You guys think there's a market for VHS & VCR's in the near future?

[palitoy]

Like to point something out here, ten years I had a copy of this movie "Blood Moon" starring Paul Naschy in this clamshell case. I loved it but in a moment of weakness sold it on ebay for $25. I've regretted that ever since, you can get the movie on DVD but I really wanted it back. Saw this on ebay this week and hoped to throw a bid, nope!

http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=4&pub=5574962988&toolid=10001&campid=5336850443&customid=&mpre=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fitm%2F251130780808%3FssPageName%3DSTRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT%26_trksid%3Dp3984.m1438.l2649

I'm friends with a guy ten years my junior who collects VHS horror, he's set up a facebook group that is thriving. There will always be some demand for this stuff.

[ctc]

>When you see how much LP's are coming back, I see no reason why the VHS format may not find it's audience as well.

Well.... LP's have a different sound than completely digital recordings. (It's 'cos of the player more than the album, but you still need the vinyl.) For movies there's nothing you can do on tape that can't be reproduced.... better, as digital. Hence why I think VHS is dead. Hell; DISKS are as good as dead, they just don't know it yet. Downloads are the future.

>I'm friends with a guy ten years my junior who collects VHS horror, he's set up a facebook group that is thriving.

I've seen a few groups like that, but they're in love with the material, not the format generally. VHS is kept because there's a lot of stuff not available digitally. A lot of the hardcores will upgrade when commercial disks become available (studio disks are a LOT more durable than VHS) or they do transfers themselves.

Don C.

[palitoy]

I've seen a few groups like that, but they're in love with the material, not the format generally. VHS is kept because there's a lot of stuff not available digitally. A lot of the hardcores will upgrade when commercial disks become available (studio disks are a LOT more durable than VHS) or they do transfers themselves.

Don C.

No, that would be incorrect. They are in love with the format. The movies they buy, are readily available on DVD but their love is the VHS packaging.

[cjefferys]

Yeah, there are many collectors who go nuts over the wonderful packaging of lots of those 80's genre VHS releases (there have even been books published celebrating the box art of such VHS tapes). I visit a movie forum where some of those collectors post, and have learned about some extremely rare VHS tapes that can go for hundreds of dollars (maybe not Mego money, but it shows that certainly not all VHS tapes are "worthless")

[alex]

I think the pain of VHS or just normal cassettes, was the constant winding to a given scene or song. I seriously cant see people wanting to go back to that. DVD's will be obselete soon.

[Peter Panda]

No, that would be incorrect. They are in love with the format. The movies they buy, are readily available on DVD but their love is the VHS packaging.

Your right on this one...I went to a show last weekend where one dealer had a huge booth called VHSPS which was the vhs preservation society where all of their dvd's were VHS transfers from VHS tapes so that you could actually watch the film in VHS quality.....that does seem really weird to me since im not sure why anyone would want to do that,but its true....some people are in love with the format....although i do believe nostalgia plays a big role in that!

[palitoy]

The people I know make "Fantasy Clamshells" too, VHS customs.

As well, some company has started releasing sets for Horror films that include the film both on DVD and VHS.

[Brazoo]

Yeah - a lot of horror movie VHS covers were absolutely brilliant and most DVD covers are boring and cheap. I remember being a kid and just being absolutely mesmerized by the art on horror movies in the rental store.

I could also see that the grainier quality and loss of resolution could actually help horror movies in a few ways. I think it can help mask cheap effects, and more importantly I think it might even add to the eerie atmosphere.

On the flip side, if the movie is being watched because it's cheesy the quality loss could help make the experience more authentically cheesy - if that makes sense. In any case, I think that's why I think VHS makes sense particularly for horror movies.

Unlike vinyl I don't see a "comeback" happening in the form of studios starting to release VHS tapes again though, unless it's an indie company doing a collector's market thing.

[cjefferys]

The people I know make "Fantasy Clamshells" too, VHS customs.

Oh man, I used to do that with the "grey market" videos in my collection. I always liked having some kind of box art for the movies in my collection, so sometimes I had to mock up my own clamshell art, with the help of color copies of any foreign video release box art I could find. It was fun actually, and not as easy as it would be today with all the computer help you can get now. Some grey market video companies of the day, like Lumious, made their own art work for the videos they sold too. Hey, it beat using the boring,plain boxes that the blank tapes came in.

[palitoy]

I did this too with photocopies mostly and colored paper. I'm still proud of some of the designs I did in "bootleg VHS dealer" days. All done without a computer.

[toys2cool]

Yea I wasn't saying making comeback to compete with dvd's or now digital downloads...I meant more of a collecting comeback..and like some of you pointed there's a small market but there is one
thanx guys

[cjefferys]

I did this too with photocopies mostly and colored paper. I'm still proud of some of the designs I did in "bootleg VHS dealer" days. All done without a computer.

Cool, did you sell them at shows back in the day? I remember trading covers (as well as videos) with a guy I knew who owned a video store in Buffalo. He also traded with the guy who owned one of those cool video stores on Queen St in Toronto (Queen Video maybe?), and I think a couple of my covers ended up in his stock up there.

[ctc]

>They are in love with the format.

Really?!?! Holee Smokes, I've never heard of that!

>The movies they buy, are readily available on DVD but their love is the VHS packaging.

Okay, THAT I can see. THat was a gripe with CDs WAAAAYYYYYY back in the day: they're so small you can't see the box art.

Don C.

[Figuremod73]

I started collecting LP's for the covers a couple of years ago. I had forgotten just how good records sounded and for less than $3 buck usually it ends up being a pretty good deal. Its a quick way to build a music library to if you convert them to digital.

I havent done it in awhile, but VHS is a good way to get a movie collection going to. I think the last time I checked you can get them 25 cents a piece at one place in the flea. I think the bargain bin price is probably the appeal in the short term of them. Once dvd releases of certain films get harder to find in the coming years (and digital copies arent available) I can see VHS copies becoming desirable on certain movies as well, if for nothing eles, at least as a alternative.

The only copy I have of Jason and the Arganauts is on VHS and when I want to see it its at least there. I could care less what format its on when im wanting to watch it bad enough. I still need to get a dvd of it someday...

[palitoy]

Cool, did you sell them at shows back in the day? I remember trading covers (as well as videos) with a guy I knew who owned a video store in Buffalo. He also traded with the guy who owned one of those cool video stores on Queen St in Toronto (Queen Video maybe?), and I think a couple of my covers ended up in his stock up there.

A few of my "works of art" were in Suspect video back in the day.