Hot on the foot of low-rise jeans, crop tops, and super skinny brows – physical media (that’s print magazines, vinyl records, CDs, and cassettes) is the latest Nineties trend to resurface. But unlike the natural cycle of fashion fads, buying a film on Blu-Ray instead of just clicking onto Netflix or Amazon Prime seems like a hassle and isn’t as cool as a Y2K outfit. Though it would certainly put you in Christopher Nolan’s good books, who, amongst other top Hollywood directors, has repeatedly spoken out about the importance of buying physical copies of movies. 

Hardcore music fans have long been indulging in permanent versions of their favourite albums; with vinyl record sales in 2023 reaching their highest annual level since 1990, according to the British Phonographic Industry. And now, print magazines are going back to their glossy roots. Most recently, Nylon magazine released its first physical copies since 2017, with the first covergirl Gwen Stefani lightly tugging at our nostalgic heartstrings. But nostalgia isn’t the entire driving force for this mags renaissance – instead, Gen Z readers are growing tired of all things digital.

On TikTok alone, user @cateyounger amassed over 3 million views and 680K likes on a video about her magazine collection, set to the trending Carrie Bradshaw quote: 

When I first moved to New York and I was totally broke, I would buy Vogue instead of dinner. I just felt it fed me more.

Carrie Bradshaw, Sex and the City

While most of us wouldn’t choose Vogue over food (sorry Carrie), the shift towards permanent forms of entertainment is proving to ‘feed’ people more appreciation for the media they are consuming. A majority of social media platforms are dictated by invisible (and honestly impressive) algorithms that show users whatever they want to see. This, along with our always-online lives, has increased the appeal of personally curated media – it is personal, intentional, and (as the trend gods have crowned it) much cooler.

What sets physical media apart from other Y2K trends, as shown by vinyl record sales, is the profit potential. 2023’s top ten best-selling vinyls included three albums from Taylor Swift (two of which were re-recorded versions of her older albums). It is now almost customary for artists to release their music in vinyl, CD, or tape format alongside streaming. Why put in all that work? Well, Swift’s latest album, The Tortured Poets Department, is around £40 on vinyl (if you bag a bargain). Similarly, print mags range from £6+ and print also allows advertisers uninterrupted ad space. In short, there’s money to be made.

However, for readers, listeners, and viewers it isn’t about the money.

Alice Bradley, Journalist and Photographer

Alice has been collecting magazines since she was five years old, and she credits print magazines as the ‘invisible string’ that led her to her dream career.   

“When I was young, my siblings and I had hints of what we might do in the future. My brother was obsessed with planes and now he’s a pilot. I was always pretending to be a news reporter and I was fascinated with magazines – now, 21 years later, I’m a journalist. I credit so much to my collection.

Funnily enough, I got my current job because I picked up a magazine, posted a photo with it and the editor of that mag saw it. This was during my time at uni when I was desperately trying to get a job, so I dropped her a message. And now I work at one of my favourite magazines just because I happened to pick up a copy. Isn’t that insane?”  

Why, after so long, are you still collecting mags?  

“We have become so reliant on the fact that everything is stored online that we forget to actively remember anything. It’s scary to think that when I can’t remember something, I have to type the date into my phone to find a picture. 

But when I flick through a magazine, I’m instantly taken back to a specific moment – I suddenly remember the first time I picked up the magazine. I’m not only transported back to that time but the memory never disappears. Digital media is so easily blurred because there’s so much of it. Plus, if a magazine shuts down, I can’t go on the website and read the old articles, nobody can, so it’s important to have a physical record of huge historical moments.”

Talk us through your collection, what are your five favourites?  

“My first magazine was Britney Spears: The Life Story from 2001. I was completely obsessed with her, and even though I was only five years old, I didn’t rip out the posters or trash them. I remember thinking, ‘I’ll want to remember this.’ That one holds a special place in my heart. My other favourites are Lana Del Rey’s first British Vogue cover, where they said she was one to watch. Now she’s headlining Coachella and touring the world. Oh, and I remember picking up the Private Eye Theresa May Memorial Issue, and my jaw dropped – it was titled The Prime Minister’s Legacy in Full, and the cover was completely blank. It was so savage I had to pick it up. 

I also have a copy of Rihanna’s famous red hair debut in The Cosmopolitan from July 2011. That just transports me back to that summer when Aztec and neon fashion was trendy; it was just a time to be alive – wasn’t it? Lastly, I have the American Vogue with Karlie Kloss and Taylor Swift on the cover, and they’re no longer friends, so that would never happen again. I find it interesting to look back and have this pop culture archive in my house.”

Is it worth the hassle?  

“Definitely. We live in such a throwaway society that having something that you keep and revisit is so important for building a sense of respect for things. I feel a weird sense of pride when I look at my collection because it has been with me from childhood into my evolution as an adult. I’ve had a storage unit for about four or five years now, because of the weight of the magazines, but I look back at it and think, ‘Gosh, I’m so glad younger me did that.’ 

I will admit, magazines are incredibly expensive nowadays – you could pay anything from £8 for just one issue. But there are ways to get them for less; some hotels and coffee shops are more than happy for you to pick up their display magazines for free. As long as you ask, of course!”

Adam Brannon, Digital Marketer and Film Blogger

For award-winning Film blogger and founder of Movie Metropolis, Adam, physical media is as much an homage to his younger self as it is a bridge of connection to the people around him.  

How did you start collecting physical media?  

“My favourite film is Jurassic Park, and that was what started my love for movies. When the first film came out, I was six years old, and I remember going to see it and being blown away by the special effects and everything about it. To be honest, it still holds up today when you watch it. So, when I moved into my own house, I started collecting DVDs, Blu-rays, memorabilia, and vinyl. 

My dad was really into vinyl, and I never really understood it. He passed away in October, sadly, and he loved listening to records. When he became ill, I got a record player and I have loved vinyl since. It’s been a great way to feel connected to him.”

Be honest, is it worth the effort?  

“Yes. People growing up in this generation where smartphones have always been there, will never experience something like going to HMV or Woolworths and queuing up for a new release. Nowadays everything is available whenever you want. There’s just no magic in that – it’s far more exciting being able to own a piece of something you love. 

I’ve been collecting for years and sometimes I’ll just pop up into my loft, shuffle through my things and I’ll remember a specific time in my life. I just wonder, if you don’t have anything physical to hold on to, how can you make memories about the time when you first bought it?”

Rip off the bandage, what are the downsides of physical media?  

“It takes up quite a lot of space over time, I’m sure my partner is fed up with how much stuff I have collected! You also need to get creative about the ways that you display it because otherwise they just become dust magnets. Plus, it’s expensive. I’ve had to streamline over the last few years because something like steel books can be up to £35 each, and that’s a lot of money to spend on every film – which is why I try to buy secondhand.”

If you’re sold on physical media, where do you start?

ALICE: “If something is popping up a lot in your hobbies, that may be a good place to start collecting pieces of physical media. If you’re looking for magazines, check out the WHSmith in Victoria, it has such a brilliant variety of magazines on the ground floor.”

ADAM: “Over the last four years, particularly with COVID and everything that’s been going on in the world, it is not a pleasant place to be – let’s be honest. So, think of physical media as an investment in your joy. I always recommend HMV and Forbidden Planet for browsing, but independent shops are also great. And if you don’t mind muddy fields, car boot sales have some gems.”

Nostalgia doesn’t always lead to the best decisions (ahem, skinny brows) but considering how intangible the digital world is, slow media might be a trend worth holding onto (and maybe we’ll keep denim maxi skirts, too).

Words: Kimberly Nhundu.