On 25 Nov 96, Carol Koster wrote to Bea Rachels:
 CK> Seriously:  Disney, since they started putting their feature length
 CK> animated films on home video in the mid 1980s, has had a policy of
 CK> releasing them for a rather limited amount of time on the market and
 CK> then holding off for a period of several years before re-releasing
 CK> the same titles again.  The only two movies to be re-issued to home
 CK> video since all this began are "Pinnochio" and in February "Bambi".
There are a few others.  Movies like Robin Hood and Sword In The Stone and 
Alice In Wonderland are part of a Disney animated core that are available at 
all times.  I believe the Three Caballeros is also in that group as is Dumbo.
 CK> There is a rumor on the rec.arts.disney.* newsgroups that "The Little
 CK> Mermaid" will be released to theatres Christmas of _next_ year (1997)
 CK> and then re-released to home video in early 1998, a moratorium period
 CK> of about 8 years since the last time it was in theatres/home video.
 CK> That is, if the rumor is true.  Disney hasn't announced anything
 CK> official about this.
I might be able to shed a bit more light on this.  I collect nonsport cards, 
and I especially collect the Disney sets, like Lion King, Pocahontas, Little 
Mermaid, etc.  But I also have collected hundreds of other non-Disney sets 
too.  Being big into the hobby, I read hobby oriented magazines, like 
Nonsports Update, every month.  It the latest issue of NSU, in the "What card 
sets are coming up for release" table (in every issue) they list a new Little 
Mermaid card set as coming out in November 1997.  It will be released by 
Skybox.  Now, the only reason there would be a release of a new Little 
Mermaid card set would be if the movie was going to be out - probably in 
theaters - at the same time.  That's what builds up interest in the cards.  
Therefore, I believe that the movie will be back in theaters around 
Thanksgiving of 1997. As for it's video release thereafter?  Lord only knows. 
 Disney does red herrings all the time on video releases, so it's anyone's 
guess.
 CK> Be wary of offers you see of "I have a copy of XYZ Disney movie
 CK> available for sale".  Some of the prices are exorbitant!  Sometimes
 CK> the prices are dirt cheap.  Sometimes you get a legitimate copy
 CK> even though it's been viewed a few times.  Sometimes you get a
 CK> counterfeit.   Be aware. :-)
Those "exorbitant prices" are what the collector's market bears.  Little 
Mermaid copies go for $200.00 and up, same with Lady & The Tramp.  Sleeping 
Beauty, still sealed, now goes for over $300.00.  The recent release of the 
real-life 101 Dalmations movie has pushed prices up on the animated one 
released a few years ago.  It's now over $100.00.  These tapes are considered 
collectible by video collectors, and they follow the same rules as any other 
collectible, be it baseball cards, Matchbox cars, Barbie Dolls or antique 
cars -- the rare stuff is expensive and the common stuff is not.  Anyway, my 
point is, that collector prices are often not exorbitant, unless you consider 
it only from a retail perspective, and that's not good to do as it's 
comparing apples and oranges.
--- GoldED 2.50
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