Austin Video Store has quietly opened in an anonymous strip center near Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, offering hundreds of VHS tapes, DVDs, Blu-rays, LaserDiscs, television box sets, CDs, cassettes, and vintage electronics to collectors, movie buffs, and anyone chasing a little nostalgia.

Austin's love affair with physical media never completely disappeared, even after Vulcan Video and We Luv Video closed their doors during the pandemic. We Luv Video still exists in a non-profit member-run library format. The Highball hosts monthly swap meets for VHS tapes. And, now, as of July, Austin Video Store has opened to sell electronics, movies, and box sets.

All of Austin Video Store's traffic is driven by the store's Instagram account. Hidden behind a Domino's Pizza and a Spanish Pentecostal church, the shop occupies a modest few hundred square feet. Open Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, one side of the space is still lined with unpacked boxes. An Apple eMac with a price tag sits on the checkout counter, while CRT televisions wait for buyers who insist they're still the best way to watch VHS tapes.

Owner Nick Kiowski spends his weekdays working as an engineer. Opening a video store was simply a way to build the place he wished still existed. "I wanted this, and it didn't exist," says Kiowski.

A line of customers forms outside Austin Video Store during its opening weekend. The store is located near Austin-Bergstrom airport.Austin Video Store/Facebook

There are no rentals, membership cards, or reminders to "Be Kind, Rewind." Everything is sold or traded. The shelves are packed with family favorites, complete television series, Jean-Claude Van Damme action movies, anime, horror classics, wrestling tapes, and newer Blu-ray releases. The CRTs and VHS players are also for sale.

For collectors, there are hard-to-find items. A VHS copy of Killer Klowns from Outer Space (Kiowski insists its a must-have for any horror library) carries a price tag of about $300, sharing shelf space with bargain-bin childhood favorites. Most shoppers, though, are simply hunting for movies that have vanished from streaming services or titles they want to own instead of rent digitally.

That desire to own media again has helped fuel a modest revival, according to a recent survey in Consumer Reports. Some blame streaming fatigue. Others call it nostalgia. As movies and television shows rotate on and off streaming platforms, collectors have increasingly returned to physical formats they know won't suddenly disappear.

Despite its decidedly retro inventory, Austin Video Store has grown almost entirely through social media and word of mouth. On Sundays, customers often line up before the doors open.

"I think there's a lot of people seeing all these companies taking away our ability to watch things," says Kiowski. "I'm just going to buy the movie."

Austin Video Store is located at 720 Bastrop Hwy., Ste. 202. Hours on Wednesdays and Fridays are 5-9 pm. On Sunday, the store is open from noon to 8 pm.