When I went in to Excel Pawn in Maplewood recently to check its gold prices, I stopped for a few moments to check out the DVD selection, which I thought was quite diverse for a pawn shop. Prices were about $3 to $6 per DVD, which wasn't bad. But earlier this week Patrick Doolittle, Excel's general manager, called to tell me that Excel is lowering the price of all DVDs to $3. The exception is the boxed set, which range to $10 to $15 for a season of "Friends," for example.

I can't say I shop around extensively for used DVDs, but this price seems good to me. Excel has about 2,000 DVDs per store so the selection is decent.

Excel is also sweetening the deal. For an extra buck, DVD buyers can exchange an unlimited number of titles for up to 30 days. In other words, you pay $3 plus an extra $1 for for Watchmen, go back two days later and turn it in for Soloist, then Star Trek, Ugly Truth, Pelham 123, and Ice Age. On day 30 you return Ice Age in exchange for X-Men Origins: Wolverine. That's the one you keep. In 30 days you watched 7 movies for $4.

Why does Excel do it? To keep you coming back into the store, hoping you'll buy something else. The same reason that Rainbow is selling turkeys for 37 cents a pound with a coupon until the day before Thanksgiving.

Anyone know of any other local sources charging less than $3 on a regular basis?