As audiobooks, digital magazines, streaming services, and now AI begin to take over the entertainment landscape, a growing number of people are returning to physical media. CDs, DVDs, and even Walkmans are making a comeback. Against the prevailing sentiment that print is dead, a physical media renaissance is upon us in the literary world, too—one that Bygone Magazines is taking in stride.
Located between Chimera Café and Tulsa Violin Shop, Bygone Magazines is a new store specializing in vintage magazines and local literature. Browsing the small space, one can find a decades-old issue of Time next to the newest edition of Pokeweed. The inventory is niche and expertly curated, though not vast. Like an indie bookstore, Bygone focuses on quality over quantity.
You might be wondering how such a concept will turn a profit, but according to co-owner Micah Cash, that’s not really the point. Bygone has even opted out of using social media to promote the store.
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“We’ve been very clear from the beginning that this whole thing [i.e., opening a magazine shop] is a dumb idea,” Cash says. “So, we figured, what’s dumber than starting a pop-up in 2025 without social media? The benefit of word-of-mouth is that people will find us anyway. Plus, everything is better in print.” Cash made sure to note that the shop does, however, have a Hinge profile.
The presence of a print magazine shop makes a lot of sense in a place like Tulsa. Our literary history is rich and complex, with writers like S.E. Hinton and Joy Harjo immortalizing the city in their work. The famed poets Joe Brainard, Ron Padgett, and Ted Berrigan grew up right down the street from Bygone, starting their literary careers while still students at Central High School.