With the chaos of daily life, many are turning to nostalgia to provide a sense of comfort and stability. For some it is old school video games or vintage toys but for myself and many others it is VHS. Most do not consider the visual quality of VHS to be the “best”. Although I would argue that the vibe VHS provides is hard to beat. I primarily thrift my VHS in person, but sometimes I have to turn to online options to find what I am looking for. Here is a list of online small business that offer secondhand VHS.
Retrospekt is a small business with a goal of restoring vintage electronics. Over time they expanded to include selling many forms of vintage physical media including VHS. Retrospekt offers a considerable selection of secondhand VHS from many genres. In addition, they offer blank tapes for those who wish to learn how to record or transfer media yourself.
Whammy! is a movie and music store based in Los Angeles, California. For those of us that are not local, they have a website that offers a considerable selection of secondhand VHS.
Nostalgia Video offers a substantial selection of VHS separated by genre. In addition, they offer genre stickers in bulk. These can be added to your VHS tapes to add that nostalgic video store flair to your personal collection.
Thrifted Horror got its start Halloween of 2021. Their goal being to offer a selection of secondhand goods from the horror genre. Horror is generally the most sought-after genre of VHS which can make it difficult to find locally. This is why Thrifted Horror’s website is a dream for horror fans. They offer a great selection of secondhand horror VHS spanning the 80s-2000s.
Orbit is a movie store located in Asheville, North Carolina. They began like many movie stores as a rental place. As the times changed, they evolved to stay relevant. Rentals are still available, but they have expanded to selling many forms of physical media. For those of us that are not local, they offer a website. Where you can find not only new physical media, but also a great selection of secondhand VHS.
Lastly, I wanted to add that prices will vary when buying online. If a price is higher than what you are willing to pay at one place, take a moment to check out other options. If you are patient a good deal will come eventually.
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Over the years, movies have given me room to express myself and have helped me to find community. Currently I find myself watching primarily horror/thrillers (David Cronenberg and David Lynch have my heart) but I also love Studio Ghibli and have a special place in my heart for Star Wars and the MCU. When I’m not watching movies, I’m either thrifting physical media, adding to my Scarlet Witch collection or working my retail job.
My Favorite Movies: The Mummy (1999), Clue, Howl’s Moving Castle, IT (1990), and Mamma Mia