Why is the Richard Scarry's Best Videos Ever series out of print?

[salemfan]

I was too old to watch the videos, but as a child in the early 70’s, I had a ton of Richard Scarry BOOKS.

Did you even know that the videos I was talking about existed?

 

[salemfan]

Why do direct-to-video programs tend to have less demand than stuff that had been aired on TV in the past?

 

[fuzzygobo]

Yes, I’m aware of the videos you mentioned. Why are they out of print? I can’t say why. Maybe contractual stipulations with Scarry’s estate.

If you’re lucky enough to see them listed on Amazon or eBay, grab them.

 

[Bliffenstimmers]

Why do direct-to-video programs tend to have less demand than stuff that had been aired on TV in the past?

The simple answer is TV reached out to a wider audience. More homes were equipped with TV sets than they were with VCRs. Plus some of the market that is still buying videos have lived through a time when home video wasn't the household convenience it has become today. Before VCRs took off, the only form of on demand video came through expensive film collecting and library screenings.

 

[fuzzygobo]

That’s true, and even videos that reached mass circulation in the 90s disappeared when VHS tapes fell out of fashion. The Puzzle Place had five volumes out with two episodes each. If you can find copies in thrift stores (and still have a working VCR) you’re lucky.
Some vintage titles may be found on DVD or iTunes, like Sesame Street or Disney. These are the two biggest brands, which have the biggest power to release and distribute their product.

Richard Scarry’s titles, I believe were released through Random House Video..
Random House is still a giant in the book industry. Videos, not so much.

 

[salemfan]

That’s true, and even videos that reached mass circulation in the 90s disappeared when VHS tapes fell out of fashion. The Puzzle Place had five volumes out with two episodes each. If you can find copies in thrift stores (and still have a working VCR) you’re lucky.
Some vintage titles may be found on DVD or iTunes, like Sesame Street or Disney. These are the two biggest brands, which have the biggest power to release and distribute their product.

Richard Scarry’s titles, I believe were released through Random House Video..
Random House is still a giant in the book industry. Videos, not so much.

Random House is now part of the Penguin Group. But long before the merger of Random House and the Penguin Group, the distribution rights to many videos that used to be distributed by Random House Home Video (such as direct-to-video Sesame Street videos) were sold to Sony Wonder.

Richard Scarry's titles were released on DVD in 2001. I don't know when they were taken out of print, all I know is that I bought two of them (ABC & Counting) on DVD in 2004 from Barnes & Noble's online store, and Amazon still had some until 2006, when the listing of those videos on Amazon said for both of them "This item has been discontinued by the manufacturer." For all I know, that video series was out of print when I bought them on DVD brand new, but Barnes & Noble's online store still had some. (A retailer buys its merchandise from the manufacturer, then we the consumers can buy them from the retailer.)

 

[fuzzygobo]

Well, regardless of the fate of many video or DVD titles, I still have my stash of books from the early 70s.
Loved them as a li, and happy I still have them. That’s good enough for me.

if Richard Scarry could sell 100 million books all over the world, he must’ve done something right.

 

[LittleJerry92]

I’m sorry to bump up this thread, but just seeing it now, I’d like to offer my thoughts. I actually enjoyed those tapes as a kid and have bought some at my local savers. But I think the reason they never got re-releases after vhs is because, well, they’re just direct to video tapes. While enjoyable, nothing else really special about them.

 

[salemfan]

Fun fact: Emily Perl Kingsley and Sharon Lerner were involved with the production of the first two videos in that series, and both were involved with Sesame Workshop, including involvement with Sesame Street books.

 

[salemfan]

Yes, I’m aware of the videos you mentioned.

fuzzygobo, if you were too old to watch the Richard Scarry videos that I mentioned, how did you know they existed?