Employee profile
What was the name of your video store?
Trax Video
Where was the store located?
San Fracisco, California (United States)
When did you start working at this store?
1985
In your own words, how did you get started working in video retail? What
led you to choose the video industry, and this store in particular?
Family friend owned the store.
Describe your store - what did it look like? What were its distinguishing
features?
It was small, 700-800 sq ft., rarely had more than 2-3 copies of new releases. Lots of movie posters on the walls. Also rented adult movies in the back. Located next to Trax bar.
What were your customers like? What particularly memorable customers or events do you remember?
Too many to mention, this store was located in the Haight so always had a wide array of characters coming in.
What was your boss like? How did he or she divide the work in the store?
Only 1 employee worked at the store at a time. 2 during PEAK hours. Work was decided upon availability.
What video formats did your store offer (i.e. VHS, Beta, Laserdisc)? Where were
different formats kept in the store?
VHS only
In addition to mainstream Hollywood movies, what other kinds of videotapes
(children's videos or X-rated tapes, for example) did you rent/sell? Where were these
videos found in your store, and how important were they to the business?
Independant movies, and adult, both straight and gay
What other services/products did you offer besides the rental or sale of
programs? Did this change over time?
Also rented out VCRs, sold snacks and video accessories/blank tapes
Did you ever rent VCRs or other hardware to your customers? If so,
how important were hardware rentals to the business?
yes, not that important though
During the period that you worked at the store, what changes did you see take place?
more competition came in time, with bigger selection, more floor space, and more copies of new movies
Is this store still open? If not, when did it close?
I think it's still open