Best places to buy used DVDs in New York City

October 8, 8:05 PMNY Entertainment ExaminerMichael Moran

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Academy Records & CDS
Photo: Michael Moran

The NYC movie lover has a lot of ways to see movies—in the theater, on television, or online, the new frontier of the digital revolution. But ownership has its rewards, and there’s joy to be had in browsing for a copy of that elusive, out-of-print Serbian screwball comedy you’ve heard rumors about or in finding The Fugitive for only $3. Here are some tips on places to shop for DVD bargains and oddities:

Academy CDs (12 West 18th Street between 5th and 6th) is  a venerable institution with an impressive, constantly changing stock of DVD titles as well as an even larger stock of used classical and pop CDs. The prices are fair to wonderful. Titles from the Criterion Collection, the intellectual queen of the DVD world, run from $18 to $28, which is a substantial discount from their list prices of $39 and up. More mundane titles run anywhere from $3 (the bargain bin at the front of the store) to $14 for a newish mainstream title. The staff is very knowledgeable and courteous, especially to regulars. The store also features a good assortment of classical music DVDs. Be sure to check out Academy’s ebay auctions for more titles.

If you’re in the Greenmarket for your weekly vegetable fix, stop by Scott Rogers’ DVD stand, located in front of the Gandhi statue in the southwest corner of Union Square Park. Scott is open for business seven days a week from 12 to 6 pm, weather permitting. He carries new Asian and Indian releases (usually subtitled but sometimes dubbed) and some used general releases. His prices are great, and Scott is happy to share his knowledge about movies with curious customers.

Two blocks further south is The Strand (828 Broadway at East 12th Street) grand dame of New York used bookstores and home to 18 miles of books. There's also about twenty feet of DVDs available. Take the staircase to the basement floor and look off  to the left of the staircase to find  two racks of new DVDs at discount prices. The selection is strange: I picked up the glittering English noir Dance with a Stranger for $7 (half list price) , but I could have opted for Lisa Kudrow in the HBO comedy The Comeback, also $7. Not worth a trip for the DVDs alone, but check it out while you’re shopping for book bargains.

South and east of the Strand is East Village Books (99 St. Marks Place between 1st and A) one of the last small used bookstores in New York. They have a tightly curated selection of used DVDs, with prices that run a little high, unlike their sometimes spendidly low prices on books. Worth checking out while you’re in the store, but not worth a special trip.

Housing Works’ Bookstore Cafe (126 Crosby Street just off Houston) carries a small assortment of $5 to $8 used DVD titles. Most titles are less than desirable (did our overcrowded world really need Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift on DVD?) but it’s worth a gander for the occasional bargain. The bookstore features a coffee bar, lots of comfortable seating and a terrific assortment of well-priced books. Proceeds go to Housing Works, a non-profit serving the HIV community.

THE BIG TIP: Don’t buy from someone whose store is a sidewalk blanket. The DVDs are probably bootlegs (illegal) and the quality is guaranteed to be terrible (unethical).