Best selling pool DVD in history?

nathandumoulin

WPBL / RUNOUT MEDIA
Silver Member
A few months back I read a thread where Jay claimed that no pool DVD has ever sold more than 2,000 copies. Can anyone verify this statement, or perhaps suggest a DVD that has exceeded this level of sales?

Please exclude the obvious, like the Hustler, Color of Money, etc. I'm talking about industry videos here. Instructional, matches, etc.

The reason I ask, is that I've sold over 7,500 Mastering Pool DVDs since it's release just over a year ago. Could the series be considered as the top selling instructional series of all time?
 
A few months back I read a thread where Jay claimed that no pool DVD has ever sold more than 2,000 copies. Can anyone verify this statement, or perhaps suggest a DVD that has exceeded this level of sales?

Please exclude the obvious, like the Hustler, Color of Money, etc. I'm talking about industry videos here. Instructional, matches, etc.

The reason I ask, is that I've sold over 7,500 Mastering Pool DVDs since it's release just over a year ago. Could the series be considered as the top selling instructional series of all time?

I would say that it is Nathan for sure IMO. Many people selling DVDs of anything pool might sell 100 copies and be happy with it. I hope Power One Pocket does a couple hundred and I will be happy, if it hits 1,000 I will $hit. :smile:
 
A few months back I read a thread where Jay claimed that no pool DVD has ever sold more than 2,000 copies. Can anyone verify this statement, or perhaps suggest a DVD that has exceeded this level of sales?

Please exclude the obvious, like the Hustler, Color of Money, etc. I'm talking about industry videos here. Instructional, matches, etc.

The reason I ask, is that I've sold over 7,500 Mastering Pool DVDs since it's release just over a year ago. Could the series be considered as the top selling instructional series of all time?

any plans to do something a little more advanced than the mastering pool set?
 
Advanced in terms of production value, or advanced in terms of instructional material?

In answer to the first possible meaning of your question, yes. My last movie 'Venom Trickhots' was a bit better production wise, although I'm currently working on something *much* larger. I've expanded my crew, have purchased all new equipment, and have learned much in the past year. This new project is on an international scale, and will be filmed in numerous countries. I'll be going public with it in about 4 months. I have zero doubt that it will knock the entire pool world on its ass.

In answer to the second possible meaning of your question, it's another 'yes'. An expert level Mastering Pool DVD is currently in the works, scheduled to be filmed around Christmas. I have to take care of this other new project first...although the delay gives me more time to ensure that the new content will please even the most advanced amateur players.
 
Advanced in terms of production value, or advanced in terms of instructional material?

In answer to the first possible meaning of your question, yes. My last movie 'Venom Trickhots' was a bit better production wise, although I'm currently working on something *much* larger. I've expanded my crew, have purchased all new equipment, and have learned much in the past year. This new project is on an international scale, and will be filmed in numerous countries. I'll be going public with it in about 4 months. I have zero doubt that it will knock the entire pool world on its ass.

In answer to the second possible meaning of your question, it's another 'yes'. An expert level Mastering Pool DVD is currently in the works, scheduled to be filmed around Christmas. I have to take care of this other new project first...although the delay gives me more time to ensure that the new content will please even the most advanced amateur players.

my question was on the material. i thought the production was good in the mastering pool set. only thing i would liked to have seen different would have been if Mika was actually talking through some instruction.
 
my question was on the material. i thought the production was good in the mastering pool set. only thing i would liked to have seen different would have been if Mika was actually talking through some instruction.

Thanks, and I do agree with you, although oddly enough, I just answered that exact same statement in the 'Instructional Material Review' section a few hours ago.

Here's what I wrote:

lol, Have you ever heard how slowly Mika speaks? Not a good idea.

Having the player do the talking is not as easy as people think. To do that, the entire script and content has to be memorized by the player to ensure that the dialogue flows smoothly. Such things are easy for a professional voice actor, but difficult for the player. The script for these movies is 40+ typed pages, so it's just not realistic. The pace of the DVDs would be much slower, you'd hear a million "ummms", and the resulting slower dialogue would no longer fit the timings for the footage. The budget would also be increased as Mika's time is very valuable. Pretty tough to do when the DVDs already cost probably 5-10 times more to make than anything else on the market.

After all, as much as we'd like to hear Mika, the purpose of the DVDs is to teach pool in the most effective way possible. A professional voice actor is far better, as it's the best way to cleanly convey the information.

Anyway, I do appreciate the suggestion.
 
I would find it very difficult to believe that Byrne's first and second videos haven't sold more than 2000 copies. Unless whoever said that was only talking about DVD format and not including video. Byrne's had to have sold quite a bit.
MULLY
 
I would find it very difficult to believe that Byrne's first and second videos haven't sold more than 2000 copies. Unless whoever said that was only talking about DVD format and not including video. Byrne's had to have sold quite a bit.
MULLY

This is exactly my suspicion, why is why I've posted this thread. If I can sell 7,500 in a little over a year, Byrne *must* have sold a zillion.

At the same time, Jay is rarely (if ever) wrong.

Hopefully someone will clarify this for me.
 
Not as far as I'm concerned

A few months back I read a thread where Jay claimed that no pool DVD has ever sold more than 2,000 copies. Can anyone verify this statement, or perhaps suggest a DVD that has exceeded this level of sales?

Please exclude the obvious, like the Hustler, Color of Money, etc. I'm talking about industry videos here. Instructional, matches, etc.

The reason I ask, is that I've sold over 7,500 Mastering Pool DVDs since it's release just over a year ago. Could the series be considered as the top selling instructional series of all time?

My bank pool DVD, Banks That Don't Go -- But Do, released in 2008 has far surpassed 2000 copies at $49.95ea.

the Beard

Http://bankingwiththebeard.com/?p=261
 
Byrnes MUST be the best selling non-movie pool dvd of all time. No other can even be close. It has been out for a long time, was professionally made, and had distribution in normal outlets, instead of just pool outlets.

I believe Jay might have been talking specifically about 2000 copies of match play between two professionals.

All the above is opinion, not fact, but I'd bet on the first paragraph:)
 
The number one selling video in pool goes to Mr. Yakamura Kimura. He has sold well into the millions of copy's in China, and all over Asia. It still sells today, and is probably the main reason pool is so popular over there now...and still no hall of fame honor...

If you are talking about an little instructional video, I'll bet the Fat man sold a few dozen copies of his video worldwide.
 
Byrne's MUST be the best selling non-movie pool dvd of all time. No other can even be close. It has been out for a long time, was professionally made, and had distribution in normal outlets, instead of just pool outlets. ...
According to Bob, total sales of his five videos last month was about 500. They were issued between 1987 and 1996. Even 500 (low estimate for monthly sales) times 240 months is a large number.

It helps greatly to have a major distributor. His books and Martin's remain at/near the top of the sales leaders even though they have been in print for 30 years.
 
... Pretty tough to do when the DVDs already cost probably 5-10 times more to make than anything else on the market. ...
Probably not. Bob Byrne's videos were made by a company called Cimarron that usually produces trailers for movies like Star Trek, The Fly II, and Rain Man. I think the budget for the first tape was $100,000 in 1987 dollars. They needed to sell 20,000 to break even. For more details, see pp 182-187 of his book "Advanced Technique" which details what was involved in making the tapes.
 
7,500 is pretty sick. We have about 20 different matches available and have sold nowhere near that number combined. I always knew the instructional video market was much bigger than the demand for matches but that is pretty eye opening.

Have you sold 7500 three disc sets or 7500 total discs ? Either is great but if it's the first I want to ask you a question that my buddy Cliff asks me all the time.

Can I hold a hundred bro ?
 
I wonder what the number one accu-stats match (or instructional) video is?

I wish pat or someone else involved with accu-stats were directly interacting with people on this forum.

If you counted the color of money (efren vs earl) set as separate DVDs, do you think they'd beat 2000? Maybe that's not such a hot seller since you pretty much must shell out a bundle for the whole set.
 
A few months back I read a thread where Jay claimed that no pool DVD has ever sold more than 2,000 copies. Can anyone verify this statement, or perhaps suggest a DVD that has exceeded this level of sales?

Please exclude the obvious, like the Hustler, Color of Money, etc. I'm talking about industry videos here. Instructional, matches, etc.

The reason I ask, is that I've sold over 7,500 Mastering Pool DVDs since it's release just over a year ago. Could the series be considered as the top selling instructional series of all time?

I think you either misread or misconstrued my words. I don't think I ever said that. In fact I'm sure of it. I can remember Pat Fleming telling me that a top selling video/DVD might sell 1,000 copies in a year. I suspect Bert Kinnister's videos and DVD's to be among the top sellers of all time. I'm certain he has sold well into the tens of thousands and probably more than 100K in total sales.

I don't mind you quoting me, just get it right.
 
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Advanced in terms of production value, or advanced in terms of instructional material?

In answer to the first possible meaning of your question, yes. My last movie 'Venom Trickhots' was a bit better production wise, although I'm currently working on something *much* larger. I've expanded my crew, have purchased all new equipment, and have learned much in the past year. This new project is on an international scale, and will be filmed in numerous countries. I'll be going public with it in about 4 months. I have zero doubt that it will knock the entire pool world on its ass.

In answer to the second possible meaning of your question, it's another 'yes'. An expert level Mastering Pool DVD is currently in the works, scheduled to be filmed around Christmas. I have to take care of this other new project first...although the delay gives me more time to ensure that the new content will please even the most advanced amateur players.

I bought your Mika Dvds and will probably buy your Venom Trick Shot dvds.

I am a straight pool fanatic and I was wondering if you and Mika ever thought of doing a straight pool instructional. Maybe the market would not be as good. I don't know. Jim Rempe did a couple many years ago and Mike Sigel did some. Grady Mathews did one. Recently John Schmidt and Danny Harriman did some.
 
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