I reckon' its worth a try...seems like a professional outfit.

Samurai Dai

[Link]

On the other hand ( the none sticky one ) the site looks professionally put together as you say . Think I'll wait awhile to hopefully hear some more views .

[Link]

I will suggest that if you're looking at the 4-in-1 DVDs they will obviously have none of the extras that a US-release would have. BUT I can't figure out where their original masters come from - one of the titles in a 4-on-1 dvd is Michael Ninn's Decadence, by VCA, except of course for the fact that this title is not yet available on DVD... so it must have been mastered off a VHS.

I also would not expect to get any of the extras that are standard on US versions of their DVDs, Australian suppliers like this one tend to have licenced titles and produce their own PAL-versions of the overseas DVDs, and it's cheaper and simpler for them to remove everything but the basic feature, which is what they do.

If I had some spare cash I'd test them out myself, but lacking that I'll just have to let others try them out.

cheers,

scipio

Edited by - scipio on 11/4/2003 9:15:08 AM

[Link]

Samurai Dai

[Link]

As I understand the law at the moment, here in Australia, it's technically illegal to retail porn in any of the states. This all comes under state law, and I know this was definately true just a few years ago, although it may possibly have changed recently, at least here in Victoria.

As retailing Adult videos is seen as basically a victimless crime, even by the police forces involved, they very rarely bother to bust the shops that sell them, and so pretty much every adult bookstore will have a selection of videos and DVD, and everyone happily goes on their way. It's been about 6 years since I heard of any shops here in Melb being busted, not that I hear everything that goes on of course, but retailers that get to know you tend to mention things..

HOWEVER, because the whole thing is technically illegal, the retail stores don't advertise (too) openly that they have videos. They may have a sign out the front, but they don't advertise in magazines etc, and besides due to fluctuations in stock and so forth it's hardly practical anyway.

So at least a few years ago, we have a situation where videos are illegal to sell in all of the states, this leaves two places where it's not illegal under state law - the two territories, which have self-government but fall under federal law.

The Northern Territory, is the top middle bit of Australia, and is best known outside of Australia as the place where Ayers Rock, Darwin and Alice Springs are.

The A.C.T. (Australian Capital Territory) is unsurprisingly the place where Canberra, the Nation's Capital city is located. The ACT is a small roundish chunk of southern New South Wales not too far from the Victorian border.

Because the territories fall under Federal Law, they've managed to stay excempt from the State laws forbidding the sale of porn. Because we also constitutionally have free trade between the states and territories, it's perfectly legal to buy porn by mail-order from the ACT while it's illegal to walk down to the corner pornshop and buy the same product.

This turn of events has resulted in pretty much all of the Australian porn mail-order businesses being located in a couple of suburbs in Canberra, namely Fishwyck/Fyshwick(sp?) and (I think) Belconnen. Except for a brief stint several years ago when AXIS moved to Darwin for a few years because there was some tax of levy issue they wanted to avoid in the ACT, they're all there.

Even if the laws in the states have changed (and I don't think they have) the mail-order businesses are all set up in the ACT and have been there for many years, so I don't see them moving in a hurry...

As an interesting side note, Prostitution is also legal in the ACT, and Marijuana use is decriminalised (though not technically legal).

Coincidence that this place of porn, prostitution and decriminalised drug use is also the nation's capital and full of politicians?

As a couple of side notes:

It's not illegal to import adult Videos or DVDs for personal use, although I've heard of some archaic sub-law that places a maximum number to legally own of 15 per person.

An unrelated but interesting archaic law states that Australians may not have their hand or feet tattooed as they are the property of the Queen!

Adult video rental is illegal in most if not all states of Australia. Not sure about the territories.

Most adult video stores have an "exchange" system where when you return a video or DVD, you pay an "exchange fee" (usually about 50%) to swap the tape or video for another.

Videos cost anywhere between au$10-30 to buy and piracy/pirated tapes at retail is rampant. Hard to tell oftentimes since the local distributors often do a poor job and everything gets converted to PAL, so colour printed/photocopied slicks are the norm. Mail order would probably be more "reputable".

DVDs generally cost au$55-60 for new, original NTSC discs, with little/no distinction between various manufacturers (ie Metro will sell for the same au$60 as EA) EE sometimes goes for up to au$75 because of the 2-discs, though the same chain has had them for au$55. Virtual Sex titles usually sell for a bit more, and $75 is a common price for a "My Plaything". Lots comes down to individual store managers. I've noticed a LOT of pirated discs showing up lately, ranging in price from au$20 in a "specials" rack to sitting alongside original product for the same au$60. The most pirated studios I've noticed are RLD, Ana/Diabolic, ZT, Studio A, PXP. These are not locally-released versions but "proper" pirated ones.

Any legal/licenced PAL versions of overseas DVDs will have the extras stripped out of them, this goes especially for Private and EA, but also VCA etc. The Privates still sell for au$60 by mail-order but other companies product is usually au$35 or so but some titles can usually be found cheaper. (Since they manufacture their own product).

In New Zealand, I found that DVD purchase prices ranged from about nz$75-nz$110, yet the same shops would rent them to you for a few dollars. In that situation I can't see how anyone would purchase. At least at retail.

Sorry for the long post, and I know it deals with a lot more then you asked, but hell I thought I may as well write it all up.

cheers,

scipio

Edited by - scipio on 11/5/2003 8:21:42 AM

[Link]

OK , it's confession time here . I'm afraid the siren call of Angelica Bella was too much to resist . I gave in and placed an order with them , this seemed less risky after hearing the advice here . Unfortunately there has been a little snag in proceedings . They won't/can't ship to Britain .

Here's the story . After placing my order I received an immediate automated response thanking me and saying that they would contact me again to verify .... ah I'll just show you -

If anyone is interested the disc I was looking at purchasing was Dreams of Anal & House of Sex (code: M2423). It seems I'll have to look elsewhere , maybe that Czech site .

[Link]

Edited by - focusyn on 11/5/2003 3:22:24 PM

[Link]

so I could probably get money off you, get it from them, and send it to you, but international arrival times are godonlyknowswhen for stuff sent at the end of Nov/start of Dec and I won't be around for some time after that to help track down the parcel if it were to go missing, etc..

scipio

[Link]