If we were to step into my magical, stylish, time traveling DeLorean and go back to the year 1989, a few things would be very apparent as soon as we stepped out of the car. Texting, let alone social media, was not yet a thing, the World Wide Web was just created that same year (and still in its infancy), and a movie rental store was readily available in every town and city in America. It is the last point I wish to focus on. By 1989, there were close to 30,000 movie rental stores operating in the United States alone. Most of those stores were part of mega chains like Hollywood Video and Blockbuster Video that would dominate the home movie rental market for almost the next two decades. Few could have predicted the sad demise of the neighborhood movie rental store back then. Regardless, as to whether or not you lived in a bustling metropolis or a rural area, the local movie rental shop was the pulse of the neighborhood on any Friday or Saturday night. I fondly remember my local Blockbuster Video being one of the busiest places at 7 p.m. on a Saturday night. And to anyone who grew up in the 1980s, 1990s or even the very early 2000s, movie rental stores and the experiences they brought us are embedded in our memories. With Netflix coming into the marketplace in 1997 offering DVD movie rentals by mail with no late fees and free shipping, slowly but surely movie rental shops were made obsolete, almost as fast as the transition from bulky VHS cassettes to shiny DVDs. By the time Blockbuster Video shuttered its retail stores in 2014, Netflix was already busy ensuring movies could be streamed from the comfort of our own homes. No more late night drives to the local video rental shop or forgetting to return the movie the next day. It was now available online with just the click of a button, and in theory this sounded great, until it no longer was. You see, Netflix had pulled the proverbial wool over their customers eyes by telling them online streaming was all they needed. This was the start of the great migration from cable television and physical media to the brave new digital world of online streaming, a world that promised convenience and choice and seemed so good in theory. But much like the movie The Matrix, reality is not always what it seems. By 2016, it was clear that Netflix was the premier choice for watching movies and television shows without having to subscribe to cable television or satellite TV. Netflix was affordable and delivered on making excellent original content readily available along with some hit movies, and therein lies the problem. Certain movies, even well-known blockbuster movies, would never make it to Netflix or any other streaming platform, for that matter. Movie production companies that had a back catalog of popular films realized the value in their holdings and set out to create their own streaming platforms. If consumers wanted more choices to view their favorite movies from the comfort of their own living rooms, they would have to subscribe to these other streaming platforms, and there was still a chance that your favorite movie wasnt available on them. Perhaps your favorite movie wasnt on Netflix, but maybe it was on Hulu, or perhaps Paramount. This meant that as a consumer you had to subscribe to multiple streaming platforms to be able to stream most of the popular movies. Back in 1989, we didnt have this problem. If the movie was available to rent, for just a few dollars, you could most likely rent it at any local video store. This is an excellent example as to how the promise of new technology and convenience is not always for the best. I am not, however, suggesting that a video rental store would survive in the year 2024, regardless of how much you loved the 2020 documentary, The Last Blockbuster, which tells the story of the last Blockbuster Video store located in Bend, Oregon, that is still open today. The location has become a symbol of nostalgia and still has a loyal following, mainly from weary travelers who cannot believe that a Blockbuster Video store is still open. Whether or not someone wants to join in the fun and attempt to open their own video rental store today and see if the concept can still work is entirely up to them. I would strongly caution against it, but, despite the rise in online streaming platforms and the death of movie rental stores, interest in vintage VHS and DVD movies is rapidly increasing. I have discussed the impact of third-party grading playing a pivotal role in this market in previous articles, but one of the reasons that those old movies (especially if factory sealed) are becoming treasured collectibles is due to the nostalgia a lot of us have of visiting our favorite movie rental store just a few decades ago. Now some of those movies can be seen selling for a tidy sum on the secondary market. If you have a movie that is quite desirable and not readily available in other formats or easily available on a streaming platform, be sure to check secondary market prices on eBay and other online auction sites before throwing them away or putting them out with the yearly yard sale stuff. That said, VHS movies age horribly if they were not stored properly, so it is advised to test the movies before attempting to sell them (and good luck finding a good working VCR if you dont already own one). Also, know that most used VHS movies are not worth all that much. The real money comes in having either a very rare and sought after movie or something in pristine, factory-sealed condition. Unfortunately, most of us didnt save original VHS movies in factory-sealed condition. This is one reason why they fetch such high prices at auction. We watched them and rewatched them over and over again like they were intended. Thats how nostalgia works, and that is why there is a small niche but stable secondary market growing for these treasured tokens of the past. Now please excuse me while I get the DeLorean back to the year 2024. Just dont get me started on video game arcades, Nintendo, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, otherwise I am never leaving 1989. Ill (hopefully) see you in the future soon. If not, can someone call Doc Brown? Shawn Surmick has been an avid collector since the age of 12. He currently resides in his hometown of Boyertown, Pa., and is a passionate collector of antiques and collectibles. His articles focus on various topics affecting the marketplace.