At first, comedian Travis J. Reyes only planned to buy a few VHS tapes of some of his favorite horror movies — The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Dead Alive, Shivers and Videodrome. Then, things got out of hand.
After just a year, the Warren High School graduate had amassed a collection of 350 VHS movies. They now take up two large shelves in a spare bedroom — something like a personal Blockbuster store from the early '90s. Reyes jokes online that he gave up heroin and alcohol to have money for his new addiction. He has a good reason why he's developed a soft spot for the old-school media.
"What I like about VHS movies are just the security of them," Reyes said. "As long as they hold up, I'll always have them. I won't have to worry about the rights being pulled from Hulu or that a studio will decide it's not worth producing anymore. To me, it's the purest way to collect movies."
For San Antonio resident and Kings of Horror event coordinator Angel Castorena, collecting VHS comes down to one thing: nostalgia.
"I collect a lot of stuff I grew up watching like Little Giants and The Sandlot," Castorena said. "I remember when Killer Klowns [from Outer Space] came out. The bulk of my collection is my childhood."
Today, 4K Ultra HD Blu-Rays are at the top of the physical media totem pole, but plenty of purists still prefer to seek out chunky VHS box sets. Last year in Dallas, a sealed copy of the 1986 film Back to the Future sold at auction for $75,000. Many cinephiles wonder if VHS movies are destined to become as popular as vinyl records, another old-school media that made a comeback.
In San Antonio, VHS aficionados have few options when looking to expand their collections. Even so, there are a handful of brick-and-mortar stores catering to their videotape habits. Here's a rundown of local options if someone on your holiday list covets a copy of Critters.
GG's Emporium
Owned by Evelyn and Ty Menchaca, this pop culture shop opened in 2017 and sells tons of vintage toys. They also have VHS movies — from "Disney kid stuff to obscure horror," according to Ty, who adds that customers come into the store for the "nostalgia and simplicity" of videotape. Plus, a lot of the lesser-known titles haven't made it to digital forms yet, so VHS is literally the only way it can be seen. One VHS movie Ty has at the shop but has deemed off limits to customers: John Carpenter's 1979 biopic Elvis starring Kurt Russell as the King of Rock 'n' Roll. 1716 Blanco Road, (210) 239-5585, ggs-emporium.com.
Monsters & Mayhem
Rock 'n' roll and horror shop owner Cynthia Moreno sells apparel, toys and lots of VHS movies at her spot inside Wonderland of the Americas Mall. Kings of Horror's Castorena, who serves as the store's curator, doesn't care that VHS tapes don't provide a high-quality picture like a Blu-Ray. "The graininess feels comforting," he said. "It's hard to explain sometimes, but it's like listening to an album." VHS tapes currently in the store include the horror classics Halloween, The Shining, Evil Dead, A Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th. 4522 Fredericksburg Road, instagram.com/monstersandmayhemtx
Galactic Books, Movies & More
VHS stock rotates through this collectibles shop on a regular basis. Owner Cynthia Farnsworth pays cash or offers store credit for VHS tapes, which helps explain why she has more than 4,000 movies in her inventory. The shop inside Wonderland of the Americas Mall even boasts a section dedicated to Alfred Hitchcock with titles including the suspense maestro's Suspicion, Spellbound, The Birds, Family Plot and Torn Curtain. Galactic also sells working VCRs along with books, magazines, handmade magnets, bookmarks, matted prints and more. 4522 Fredericksburg Road, (210) 812-7213, instagram.com/_galactic.popshop.
Thrift Stores and Flea Markets
If you've ever scoured for bargains at San Antonio thrift stores or flea markets, there's a good chance you have seen old VHS tapes among the merchandise. Sometimes, a cinematic gem will be hiding behind an oversized teddy bear or inside a broken crockpot. Others, the only tapes for sale will be Jane Fonda exercise videos from the '80s. Happy hunting.
The Internet
Websites such as Facebook Marketplace and apps including OfferUp can help you connect with local sellers looking to offload their VHS tapes. While some will only sell their videos as an entire lot, others are happy to let them go one by one. It's up to each buyer to decide whether it's worth driving to Stone Oak for a tattered $2 copy of Batman Forever.
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