When I mentioned to some people that I was going to start collecting VHS tapes again, I received some derisive comments. Some merely said that they had no interest in going back to collecting videotapes. A couple of people actually ridiculed me.
Who cares? Collectors are all crazy anyway. Why is collecting old tapes more preposterous than paying three hundred dollars for a book that will never be read? Or coveting old postage? It's all relative.
What did surprise me is how hard it was going to be. Oh, there are plenty of tapes out there in the thrift stores. Stuff from the 90's and 00 decade. TONS of it. Collectors are not interested in that stuff. Regardless of how good the movies may be. There are scores of Pulp Fiction tapes everywhere. Jaws. Forrest Gump. Saving Private Ryan. And I swear that copies of Jerry McGuire actually seem to be reproducing themselves.
No, collectors want old stuff. Early tapes. Action. Horror. Sexploitation. Raunchy comedy.
Those old tapes are so fucking cool. It was a common practice in the first years of VHS to have illustrated covers. The art might not have been exactly museum pieces in most cases, but it gave the movies a special feel.
The importance of collecting those old tapes is palpable. Many of the old movies are being lost. Dozens and dozens of old movies have never been released on DVD. Some turn up on You Tube now and then, but who the hell knows? You Tube might not be here forever, and they might get to the point where they are eliminating a lot of old stuff that has limited appeal to the masses.
I'm not sure if collectors have grabbed up all the cool old tapes, or if the thrift stores just chuck 'em, thinking that no one would want that cheesy old stuff. Probably a little bit of both.
I found a handful of cool old tapes this weekend at a library sale. It's not a lot of movies, but it is a start. I haven't been doing a whole lot of searching in the last couple of months, because I have been unemployed. I start my new job tomorrow, and I hope to get more serious about it in days to come.
Who cares? Collectors are all crazy anyway. Why is collecting old tapes more preposterous than paying three hundred dollars for a book that will never be read? Or coveting old postage? It's all relative.
What did surprise me is how hard it was going to be. Oh, there are plenty of tapes out there in the thrift stores. Stuff from the 90's and 00 decade. TONS of it. Collectors are not interested in that stuff. Regardless of how good the movies may be. There are scores of Pulp Fiction tapes everywhere. Jaws. Forrest Gump. Saving Private Ryan. And I swear that copies of Jerry McGuire actually seem to be reproducing themselves.
No, collectors want old stuff. Early tapes. Action. Horror. Sexploitation. Raunchy comedy.
Those old tapes are so fucking cool. It was a common practice in the first years of VHS to have illustrated covers. The art might not have been exactly museum pieces in most cases, but it gave the movies a special feel.The importance of collecting those old tapes is palpable. Many of the old movies are being lost. Dozens and dozens of old movies have never been released on DVD. Some turn up on You Tube now and then, but who the hell knows? You Tube might not be here forever, and they might get to the point where they are eliminating a lot of old stuff that has limited appeal to the masses.
I'm not sure if collectors have grabbed up all the cool old tapes, or if the thrift stores just chuck 'em, thinking that no one would want that cheesy old stuff. Probably a little bit of both.
I found a handful of cool old tapes this weekend at a library sale. It's not a lot of movies, but it is a start. I haven't been doing a whole lot of searching in the last couple of months, because I have been unemployed. I start my new job tomorrow, and I hope to get more serious about it in days to come.
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