Vinegar Syndrome's store can be a lot the first time you open it. There are hundreds of horror titles, a long list of partner labels, alternate slipcovers and a points club, and some kind of sale in most months.
What Vinegar Syndrome sells
VS is a US label that restores and releases films on Blu-ray and 4K UHD, mostly genre cinema. We track 608 of its horror titles, 98 of them on 4K UHD and 510 on Blu-ray.
A big part of what the store sells comes from other labels it distributes. 340 of the 608 horror titles we track carry a partner or imprint name, and the most common are Saturn's Core (50), Shudder (35), Yellow Veil Pictures (26), Dark Star (22), the American Genre Film Archive (22), VHSHitfest (15) and Bleeding Skull (13). VS's own lines include Vinegar Syndrome Archive, Vinegar Syndrome Labs and Vinegar Syndrome Pictures.
So "Vinegar Syndrome" on a listing doesn't always mean a VS release. The product page usually names the partner label.
What it costs
The store shows two prices on nearly everything: an SRP crossed out and a lower price. In our data, 605 of 608 VS listings were below SRP, by about 30% on average. That lower price is the real everyday price, so don't treat a crossed-out SRP as a sale.
Typical in-stock prices on 20 October:
- Blu-ray: median $26.49, cheapest $10.49
- 4K UHD: median $34.99, cheapest $27.99
Shipping is free on US and Canada orders over $80, and on international orders over $150. The store also offers 10% off for signing up to its text messages.
Alternate slipcovers and limited editions
Some VS releases come in two versions that differ only in packaging. On 4K, The Murder Secret, Bloody Psycho, Massacre and Escape from Death each had a standard version at $39.99 and an "Alternate Slipcover" version at $42.99. If you only care about the disc, buy the standard.
The store also has a limited editions section, plus "Going Out Of Print" and "Out Of Print" collections. Limited cases and slipcovers are what VS discounts hardest in its January and July subscriber weeks, according to the Blu-ray.com sales megathread.
Sales worth waiting for
VS has more sales than any other label we track. Based on past sales:
- January: subscriber week daily deals (limited cases, boxes and slipcovers 50 to 70% off)
- February: Valentine's weekend sale
- May: Halfway to Black Friday (50% or more off)
- July: midyear subscriber week, starting 1 July, described as the biggest of the year
- September: Labor Day sale
- October: 31 Days of Syntober, one featured film a day at 50% off SRP with 3x VSMC points
- November: Black Friday
VSMC is the Vinegar Syndrome Media Club, the store's points program. You earn points on purchases, and the store has a section of VSMC exclusive products.
The full year is in our sale calendar post.
Region coding: read this if you're in the UK
Of the VS horror Blu-ray listings that state a region, 314 say region free and 193 say Region A. Region A discs won't play on a standard UK player, so check the region line on each product page.
4K UHD discs aren't region coded, so VS 4Ks are safe on any 4K player.
UK buyers can switch the store's currency to pounds. Prices on our site stay in US dollars because that's how the store lists them.
Buying VS somewhere else
Diabolik DVD, a US retailer, stocks a lot of VS titles. Of the 80 VS titles we matched at both shops, Diabolik was cheaper on 33, the same price on 36 and more expensive on 11. If you're in the US and ordering one or two discs, check Diabolik before you order.
Good first buys
These are well-known titles on 4K at the everyday price, so you're not paying a premium to try the label.
Live prices from our checks, US shops in US$ first. Show UK prices. Amazon links are affiliate links.
If you'd rather start cheap on Blu-ray, these were under $20:
Live prices from our checks, US shops in US$ first. Show UK prices. Amazon links are affiliate links.
For the deep end, try the multi-film sets, such as Forgotten Gialli and Home Grown Horrors:
Live prices from our checks, US shops in US$ first. Show UK prices. Amazon links are affiliate links.
Live: VS discs with the biggest cut right now
This list only counts cuts of 40% or more, well past the everyday discount, so ordinary VS prices don't fill it. It covers Vinegar Syndrome and Diabolik.
Live prices from our checks, US shops in US$ first. Show UK prices. Amazon links are affiliate links.