Asterisk Video: VHS Collecting, Physical Media & the Collector Community

On this episode of The Physical Cut, Krloz sits down with Matt from Asterisk Video, a small physical media business based in West Virginia that grew out of Matt and his wife's own collecting habits.

What started with trying to downsize duplicate VHS tapes eventually became a business built around hunting, restoring, cleaning, testing and selling physical media at events across the country. Matt talks about what it actually takes to source vintage VHS tapes and other physical media, and why the work behind the table is often much more complicated than collectors realize.

The conversation also dives into the current state of VHS collecting, the rise of younger collectors discovering the format, collecting for nostalgia versus aesthetics, horror's relationship with physical media, boutique labels and artwork, and where Matt thinks the physical media market is heading.

And because no episode with a VHS collector would be complete without it, Matt shares the story of the time his rental copy of Scream broke at the worst possible moment.

In This Episode

• How Asterisk Video grew from downsizing a personal collection into a physical media business
• Building a business around VHS, DVDs, Blu-rays, 4Ks and other physical media
• Hunting for inventory through flea markets, yard sales, thrift stores and collections
• The work involved in cleaning, repairing, testing and restoring VHS tapes
• Why horror collectors have become such a major part of the physical media community
• The new generation of VHS collectors and the appeal of the format
• Nostalgia vs. collecting for aesthetics
• Why movie artwork can be just as important as the movie itself
• Original artwork, boutique labels and the debate over new cover designs
• What collectors often misunderstand about the physical media community
• The emotional stories and memories behind people's collections
• Rewind Rolodex and resources for VHS collectors
• Where Matt sees the future of physical media heading
• Advice for anyone starting a physical media collection
• Scream at 30: Matt's unforgettable story about renting Scream on VHS

Follow Asterisk Video on Instagram and Facebook to keep up with their inventory, upcoming events and latest finds.

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