Customer profile
What was the name of your video store?
Leeders Video
Where was the store located?
Schenectady, New York (United States)
When did you start shopping at this store?
1990
Describe your video store - what did it look like? What were its distinguishing
features?
Was a locally owned store in the neighborhood. Used to be the local video arcade. Now an insurance place.
What were the employees and/or owners like, and what kinds of interactions
did you have with them? What particularly memorable exchanges or events
do you remember?
Mother finally broke down and got a VCR in the late 80s when they got down to the under $150 range and signed up for a video rental card at Leeders to be able to rent movies but as far as I remember we never actually rented movies - except the one time I rented Stop Making Sense to watch for myself
What other services/products did the store offer besides the rental or sale
of videos? Did this change over time?
I remember they had both VHS and Beta format movies till they closed sometime in the mid-90s.
What video formats did the store offer (i.e. VHS, Beta, Laserdisc)? Where were
different formats kept in the store?
They had VHS and Beta I can't say if they had CED or Laserdisc. The tapes were behind the counter and you had to take the box up to them to get the tape.
In addition to mainstream Hollywood movies, what other kinds of videotapes
(for example children's, exercise, or X-rated) did the store rent/sell? Where were these
videos found in the store, and how often did you rent or purchase them?
I can't recall
Did you tend to rent or buy videos? Why?
I usually tape off the air but if I especially want something I'll buy it rather than rent and dub
During the period that you shopped at this store, what changes did you see?
Didn't seem to change much.
Is this store still open? If not, when did it close?
Closed in the mid/late 90s when a Blockbuster opened up nearby.
In your own words, tell the story of your first VCR/video player. Where
and when did you buy it, and why did you decide to make the purchase?
My first VCR was a Sanyo Betacord VCR-4400 Beta format VCR. I'd purchased 2nd-hand to be able to play tapes recorded on the $5 Betamovie camcorder I'd just bought. It broke down in a couple months as well as a Sony SL-HF 300 Beta deck I got a few months later. The first VCRs I had for more than a few years was an SL-HFR 60 Betamax as well as a GE VHS machine I'd found 'released in the wild' because of a faulty idler tire. I spent the grand sum total of 60¢ for a new tire at the local hardware store and got it working like new. Nowadays I have 5 Betamax VCRs and one VHS machine that I currently use as well as a number of unused VHS machines that I've found 'released in the wild' with alarming frequency around the neighborhood.
Did you ever rent a VCR or other hardware (a camera, for instance)? If so,
how often and why?
Never rented one. I buy a lot of video equipment on eBay nowadays.