# What are your current Opera on DVD / Blu Ray sources other than Amazon, are there any?



## Floeddie (8 mo ago)

I am resistant to using Amazon if possible, because over time, they have become more difficult to deal with. Given our recent bout of inflation, I've been spreading my purchases around quite a bit more, and that includes more than just Amazon.

Further, Amazon uses predatory pricing policies, meaning that the price I pay may not be the same price you pay. There are workarounds like private browsing, and using multiple browsers, which I have seen help a few times. Further, I don't believe that Amazon wants to sell physical product, and CDs/DVDs/BDs are clearly an endangered species. They want you to own nothing and love it. There are others of the same ilk, but I digress..

So are there any thoughts out there?


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## AlexD (Nov 6, 2011)

I've used e-bay. 

There's a number of independent stores that have an e-bay presence.

Also, discs are quite resilient - so I've bought a number of 2nd hand discs without a problem.

Music Magpie buys and sells used discs in the UK - including opera - maybe there's an equivalent service in Canada/North America?


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

Deleted post


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## damianjb1 (Jan 1, 2016)

https://www.alibris.com







Presto Music | All things musical… on your doorstep


Satisfy your appetite for music at Presto Music: the UK's leading e-commerce site for classical & jazz recordings, sheet music, books and musical instruments



www.prestomusic.com




E-bay
CDs, DVDs, Vinyls, Games & Technik günstig online kaufen Grooves.land/Playthek - I've bought a lot of stuff from them


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## Floeddie (8 mo ago)

For some unknown reason, E-Bay always seems to slip my mind. I added the Grooves.land link to my bookmarks, so thanks. A lot of the US resellers of CD's and DVD's have migrated to Amazon. I've looked on Naxos and Presto but I guess I don't know the magic search phrase. I've since sent emails asking about DVDs to those two companies, but being the weekend, it'll be a bit before I get a response. I live in a small community by choice, so the presence of used sellers of much of anything is not a possibility. But I do appreciate the responses. Thank you!


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## Shaughnessy (Dec 31, 2020)

Got to Presto's site -






Presto Music | Buy classical & opera CDs, DVDs & Blu-rays online


Presto Music offers classical music CDs, opera CDs, SACDs and DVDs for purchase online with worldwide delivery.



www.prestomusic.com





On the top left, the word "Classical" will be underlined.

Underneath "Classical" are the words - Composers - Artists - Labels - Genres - Formats

Hover on "Formats" - It's a drop-down menu - at the bottom are "DVD Video" and "Blu-Ray Video"

Click on "DVD Video" and this page appears - 



DVD Video - Buy classical, opera & ballet DVDs | Presto Music



Click on "Opera" - Look closely at this new page - Along the left side you'll see "Filter Results" and sub-headings - e.g. "Genre" - "Availability" - "Awards" 

"Opera" is already clicked - Now click on "Availability - In-Stock" - and they have 201 titles in stock - You can then click on "Award Winners" and 65 titles will appear. You can even choose by "Era"

You can always clear which filters you've selected to widen your search.


Now, let's search for a specific title - ":Les Troyens" - Type that in the search box of the main Presto Music page.

You'll receive 128 results - which is probably 127 more than you want so - On the left side, look at the filters and choose "DVD Video" and see what they have listed as a result.

Then go back one page by clicking on the arrow on your browser of the web page which is at the top left and then click on "Blu Ray Disc" and see what they have listed.

Just as an example, click on the Blu Ray version conducted by Sir Antonio Pappano - 









Berlioz: Les Troyens


Berlioz: Les Troyens. Opus Arte: OABD7113D. Buy Blu-ray online. Bryan Hymel (Énée), Eva-Maria Westbroek (Didon), Anna Caterina Antonacci (Cassandre), Fabio Capitanucci (Chorebe), Hanna Hipp (Anna), Brindley Sherratt (Narbal), Ed Lyon (Hylas), Ji-min Park (Iopas) Royal Opera House, Sir Antonio...



www.prestomusic.com





Scroll down a bit and you'll see "Reviews" and "Videos" - The reviews are very favorable and there are 3 videos to watch to give you an idea as to what you may or may not be interested in.


And so, this is how to search on Presto Music - Just practice with different titles and singers and conductors - You'll eventually get the hang of it.


And, once you're out of the Great White North and roasting in the fires of hell (Arizona) check out importcds.com - Their prices are better than most but it can be kind of a PITA to search but you'll find what you're looking for.


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## Floeddie (8 mo ago)

Shaughnessy said:


> Got to Presto's site -
> 
> 
> 
> ...


And all I had to do was ask!!!


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

I've bought tons of stuff on eBay. But mostly used opera CDs. Got loads of great ones for 5-8 dollars. I avoid Amazon for all but one or two purchases a year. You can try Discogs as well. They have very reliable vendors. Also try any used books stores in your town that also sell music.


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## Shaughnessy (Dec 31, 2020)

starthrower said:


> I've bought tons of stuff on eBay. But mostly used opera CDs. Got loads of great ones for 5-8 dollars. I avoid Amazon for all but one or two purchases a year. *You can try Discogs as well. They have very reliable vendors.* Also try any used books stores in your town that also sell music.


That's excellent advice - Once you've relocated to the US, Floeddie, always try to use American sellers as the postage costs from overseas can be prohibitively high.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Floeddie said:


> I am resistant to using Amazon if possible, because over time, they have become more difficult to deal with. Given our recent bout of inflation, I've been spreading my purchases around quite a bit more, and that includes more than just Amazon.
> 
> Further, Amazon uses predatory pricing policies, meaning that the price I pay may not be the same price you pay. There are workarounds like private browsing, and using multiple browsers, which I have seen help a few times. Further, I don't believe that Amazon wants to sell physical product, and CDs/DVDs/BDs are clearly an endangered species. They want you to own nothing and love it. There are others of the same ilk, but I digress..
> 
> So are there any thoughts out there?


Do not forget JPC


https://www.jpc.de/?lang=en


Very good service , The site can be a bit confusing but if yo change the page to English .
I 'vee seen other members buying there regularly .


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## MartinDB (9 mo ago)

Shaughnessy said:


> Got to Presto's site -
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I know this post is a little old now, but I wanted to give another plug for Presto. They seem genuinely to care about classical music and invest in it. Their search engine is good, even though some of their cataloguing is not as great as it used to be (from memory they used to have, for example, a listing of all recordings of a given work - this looks not to be the case now). The contrast with the dreadful search engine on Amazon is striking, which seems to reflect Amazon's indifference to the genre. I will resort to Amazon if I have to, but it is with a heavy heart and a guilty feeling. 

I also use discogs.com a lot and would recommend the site. I have rarely had a bad dealing with a seller as I start to build a collection of opera CDs, most of which seem to be out of print.


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## BBSVK (10 mo ago)

I did not buy an opera DVD yet, but if I did, I would use discogs, or the e-shop of my local music store hummelmusic.sk, or supraphonline.cz .


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