The journey of understanding exactly what YOU want, then the ongoing battle of trying to find it when you do.
HELLO!!! I’m currently writing this at like seven in the morning and my tv is on the Nintendo of America YouTube channel as I wait for the switch 2 direct to start (I’m two hours early). BUT, that’s not what I’m here to talk about today.
PHYSICAL MEDIA
I’ve been big into physical media lately. Well, I’ve always have been kinda, but more recently, I’ve been more proactive in seeking it out and purchasing my media physically.
It’s been so frustrating not having access to movies and tv shows that I love just because I don’t have the right streaming service during the right month. Worst case? It’s not on streaming at all. Then you have video games that may not release a physical version at all. To me, it’s an unfair thing. To have paid for something, yet not to actually own it.
I was explaining to my mom recently about how important it is for us to actually start buying the physical copies of the things that we enjoy. Sure, it’s convenient to buy things digitally and obviously it’s less things taking up space in the home, but what happens if a company like Amazon or Steam goes down or changes their policy? Heck, what will you do if you can’t have internet service? What can we do to protect or even access our digital copies of things?
Not much really. Which is why I’m encouraging not only myself, but anyone else who’ll listen to me to start buying more physical media.
I want to make it clear that I’m not saying to buy every single thing. Just the things you love y’know? The games you’ll keep playing, the movies that always gets rewatched, the music you can’t stop playing.
Where and How to Look?
I think it’s been a worthwhile experience, building up my physical collection. To take the time to narrow down the things I want- my personal wish list of sorts- and to seek them out wherever I can 1. find it and/or 2. get it the cheapest price for the best condition. It’s a slow process!
Sometimes, things will get added or removed from list depending on my desire for an item; and other times, sourcing an item I want is a lot tougher than I expected it would be. It takes so much time, but I personally feel that the wait and the patience it all worth it when you find and finally own that vinyl, book, DVD, etc. that you’ve been searching for.
Thrift stores are an obvious goldmine. I think at this point in time, that saying “I found this at a thrift shop” is more common than not for people. But, it is a tried and true method. However, I’d also recommend other sources to help you kickstart your collection, that have worked really well for me!
Where to Search:
–Mercari *a website* (good for manga and video games)
–Local Comic and Record stores (check discount bins and preowned sections)
–Half Price Books *website and store* (Check periodically, selection changes often)
Some things are easier to get ahold of! New releases for games, movies, books, music can almost always be found at nearby stores and online retailers. Though, you’d be paying the initial full price for it, instead of a typical -though not guaranteed- discounted price for older media. You can always take the chance to wait, but there’s no promise that whatever you’re wanting to buy will still be available when you finally decide you want it for your collection (totally speaking from experience here </3).
Other items are harder to come by. Especially the older, vintage items. That’s where the real searching begins. You may find yourself looking for weeks, months for a listing that feels legit. These things take time, so don’t get discouraged too easily.
Sometimes you may find exactly what you’re looking for, but it may not be in “mint condition”. Often, it becomes a matter of pros and cons of what you’re willing to compromise on in terms of quality -which truly depends on the person. You may not mind dog-eared pages in a book or a small stain on the cover, but someone else might refuse to have anything less than pristine condition. These factors will also play a part in your ability to get a copy of whatever you’re searching for.
Of course, the more you get into things, it becomes easier to pinpoint what works for you and where are the best places for you to look for things. Remember to trust the process and to stay open minded about your options!
Get Into It
Now that you’re ready to start collecting, think about the things you want.
Jot. Them. Down.
I have both a list on my phone and in my journal. They don’t necessarily contain the same things, but between the two, I have most of what I want noted down.
Then do a short and quick cursory search for them online. This give me a good idea of a price range and also the potential work it’ll take to find the item I’m looking for. Are there many listings? It may be easy to get a copy. Are you on page 3 or 4 of your 5th Google Search? Well… good luck to you friend, I’m rooting that you will find it somehow.
Big thing to remember: You don’t have to get everything immediately nor do you need to get everything all at once.
Be mindful of your situation, of your space and of your time. This isn’t a race, and delayed gratification is your friend. Maybe keep one or two items at the forefront of your mind that you’re actively searching for, while keeping yourself open to other things while you’re out and about.
Refer to your list.
It’s totally fine to see something that you want that may not be on your list. It happens! Whether it’s an album you loved but totally forgot about, or that childhood series on DVD that you didn’t know you needed (I’m so upset, even months later, that I didn’t pick up this Thundercats full DVD set that I saw at Half Price Books), you may stumble on something you really want to get. So get it!! BUT, once again take some time to think, if it’s something that you want because you genuinely want it for yourself, or if you want it because it’s there and available.
I made this mistake A LOT when I first started collecting manga. Just picking up random volumes of random series that I didn’t actually care too much about. But hey! It’s for my collection right? WRONG!!! It’s a waste! Not only of my money, but of the limited space I have. It’s important to distinguish between the things you actually want for your collection to build something authentic to YOU. That’s why having a list is a good starting point! Once you have a few items you know you definitively want, it makes it a little but easier to avoid random impulse buys.
Decisions… Decisions…
Figuring out what you want to collect is the biggest step here. This can be as broad as choosing the type of media you want (vinyls, books, games, etc.), to something way more specific like an art book from the 60s. What are you interested in? More of a gamer? Maybe you’re a huge manga nerd! Ans maybe you want to collect some of everything! The ball is really in your court.
Though, depending on what you decide, there are many things to consider before you get started. Storage and care are the things I find to be the most important to think about. But here are some potential questions consider before diving straight in:
“Do I have the shelving to store any new books?”
“Do I have a good place to put my vinyl records so they don’t get damage?” “Do I even have a good player?”
“Does my DVD and VHS player still work after years of no use?” “Will it connect to my smart tv or do I need new cords?”
You may have to do some extra planning, shopping, and/or troubleshooting before (or as) you start bring stuff home. I’d imagine that the things you want are things you’d still want to consume, so it’s important to keep everything in as best condition as possible!
From there, the world is open. Enjoy the process, it’s meant to be fun! Your very own, personalized treasure hunt. It’s not something that’s gonna happen overnight, or even in a couple months. But, that satisfaction of finding an item you’ve been searching high and low for, to watch as your collection grows into something beautiful, that makes every second worth it.
This is something truly unique to you. It shows your history, your interests and culture. Nobody is gonna have the exact same collection as you, maybe something similar, but never 100%. So go out and find those obscure magazines, your childhood cartoons and create a collection that you can be proud of!
I hope that this was a nice read. Whether you’re building your physical media collection or considering starting one. And if you have any of your own tips for sourcing things for your media collection please drop them in the comments. Teach me some new things!
Sundai Paper 
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