Customer profile
What was the name of your video store?
24 Hour Video
Where was the store located?
Victoria, British Columbia (Canada)
When did you start shopping at this store?
1984
Describe your video store - what did it look like? What were its distinguishing
features?
- Located in a small strip mall - Large store, half-and-half VHS & Beta - Had a huge porn section (as I later found out when I hit 18) in a "restricted" area on the back wall
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?
What other services/products did the store offer besides the rental or sale
of videos? Did this change over time?
For a few years it was actually open 24 hours a day. I guess they were't pulling in enough money, so they started closing at 11 PM...but kept the name.
What video formats did the store offer (i.e. VHS, Beta, Laserdisc)? Where were
different formats kept in the store?
VHS on the right side of the store and Beta on the left. As the years past, the Beta section got smaller and smaller.
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?
Large XXX rental section at the back of the store in a room. The enterance was located right beside the checkout, so you didn't see many people going in during the "prime-time" hours.
Did you tend to rent or buy videos? Why?
Renter. Why? Not really a lot of movies I actually wanted to buy.
During the period that you shopped at this store, what changes did you see?
Only major change was going from 24 hours as previously mentioned.
Is this store still open? If not, when did it close?
Don't know. I no longer live in Victoria.
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?
Made by Zenith. I still have it and it still works. It was bought my my father and I "inherited" it when I moved out. He bought it in the early 80's to tape hockey games.
Did you ever rent a VCR or other hardware (a camera, for instance)? If so,
how often and why?
We rented VCRs before we bought one.