Over the decades, Disney has put out some awesome movies, but many of them have yet to be offered on new media types like DVD and others were only released on VHS tapes. Still others have never been released officially. So, where do you go when you want to add an old Disney movie to your collection? There are many possibilities, falling into three categories: physical shopping, online shopping, and a combination of physical and online shopping. I'll cover several of them below.
PHYSICAL SHOPPING
1) Garage Sales. Many people go through their movies when they are about to have a garage sale, many of occur during the summertime. Watch your newspaper and Pennysaver for garage sales near you, or just roam your neighborhood in the early hours of a weekend. Of course, garage sales are held at all times of the year and during the day, so keep your eyes peeled. Some printed ads in the paper might even state that movies or Disney items might be part of what they are selling.
2) Rummage Sales. When a neighborhood school or church is looking to make money, they go to their parents or parishioners and ask for donations. For schools especially, you might easily find some old Disney classics that had been donated. Libraries often have sales, too, clearing out old items no longer needed and sometimes selling materials donated by patrons.
3) Thrift Shops. Goodwill, Deseret Industries, and other thrift or second-hand stores usually have a media section that will include Disney productions. These are donated by the public, so keep your eyes peeled for those movies that you want to add to your collection.
4) Video Stores. It's not at all unusual to see stores that sell VHS and DVD products having special sales to get rid of their older merchandise, including Disney classics. You might even want to ask them about acquiring their discards when the time comes.
ONLINE SHOPPING
1) Auction sites. eBay is the most famous, but there are numerous auction websites to peruse. Just search for 'auction sites' or take a look this website which offers a side by side comparison: http://online-auction-sites.toptenreviews.com/ of some of them.
2) Online Retailers. This includes places like Overstock.com, Buy.com, DeepDiscountDVD.com, and Amazon.com that often have older movies available. Be sure to check Amazon's Markpetplace which has items for sell that are owned by individuals. Many buyers tend to just look at the main Amazon.com site, but it actually has a few different ways that individual sellers can offer merchandise through Amazon.
3) Disney Forums and Groups. If you're willing to get social, do a search for Disney forums and groups on the internet. Yahoogroups is full of Disney groups, and I'm sure other sites are as well. In addition, on Yahoogroups, there are several sites dedicated to trading and selling old movies. You can just wait and watch to see if a movie you're looking for pops up in an ad, or you can do your own ad. These are free. You just have to take time to go through the emails. Forums often have marketplaces or some topic where you can post wants and requests or offer items for sale.
4) TV Connection. This is run through Shokus Video. It's a site that links up fans who are searching for specific movies and TV shows. The information can be at http://shokusvideo.com/.
5) Unspecified Sites. There are individuals who sell on their own websites and other locales. Go to google.com and search for the movie or your choice or just 'Disney movies for sale'. You'll get a lot to choose from. I just did a search myself and there are pages and pages of sites where old Disney movies are offered.
PHYSICAL SHOPPING COMBINED WITH ONLINE SHOPPING
1) Craigslist. Craigslist.com is an online ad market that lets you post and/or respond to ads in your area. While the contact is initiated online, the transaction usually takes place offline by meeting the seller somewhere to conduct the transaction.
2) Freecycle. This is a tremendous source for old movies. This is an online list, through Yahoogroups.com, but you find the group and information by going to freecycle.com and locating the group for your local area. Items offered are totally free. You just have to pick them up. Individual lists have different rules about posting and responding, but items are always free. I've seen hundreds of old movies offered on my local list over the last couple of years.
The old Disney classics are out there. You may have to put in some footwork and time to find them, but they're there! Happy hunting!