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VHS Collecting: The Modern Relevance of Home Video
VHS. Home video cassette. At one point, nearly the whole world bought and rented tapes. The video store was king. Then, almost overnight, it crumbled. However, you can still find folks buying and collecting old tapes. Is it an obsession? Why do they lust after such an obscure and antiquated format? What was it about the video store and VHS that changed the way we consume entertainment altogether?This book serves as a deep dive into the world of videotape collecting. From the dawn of the video store to the tape hoarders that propagate its continued relevance, VHS collecting is much more meaningful than merely stowing away tapes in a basement!
- GenresNonfiction
194 pages, Paperback
Published September 21, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 25, 2023
A good primer on the hobby, the history of home video, and how to amass a collection cheaply. A lot of the tips here could also apply to a whole host of oft-unwanted items such as records, action figures, video games, and other yard sale mainstays. Gorski does a great job explaining why someone might be interested in hoarding these obsolete plastic rectangles in the first place. (Spoiler: It's not because of the crisp picture clarity.)
For some reason, like many individuals my age, VHS tapes hold vivid early memories for me. Even over 30 years later, I can recite the Nestle Quik and Pizza Hut commercials that played before the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. The image of the monster wearing suspenders on the Ghoulies box art is etched in my brain, and left me with an irrational fear of sitting on a toilet. (It's worth noting that in the movie the suspendered monster never actually emerges from a toilet, nor does it appear in any scene whatsoever. There, I saved you a rental.)
Like many others have expressed, the ritual of going to the video store, walking through the aisles, and picking something out to take home with you is an experience that streaming services simply can't replicate. I was glad to see Blockbuster portrayed in a less than positive light, given they were the deathknell of thousands of small businesses in the 90s. Not everyone is as nostalgic for them as the Netflix documentary would have you believe.
I can hardly recall a time when people weren't practically giving away VHS tapes. It's true; many individuals just want to get rid of them. However, this is also the strength of the hobby. Since enjoying movies is such a ubiquitous thing, nearly every household had them. Ordinary people give them away daily. The advantage is that you don't have to worry about opportunistic resellers snatching up all the good titles at yard sales while you're still in bed. VHS goes mostly unpicked, and the collecting community seems to view browsing eBay as a last resort rather than the de facto market price. That's not to say there aren't 'holy grail' rarities, though in general, VHS collectors don't tend to fetishize the high-dollar items as much as other hobbies.
Yes, "The thrill of the hunt" is the name of the game. There's no apparent money to be made in investing, neither short nor long-term. Those who buy them are genuinely interested in owning them, which is excellent for budget-conscious collectors. Making an in-person purchase at the flea market, face to face with another individual, really feels like you're living in the pre-internet age, when it was normal to carry wads of paper cash in your pocket.
I found the book very practical and thorough. and while as a guide it seemed a little overly horror-focused, that's just the nature of the VHS fandom.
For some reason, like many individuals my age, VHS tapes hold vivid early memories for me. Even over 30 years later, I can recite the Nestle Quik and Pizza Hut commercials that played before the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. The image of the monster wearing suspenders on the Ghoulies box art is etched in my brain, and left me with an irrational fear of sitting on a toilet. (It's worth noting that in the movie the suspendered monster never actually emerges from a toilet, nor does it appear in any scene whatsoever. There, I saved you a rental.)
Like many others have expressed, the ritual of going to the video store, walking through the aisles, and picking something out to take home with you is an experience that streaming services simply can't replicate. I was glad to see Blockbuster portrayed in a less than positive light, given they were the deathknell of thousands of small businesses in the 90s. Not everyone is as nostalgic for them as the Netflix documentary would have you believe.
I can hardly recall a time when people weren't practically giving away VHS tapes. It's true; many individuals just want to get rid of them. However, this is also the strength of the hobby. Since enjoying movies is such a ubiquitous thing, nearly every household had them. Ordinary people give them away daily. The advantage is that you don't have to worry about opportunistic resellers snatching up all the good titles at yard sales while you're still in bed. VHS goes mostly unpicked, and the collecting community seems to view browsing eBay as a last resort rather than the de facto market price. That's not to say there aren't 'holy grail' rarities, though in general, VHS collectors don't tend to fetishize the high-dollar items as much as other hobbies.
Yes, "The thrill of the hunt" is the name of the game. There's no apparent money to be made in investing, neither short nor long-term. Those who buy them are genuinely interested in owning them, which is excellent for budget-conscious collectors. Making an in-person purchase at the flea market, face to face with another individual, really feels like you're living in the pre-internet age, when it was normal to carry wads of paper cash in your pocket.
I found the book very practical and thorough. and while as a guide it seemed a little overly horror-focused, that's just the nature of the VHS fandom.
September 3, 2023
This was “fine”. It didn’t really offer a 40-something film buff like me much new but it does its job.
I’m always forgiving on self-published books when it comes to spelling/grammar issues BUT this book actually credits an editor. Uh, hit F5 on Word, dude.
Also, I don’t get the point of the entire chapter on misogyny and the like in a VHS collecting book. Felt out-of-place.
Other minor quibbles:
-Argento’s Suspiria is misspelled THREE times
-Attack of the Killer Tomatoes is given a 1988 release date. It’s 1977, the sequel Return was 1988
-I take issue with the author stating that The Toxic Avenger was made “bad on purpose” by Lloyd Kaufman and crew. GTFO. Plus, it’s amazing.
Some basic fact checking felt lacking at times.
I’m always forgiving on self-published books when it comes to spelling/grammar issues BUT this book actually credits an editor. Uh, hit F5 on Word, dude.
Also, I don’t get the point of the entire chapter on misogyny and the like in a VHS collecting book. Felt out-of-place.
Other minor quibbles:
-Argento’s Suspiria is misspelled THREE times
-Attack of the Killer Tomatoes is given a 1988 release date. It’s 1977, the sequel Return was 1988
-I take issue with the author stating that The Toxic Avenger was made “bad on purpose” by Lloyd Kaufman and crew. GTFO. Plus, it’s amazing.
Some basic fact checking felt lacking at times.
January 19, 2024
There are some sections of this book that really hit the mark for me - the importance of community in VHS collecting and the magic of video stores. But for a short book, it also felt very long. Not all of the content was relevant to VHS collecting - there was a random chapter on misogyny in horror and some bits seemed to drag on (e.g., descriptions of physical media, repetitive info). Overall, I think the book gives a nice foundation for a new collector or someone interested in learning about VHS.
January 30, 2023
(3.5 rounded up) I thought this was excellent overview of the history of VHS tapes and the current community of VHS collectors. The only thing that knocked it down for me was the author took a short detour in discussing perceptions of misogyny in horror movies in the 80s/90s and patently decided it was not a thing while only addressing number of women/men killed in horror films and that both men and women were shirtless (as if the perception of that in society is equal *eyeroll*)
May 31, 2025
If you're already a capable VHS collector, you're not going to learn anything new from this book. This is definitely aimed at novices to the hobby. It's fine for what it is, but I didn't really take away anything from it.
January 23, 2022
Kinda a junk food read. Was easy and enjoyable. And I learned a few new things. And I just like hearing from other people who share my love and nostalgia for the medium.
October 25, 2022
This is a great book about the history of VHS. I highly reccomend it if you are interested in the medium or you are a tape head!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews