I always resort to DVDs, CDs and game discs when I don’t have a signal, but I always forget physical media’s significance. Buying movies and games digitally became convenient and almost so familiar to a point where I stopped subconsciously considering owning physical copies. But having media that doesn’t rely on the internet has become an important part of my life. 

Collecting DVDs, vinyls and cassette tapes has become a comforting interest of mine because I never know what could happen to my online purchases. I treat these purchases with the intention of keeping them forever, considering the majority of the old movies and albums I find aren’t so easy to find anymore. Collecting the albums on vinyl or CD has become a fun way to support my favorite artists. Whether I’m exploring record stores with friends or scouring eBay, the search is worth it every time. 

I remember feeling so upset and surprised seeing them close down the GameStop near my house, even though I could buy all the games online. Since then, I’ve been trying to understand why it bothered me so much. The same goes for stores like Blockbuster closing down. 

For the past three years, I have gotten more into collecting vinyl and specifically shopping at record stores. Even going alone is a fun experience. With vinyls being mostly expensive, I don’t go often, but when I do, I make the most of looking for many of the albums I love, and the feeling of finding one is unbeatable because I know I’ll have it forever if kept nice. 

The overall atmosphere in record stores, Game Stops and Blockbusters is unique to those stores and something that I hope to never fully lose. I was talking to my brother about DVDs because we were going through our family collection, and we found so many Redboxes we had because we forgot to turn them back to the machine years ago. I started thinking about the fact that I haven’t shopped from a Redbox in forever. I remembered the excitement in seeing it have a movie or a video game I’d been wanting to watch or play. 

Ultimately, I hope I keep this passion for keeping physical media and share it with others, even if it’s just for the sentimental aspect.