Let's Get Physical! - Collecting Physical Media

“A computer does not smell… if a book is new, it smells great. If a book is old, it smells even better… And it stays with you forever. But the computer doesn’t do that for you. I’m sorry.”

- Ray Bradbury

I was fortunate enough to grow up in a time when everything didn’t completely suck.

That’s right, the 1980’s.

Sure it was an endless parade of dancing cartoon characters selling products, marketing gimmicks to create “must have” fads and fashions, and cereals that would rot your little teeth out, but it was also the culmination of all things cool happening at once.

The previous decades still had a lot to offer in terms of “collector mania”, not the least of which being that so much music, books, comic books, and toys were now entering the second hand “thrift” markets of the era, and fan conventions were beginning to sprout up (I’m looking at you, Star Trek).

Yes, there was something special about the ‘80’s, where all things pop culture, even from previous decades, began merging into this spectacular singularity, appealing to kids and adults alike. This whirlwind synergy carried over well into the 90’s.

Of course, it's easy to be cynical. To think that the real dynamic force which energized the crazes of that generation were carefully crafted corporate marketing ploys and television advertisements always working to manufacture “the next big thing”.

However, looking back, it’s hard not to consider it an era of simplistic innocence and grassroots success stories. A place where the arrival of VHS tapes transformed the entire market place, allowing independent filmmakers to thrive, while music traded off to the much cheaper and easily affordable cassette format. Disposable income was up, as was the ability to mass manufacture in demand products.

The collector bug hit me as a child, and I learned to take care of my toys, as well as my ever expanding comic book collection. My room was then, and is still, a bit of a "museum".

Now, as an adult in this age of instantaneous downloads and endless streaming services, it’s easy to get consumed by consumerism. The nature of the beast arrives in the garb of algorithms and targeted product placement, easy to subscribe to, but harder to cancel.

“We see you enjoyed X, so we suggest you watch or listen to Y.”

You can’t mention out loud that you might want Subway for lunch, without an ad for Subway mysteriously popping up in your news feed within the hour. There has been more than one occasion that by simply walking into a store, a promotion for the business, or a particular product within that establishment, sends me an alert.

However, this article isn’t about nostalgia, toys, or the ever increasing dystopian reality of advanced business models. It’s about preserving physical media in an era when everything is becoming: “with the push of a button”.

In particular, I’m talking about books, films, and music.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a purist. I’m an avid book collector, who, while preferring physical copies, will just as easily jump from audio, to digital, to PDF downloads. I love books and will wholeheartedly endorse literacy and reading in whatever format they might be available.

When an estimated 54% of Americans are considered functionally illiterate, it’s unwise to ridicule the many options for consumption on the marketplace. But it’s something intangible that we will never actually “own”, all while fewer and fewer physical printings and pressings are readily available to the general public.

Even our old friend, the true and trusty paperback book has now been put on the chopping block, with most publishers phasing out the format for more deluxe and prestige editions, with greater profit margin. That’s right, paperback books are being taken off the market, while retailers will no longer be selling them on the racks.

The price of new releases are going up across the board, from softcover to hardcover, and every format in between.

In this way, physical media is becoming more difficult to come by, and for the average person to stay current with their favorite authors. Increased prices may also stifle the emergence of new voices, with less readers taking chances on up-and-coming authors.

Now, more than ever, it’s important to support your independent book stores, and those dealing with the preservation of vintage publications and ephemera. By doing so, we serve as custodians in a long history of print, and the promotion of education and literacy.

Who knows, in ten years books might only be released as holograms!

In the meantime, make sure your own library is well stocked!

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Mad Mike Mandrake runs the Horror to Culture website, is the host of the Insane Signals podcast and video variety show, and Editorial Director at House of Scream online magazine.