Quoting lasitter:

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Don't major releases generally come over-sealed and with a product end seal?

From my experience, yes...usually. But unless the disc is damaged, scratched or missing inserts or booklets, then I wouldn't really worry too much about it.

Yeah, there's not many DVDs or Blu-rays that come with those security stickers anymore. I can think of only a couple studios that still do it, but the major ones I think have dropped it.

Plus a lot of retail stores will open discs up and throw in exclusives like bonus discs or coupon offer sheets, then re-shrinkwrap and sell as new. Sometimes they will still have the title strip across the top, sometimes not. It really comes down to do the discs look touched/used and are any inserts there (for Criterion there's always an insert, not so much from others)?

Also good to hear online sites not having the sercuity stickers. They don't work (go to the nearest BigLots and see how many empty cases with sliced stickers you see, about 10 a trip here), are annoying and often rip the covers. If the disc doesn't have to sit on a shelf in public, then the stickers are even more worthless! Great idea from them.

The badges on Criterions are those "Director Approved Transfer" stickers, usually with a faux signature from the director. They are often missing from later runs, and usually only on the first batches to go out. You can also tell if a discs has been resealed by the thickness and uniformity of the shrinkwrap itself. Not even the re-wrapping machines in Best Buy can replicate a studio wrapped, although those are close and just slightly thicker (I often times can't tell before getting the wrap off if it's too thick). May take a bit at first, but after a while I can spot most rewraps from miles away.

FWIW, I have never had a re-wrap stick to the spine and leave parts behind like many studio wraps, so in that aspect they are preferred.

Quoting bigdaddyhorse:

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FWIW, I have never had a re-wrap stick to the spine and leave parts behind like many studio wraps, so in that aspect they are preferred.

I checked on line once and new oversealing machines (short run) seem to go for about $5,000. I'm sure the big boys use production line equipment that's even more expensive.

Quoting samuelrichardscott:

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A lot of the discs I used to import from the US would have the security magnet strip things inside. I used to peel them out and put them in peoples jackets because they would still set off alarms in the shops here in the UK until they were deactivated.

I especially like it when they contain the cardboard inserts with the security sticker included. The act of peeling them off a case can disable them.

Quoting samuelrichardscott:

Quote:

A lot of the discs I used to import from the US would have the security magnet strip things inside. I used to peel them out and put them in peoples jackets because they would still set off alarms in the shops here in the UK until they were deactivated.

I remember way back in like 1987 or so, a record store had stickers on their cassette tapes. I stole a couple and walked out lucky as hell, cuz I sold them to friends, and one the friends went back in the store with me to steal more (thinking the stickers were show) and the alarm set off when he walked in and he got busted, tried to pin it on me but couldn't. I told him I must've got lucky and to open that shiitake mushroom before going back in, but he wanted it new for his sister or something. Still kinda funny to think back on, how did I make it out with 4 tapes and no alarm? Guess it's good he got hit on the way in and not us on the way out. After that I carried the little "Sold" stickers they would place over the price tag to deactivate the alarm in my wallet, and my first business was still running until I got caught a few months later at another store. I haven't stole anything in 20 years or so since, but still wait for karma to come back and get me for my mis-spent youth.