My love for collecting DVDs

By Owen Glancy

Editorial Staff

Courtesy of Owen Glancy

Of the many things people collect, DVDs and Blu-rays have slowly become one of the most popular. With the rise in frustration with streaming services and the abundance of companies pandering toward nostalgia, old technology has suddenly found itself in very high demand. 

From the return of vinyl records and CDs to the Pokémon card boom, people are getting back into collecting the things that were popular when they were younger. 

Of these many things, DVDs and Blu-rays were what I chose to collect.

It started when I was in seventh grade at my grandma’s house where I first watched the 1989 “Batman.” I fell in love with it and thought to myself, “I need to be able to watch this at home.” So using my meager allowance, I went to Barnes & Noble later that day and bought the DVD for the film, marking the first DVD I ever purchased with my own money. Little did I know that one purchase would lead to hundreds more. 

Collecting anything always starts small and inexpensive - one item here and there - but it quickly grows far out of proportion. For me personally, space has become a thing of the past as the DVDs and Blu-rays have taken over bigger and bigger shelves. However, I welcome that loss of space if it means owning so many incredible works of art, and also “The Boss Baby.”

However, the biggest question I receive is not, “Wow that’s so cool, how many do you have?” It’s “Oh my God, why are you doing this?” The answer is simple, because I love art and want to truly own it. 

It seems like every day more and more films, TV shows, and mini-series are being taken off streaming services, especially those that are more obscure or older. While services like Mubi and The Criterion Channel are rare exceptions to this, most of these platforms put original programming first and only have small handfuls of classic or more artistic works. 

It was this lack of availability and necessity to have multiple streaming services to watch all sorts of classic films that led me to collect DVDs and Blu-rays, but it’s since grown beyond that. 

Seeing a shelf full of DVDs and Blu-rays brings a level of satisfaction that’s hard to truly describe. It’s the ultimate form of self-expression, and the titles I choose to collect say a lot about me. 

I tend to focus on classic cinema and anime when I collect, as seen in my abundant collection of Criterion films and in the multiple anime series scattered throughout. However, in my collection, I also have films I hate such as "Leprechaun,” “The Boss Baby,” and "Labyrinth,” but that doesn’t mean those are exceptions to the rule. I wanted to own certain films that I hate because I hate them. 

It’s important to expand your tastes by exposing yourself to films you don’t like, and I wanted to reflect that in my collection. 

This philosophy behind my collecting has led to quite a few instances of people expressing interest in wanting to collect themselves, which is always great, but it’s important to have your own reason for collecting. 

Trying to emulate the collection of a friend, family member, or someone you saw online can be a good way to start, but ultimately you should collect for your own, more personal reasons! 

Collecting is such a rewarding hobby that can give more meaning to purchases than simply buying stuff you need to live, as well as being a physical manifestation of your passions, and DVDs and Blu-rays are just a small part of that!

Pursue your passions, for whatever reason you want, and don’t be afraid to share them with others!