2/3 of the titles have sold out their runs entirely (meaning higher sales for those titles were impossible)? And that includes both animated AND live-action titles too.

Is your glass 1/3 empty or 2/3 full, Pollyanna?


>>It says something when even they have copies of Zorro left over and it's run was 30k.<<

But "Zorro Season 1" released at the same time sold out in less than three months. And these two sets were priced at double the cost of the usual Treasures. Stands to reason many people couldn't afford to buy both seasons at once and may yet come back for the other set, doesn't it? Surely no one is spending $59. a pop on any single "Hannah" volume.

Going only on what you say and online evidence, the sales seem to be hitting planned targets more often than not.

[merlinjones]

By the way, as predicted, Zorro Season 2 is now sold out at Amazon as well - - a mere 6 months after release - - with used copies currently going for 67.89 (Season One is now selling for 82.96).

So that's all five of the most recently released five Walt Disney Treasures titles sold out of their predetermined-by-the-manufacturer number of copies (with both Zorros at a double-priced MSRP yet!).

[a-net-fan]

By the way, as predicted, Zorro Season 2 is now sold out at Amazon as well - - a mere 6 months after release - - with used copies currently going for 67.89 (Season One is now selling for 82.96).

So that's all five of the most recently released five Walt Disney Treasures titles sold out of their predetermined-by-the-manufacturer number of copies (with both Zorros at a double-priced MSRP yet!).

Great news! Any sites online that still have any volumes in stock????

[yamiiguy]

What I think they should do is end the DVD line. Release the old releases in non-collectable non-limited edition forms on Blu-Ray and when/if there is any new release just put out a combo. Keeps the line future proof and the content available to the public longer than if it was just the OOP DVDs. I think the Region 2 DVDs are the best example, they are still available, years after release. You keep talking about not wanting Walt's dreams fading away but if you don't support a rerelease then they are and all that's going to happen is that the value of your DVD goes up and up in price.

[Heil Donald Duck]

What I think they should do is end the DVD line. Release the old releases in non-collectable non-limited edition forms on Blu-Ray and when/if there is any new release just put out a combo. Keeps the line future proof and the content available to the public longer than if it was just the OOP DVDs. I think the Region 2 DVDs are the best example, they are still available, years after release. You keep talking about not wanting Walt's dreams fading away but if you don't support a rerelease then they are and all that's going to happen is that the value of your DVD goes up and up in price.

There quite few errors that need to be corrected before they do such act of re-relseseing already distributed materal on the WDT.

[merlinjones]

>>You keep talking about not wanting Walt's dreams fading away but if you don't support a rerelease then they are<<

Great rerelease them to the general public on DVD at least, at affordable prices and sans tins. But we all know that market penetration and demographics for Blu-Ray is not large enough yet to support these releases and won't be for some years to come.

The bigger concern for now is to get the rest of Walt's unreleased material out to the world in digital form before it fades away (from memory or from lack of care in the vault). That means DVD. At least the Treasures in the current form was doing that gradually.

Besides... I want to laugh at Ludwig Von Drake cartoons and listen to pretty Annette sing in Florence, have fun learning from Jiminy and the Ranger, see Sammy the Seal make mischief in the grocery store and enjoy the tales of Uncle Remus in digital quality sooner than later. Simple as that.

[sunhuntin]

does the disney company take care of the items they hold in the vault? i was reading a blog a month or so back and it featured copies of bill peet designs for the sword in the stone. the author said that the storyboard art is ll just chucked in folders, in any order, which i think is rediculous. at the least they should be kept in sleeves and in order. im a huge bill peet fan, and the thought of his work being treated like this annoys me.

[merlinjones]

>>does the disney company take care of the items they hold in the vault?<<

There is so much material, it doesn't all get equal attention.

Some A-list features have been "improved" countless times beyond any needed restoration, while lesser-known titles languish in the vault waiting for just the basic restoration (or even just a fresh print and telecine master).

I'm very worried about the survival of the anthology TV shows because the corporate entity does not appear to value them so much.

I read a year or two ago that there was a plan to digitally scan all the negatives starting with the Technicolor nitrates - - which still leads me to concern for the fading Eastman stock shows of later years.

[yamiiguy]

I mean Blu-Ray may not have the number but it is future proof compared to DVD. Releasing them in a combo means they are out in a digital form and will be for years to come. No need to rerelease then.

[Richard--W]

I spoke to an insider within Customer Relations who told me that Disney Home Video has no plans to release another Walt Disney Treasure or another Exclusive this year. I re-iterate: no Treasures, no more Exclusives, in 2010. Further, the Blu-Ray of Dumbo is indefinitely postponed.

[merlinjones]

>>I spoke to an insider within Customer Relations who told me that Disney Home Video has no plans to release another Walt Disney Treasure or another Exclusive this year. I re-iterate: no Treasures, no more Exclusives, in 2010. Further, the Blu-Ray of Dumbo is indefinitely postponed.<<

I bought the Mexico import of "Dumbo" Blu-Ray for that very reason. Except for "Fantasia" Blu-Ray (if it really does come out this year) guess that will be it for 2010.

Goodbye Walt!

[geniuswalt]

I mourn the loss of the Treasure Series as well.

However I think that all this has to do with Disney wanting to shove
their upcoming Keychest technology down our throat. But for me they can't replace outright ownership (be it on DVD or Bluray) with some sort of fuzzy idea of "lifetime" streaming....

[Heil Donald Duck]

I spoke to an insider within Customer Relations who told me that Disney Home Video has no plans to release another Walt Disney Treasure or another Exclusive this year. I re-iterate: no Treasures, no more Exclusives, in 2010. Further, the Blu-Ray of Dumbo is indefinitely postponed.

Who did you talk to?

[Big Disney Fan]

I spoke to an insider within Customer Relations who told me that Disney Home Video has no plans to release another Walt Disney Treasure or another Exclusive this year. I re-iterate: no Treasures, no more Exclusives, in 2010. Further, the Blu-Ray of Dumbo is indefinitely postponed.

What about Fantasia?

[skippy]

Well, looks like I'll be callling their customer relations and letting them know in no uncertain terms that I won't be vacationing with Disney this year. Nor will I be purchasing things that I already own, because it's the "Mystery in the Mist" edition.

I will be cancelling my Disney Movie Club membership, and I will rent anything disney related that interests me from the library.

$0 bucks from me starting now.

[sunhuntin]

>>does the disney company take care of the items they hold in the vault?<<

There is so much material, it doesn't all get equal attention.

Some A-list features have been "improved" countless times beyond any needed restoration, while lesser-known titles languish in the vault waiting for just the basic restoration (or even just a fresh print and telecine master).

I'm very worried about the survival of the anthology TV shows because the corporate entity does not appear to value them so much.

I read a year or two ago that there was a plan to digitally scan all the negatives starting with the Technicolor nitrates - - which still leads me to concern for the fading Eastman stock shows of later years.

that is really quite sad. i would love to spend a week in there organising what i can, helping to protect things for future generations and technologies.