On Oct. 13, rumors started circulating via various news media outlets that Best Buy would stop carrying physical media in their stores and on online via its website sometime in 2024. The first reports of this initial claim incorrectly stated that this move would extend to all forms of physical media and include movies, music, and video games. Due to varying degrees of outcry this caused, Best Buy was forced to publicly state that the discontinuation of selling physical media would only apply to DVD and Blu-Ray movies, come first quarter of 2024. Even with video games not being affected by this decision, various collecting forums as well as multiple social media influencers voiced their concern over this decision. And even worse, since this announcement, numerous other retailers and companies have announced similar moves to discontinue physical media in the not-too-distant future. Major big box retailer Wal-Mart is rumored to be discontinuing the sale of physical Xbox video games in their stores in 2024. Even Nintendo, a company that has been embracing physical media while their competitors (mainly Sony and Microsoft) test an all-digital future, has been rumored to be working on a follow-up version to their best-selling Nintendo Switch console that lacks a physical media drive. These decisions would be disastrous to anyone who collects any form of physical media, be it books, music, movies, or video games. Regular readers of my articles know that I am a proponent of both physical media and actual brick and mortar retail stores. Growing up in the 1980s and also being a collector, I can fondly remember how old I was when I got my first action figure, my first comic book, and even my first video game. I still recall the first cassette tape I ever bought with my own money. It is these memories I have that helped shape my collecting pursuits, and, make no mistake, the experience matters. Shopping at now defunct stores like Toys R Us, Sears, Sam Goody, Electronics Boutique, Babbages, and Computer City helped define my youth. I have been critical of online retailers like Amazon, among others, for many years. How does ordering an action figure online in the year 2023 compare to actually going to a Toys R Us store in 1985 and seeing shelf after shelf of brightly colored toys? It does not, just ask any toy collector over the age of 45. The same can be said for downloading an album, a movie, a book, or a video game. The physical relationships we have with these items and the experiences in obtaining them matter, and they help create collectors due to the feelings of nostalgia these experiences are linked to. Sadly, digital media is being promoted by younger enthusiasts who have no ties to physical media. It is a sign of our times. Manufacturers of these beloved products know that if they can reduce costs by not having to manufacture a physical product and cut out retailers and distributors for their products, they can charge the same amount for these items in digital form with virtually no downside. This is the driving force behind an all-digital future: profits and shareholder returns. It is no longer about the end consumer any more. Over the past few years, there have been some surprise wins for lovers of physical media. The first came back in 2011 when Sony attempted to release a digital-only version of their popular PSP (Playstation Portable) handheld system, aptly named the PSP Go. Since the device had no physical media drive, users could only purchase games online. Gamers and collectors came together to protest the system, and by 2011, the system was already discontinued in the United States due to a lack of sales. The second win for physical media lovers came in 2019 when Apple announced they would stop supporting the iTunes digital music library. It was around this same time that sales of vinyl records started to surge as younger generations discovered the magic and sound of vinyl for the very first time. Today, vinyl records are the number one way music is being sold in physical form, outpacing sales of compact discs. Even cassette tapes are making a return as well. That said, even with these small wins, lovers of physical media knew that eventually their beloved formats would be in jeopardy. This is simply due to the fact that even if a lot of these manufacturers discontinue physical products and retailers no longer decide to carry them, the threat from collectors claiming they will not buy these products in digital form is almost comparable to the boy who cried wolf. To use video games as just one example, all the major video game publishers currently offer almost all of their physical games in digital form as well, and the sales numbers have been surprising. Some manufacturers have even commented that a large portion of their sales are coming from digital sales only. This is quite horrific when you realize that if someone pays $59.99 for a video game in digital form and the video game system they have it downloaded on breaks or the publisher of that game removes it from the online storefront, it is quite possible that the purchaser of that game can no longer own or play that game as a result. Most digital purchases are no more than prolonged rentals, with the expectation that at some point in the future that same consumer will have to repurchase the item again on a different device. At the very least, a buyer of a physical product can sell or trade the item at will and use the funds to purchase another physical item of his or her choosing. This is what makes the prospect of a digital-only future so scary. It is my sincere hope that companies will reconsider their stance on discontinuing physical media in all forms. I find it very concerning that in the last decade we have seen the fall of multiple iconic retail stores and now we are facing the demise of physical media as well. So, in closing, I have a small ask for my readers: The holiday shopping season is upon us. Consider buying your loved ones books, movies, music, and video games in physical form whenever possible. I assure you, much like I miss Toys R Us, you too will miss the day when you could have bought the latest Nintendo game in physical form. 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.