Even with about 400 DVDs on my shelf, there's something about laserdiscs that makes them such a huge collectable.

In a recent issue of Video Store Magazine, eBay reported a significant increase in sales in their laserdisc category. That's not that surprising for a variety of reasons, notably "Star Wars." That's getting a bit ahead of the game though. There's a reason for this resurgence that goes a bit beyond one movie. Actually, there's quite a few:

1. Extra features: Numerous laserdiscs, from "Alien" to "Jaws" have numerous extra features and documentaries not included on the DVD editions. That makes them highly desirable. The documentary on "Jaws" is absolutely wonderful and highly personal. It's far better than anything included on the DVD.

2. They look great: Looking at a shelf of laserdiscs is a might impressive sight, especially with some of the bigger box sets. The "Star Wars Definitive Collection" comes with a ton of extras, including a beautiful book. That "Jaws" set includes the soundtrack and Peter Benchley's book. Sure, some DVDs do this, but hardly with this much regularity or class.

3. Price: Laserdiscs are cheap, period. Yes, some are highly sought after (like that "Star Wars" set mentioned above), but you can amass a large collection in no time for less than $3 a disc. The only real challenge is figuring out a way to get around the shipping charges. Not only are they big, but they're heavy too. Numerous sellers are blowing out their stock via eBbay and other online auction sites. You can find plenty of them offering heavily discounted or even free shipping. Sorry, online retailers are about the only way to go. Pawnshops might not be a bad choice though. Never know what you'll find there.

4. Picture quality: OK, hooking a player up to your new HDTV is not recommended. They'll look pretty ugly unless you invest some real cash. On a standard set, they'll produce a wonderful picture. There are two formats, CAV and CLV. CAV gives you the slightly better picture of the two but requires more discs (which of course ups the shipping). The second trade off is the amount of extras and features CAV can offer. Even better, some movies, like "War of the Worlds," actually look better on laserdisc than their DVD counterpart (though that is a rare occurrence, admittedly).