Remember Hastings? Amarillo’s Physical Media Scene Is Thriving Again

Collecting is something that is definitely growing here in Amarillo. What do I mean by collecting? I'm talking about hobbies like sports cards, Pokémon, One Piece, etc. Vintage items have always been something high on the collectible list as well.

There is one thing, however, that is making a huge comeback, and not just in Amarillo. Physical media- items such as vinyl (which has always been collected), cassettes, CDs, DVDs, etc.- for whatever reason, are making a huge comeback.

Ryan Kramer

Why Is Physical Media Making A Comeback?

There are several reasons physical media is so popular right now. A couple of them are frustrations with streaming services. They love to remove titles from time to time, or split them across different streaming platforms. Another streaming issue is the rising costs associated with it, and the fact that some ad-free services are now putting ads in and frustrating listeners.

Ryan Kramer

Owning the physical media means you can combat all of the above things. Want to listen to an album without ads? Want to be sure it's available when you want to hear it? Physical media guarantees that. There's also the collectible side or visual appeal of it. Packaging, liner notes, and limited edition versions are all reasons people want to own the physical copy.

Ryan Kramer

A couple of reasons I love physical media? One is to be able to get it autographed and display it when I have the opportunity to do so. Another is owning something iconic in physical form, especially if it's a first edition of something.

Ryan Kramer

Where To Find Physical Media In Amarillo

There used to be a lot of places to purchase physical media in Amarillo; y'all remember Hastings, but those options have declined in recent years. However, there are still a few great places to find these things. Thrift stores such as Goodwill are great places to find items like CDs and DVDs. They typically have plenty, and at low prices. Video games? You can head over to Recycled Entertainment or Game Quest.

Ryan Kramer

If it's CDs, vinyl, or cassettes you're interested in (like me), there are two awesome music stores you need to frequent. High Fidelity and Bitter Buffalo are great places to stock up on those things, and also find some rarities. Bitter Buffalo even has their entire stock listed online so you can see what's available.