Customer profile
What was the name of your video store?
Party City
Where was the store located?
Brooklyn, New York (United States)
When did you start shopping at this store?
1994
Describe your video store - what did it look like? What were its distinguishing
features?
It was a fairly large store, originally it was a party supply store, and then went solely into selling and renting videos. It has lots of posters, a large front room, in the back were the adult movies. I'm not sure what if any distinguishing qualities it had. I guess the fact that it was always clean, well-stocked, and had late hours was an asset.
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?
I believe the owners were Russian. A husband and his kids I think were in the store most of the time. I remember them always being courteous and friendly.
What other services/products did the store offer besides the rental or sale
of videos? Did this change over time?
They sold candy in vending machines, had a lotto machine, and also rented video games, and had video games to play in the front of the store.
What video formats did the store offer (i.e. VHS, Beta, Laserdisc)? Where were
different formats kept in the store?
All I can remember were VHS.
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?
There were adult films, children's films, foreign films, and instructional videos to rent/sell. The children's videos were in the front right hand section of the store, foreign films had a small section somewhere towards the back, and I remember the adult films were held in the back section of the store, with a sign saying you had to be an adult to enter that section of the store.
Did you tend to rent or buy videos? Why?
I rented, mostly because videos were expensive to buy, and also took up a lot room.
During the period that you shopped at this store, what changes did you see?
The store eventually moved to a smaller location, they began to rent more video games, devoting a larger part of the store to that.
Is this store still open? If not, when did it close?
Yes it is still open.
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 parents bought our first VCR sometime around 1986-1987 if I can remember correctly. It was a black Fisher model, and I remember it being very cool.
Did you ever rent a VCR or other hardware (a camera, for instance)? If so,
how often and why?
No.