Disney movies are coveted by many, particularly those with children. Locating these movies can be challenging, especially if you seek a movie that is no longer in Disney's distribution cycle.
Disney periodically removes their movies from distribution, by doing this, the remaining copies typically have their prices driven up as the supplies dwindle.
There are many places you can purchase these out of circulation movies, however, ensure you do not support the black market of piracy in your ventures.
Yard sales can be a good place to locate these out of circulation Disney movies. Ensure you carefully examine the disc's playing surface before purchasing. It should not be a gold or blue color on the movie surface side. Ensure it did not suffer from abuse of the prior owners; it may not play correctly for you. Scratches and gouges in the surface can greatly affect the playability of the movie. Sticky substances on the playing surface or on the disc anywhere can interfere with playing but can also throw the disc out of balance.
Another good place to get Disney movies is SwapADVD.com. There, you can become a member (free) and either swap a movie (but you must wait until someone requests and receives a movie you listed before you get a credit) or you can purchase credits for about $4.50 each. This allows you to request a movie immediately. SWAPADVD.com does not allow pirated copies to be listed, so you should receive a genuine Disney product. You do not pay for shipping, only for the credit.
If you go that route, ensure you follow the guidelines and mark the movie received if it meets the requirements. Play it first to ensure it plays before marking it received.
Bear in mind that not all members are diligent in checking their accounts and do not expect your movie within a week. It can take up to three weeks or longer to receive your requested movie, but it should be genuine (or you report that it was not). In addition, with SWAPADVD.com, you must also receive the case and original DVD art, not just the movie disc. If you wish to receive the complete setup (case, cover art, as well as the movie disc) this is a good way to go.
There are other sites such as eBay and Amazon.com.
On Amazon.com, there are two ways to purchase a movie. You can order it directly from Amazon if they have it available in their inventory. You may have to pay more, but it should also be a genuine movie.
The second way is to purchase the movie from an Amazon.com marketplace merchant (these are vendors that sell through Amazon but are not actually a part of Amazon), you may be risking receipt of a pirated copy. The pirated copy may not have the genuine artwork (but it will be close) and it may not play correctly in your player.
Having received a pirated copy of Pinocchio from an Amazon.com marketplace vendor, it shows the possibility of receiving DVDs not actually manufactured by the distributing studio is quite possible from a company you may trust. This pirated copy was promptly reported to the vendor who agreed to a full credit and free return. Attempts to inform Amazon.com and Disney of the sales of pirated copies were not followed up by them.
Finally, on rare occasions, it may be possible to locate out of official distribution Disney movies at bargain bins in stores such as Wal-Mart. Previously viewed movies from stores such as Blockbuster can also allow you to find a few of those hard-to-find Disney movies.
One additional place to locate these movies is from online auction sites such as eBay. However, eBay is known to have sellers who may not be selling the genuine article. Again, it is best not to support these dishonest sellers. If you do place an order and find you have a pirated copy, you are encouraged to inform the auction site host of this.
"Buyer beware," however. You may get what you pay for if you are not diligent in your quest to locate genuine Disney movies.
In the end, having the genuine article is just as important as having the DVD to begin with. There are many places you can go in your quest to find Disney movies, just ensure you are dealing with someone reputable. If you happen to get a questionable copy, verify the authenticity and report to the seller if you suspect a pirated copy. In the end, your library will be the best with genuine products no longer on Disney's distribution radar.