Staggering amount our unopened DVDs and video games are really worth

The amount we've spent on entertainment we've never used revealed.

As a nation we are hoarding billions of pounds-worth of unused DVDs and video games.

A survey by Netvouchercodes.co.uk has found that nearly a third (32%) of our DVD collections have never been watched! There’s £17 billion-worth of DVDs in British households meaning that we’ve spent a massive £5.5 billion on DVDs that have never been removed from their boxes.

Similarly, we have £1.5 billion in video games that have never been played, making up 22% of our video game collections.

“It is surprising to see how much money has been wasted on DVDs and video games across the country,” says John Stirzaker, creative director at NetVoucherCodes.co.uk.

“Selling your unwanted media can be a great way to make a few pounds.”

Physical media sales decline

Recent figures show that physical media, such as CDs and DVDs, is suffering from falling sales as many of us make the switch to digital media like iTunes or Netflix.

Sales of digital entertainment media have risen by £2.2 million since 2011, but physical entertainment media sales are down £1.3 million over the same period.

What is your DVD collection worth?

The value of the nation’s DVD collection varies hugely by age and gender.

In line with stereotypes, men own far more DVDs and video games than women. The average man has a DVD collection worth £376 a £159-worth of video games. In contrast, the average woman has a £278 DVD collection and £127 of video games.

When you look at the nation’s DVD and video game collections by age it becomes clear that the younger generation are leading the charge towards digital media. People aged 18-24 own the smallest number of DVDs with an average combined value of £179, whereas 45-54 year olds have DVD collections worth over £500 on average.

Age	Average DVD collection’s value	Average video game collection’s value
18-24	£179	£138
25-34	£235	£271
35-44	£446	£188
45-54	£504	£144
55-64	£323	£78
65-74	£197	£38
75-85	£120	£8

“We can see the effect of digital media on physical DVD and game sales in these statistics, particularly in the 18-24 age bracket, which is seen as the most ‘digital savvy’ age group” says Stirzaker.

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Wales top for DVD collections

People in Wales have the largest DVD collections while those in the North East of England own the most video games.

Location	Average DVD collection	Average video game collection
Wales	£476.13	£180.06
East Midlands	£418.29	£88.29
Scotland	£366.51	£190.74
North West	£321.22	£130.41
London	£320.53	£112.07
East Anglia	£311.51	£171.54
South East	£296.40	£109.74
West Midlands	£280.01	£144.20
Yorkshire and the Humber	£277.33	£106.93
North East	£276.55	£246.02
South East	£274.92	£102
Northern Ireland	£219.84	£92.71

Make a few bob

Selling DVDs that are gathering dust in your home could make you a healthy bit of cash.

Find out where you might make the most money selling them online in our guide to Selling DVDs: musicMagpie versus the competition.

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