Customer profile
What was the name of your video store?
Don't remember
Where was the store located?
Wellsley, Massachusetts (United States)
When did you start shopping at this store?
1983
Describe your video store - what did it look like? What were its distinguishing
features?
It was different than todays store. It was actually a photo developing store and then they added Beta and vhs. It had a wall of movies and you took a number that was on the box( which meant it was in) and then thay had a card with your membership info. You had to purchase blocks of movie rentals for about 20 bucks and they kept track of what you rented and how many rentals you had left.
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?
They were a mom and pop and daughter. They didn't know what they were doing. But no really bad interactions
What other services/products did the store offer besides the rental or sale
of videos? Did this change over time?
Develop film and enlarge file. You could buy picture frames there.
What video formats did the store offer (i.e. VHS, Beta, Laserdisc)? Where were
different formats kept in the store?
VHS and Beta ( We had Beta). All were on the wall, but seporated
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 only remember some live concerts
Did you tend to rent or buy videos? Why?
rent, buying was too expensive
During the period that you shopped at this store, what changes did you see?
none it was only a couple of years
Is this store still open? If not, when did it close?
don't know, moved away to college
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?
The first one my family bought was the Sony Betamax. We bought it cause the salesperson lied to us and said this was the best format to stick with. The quality was better but as we know it never stuck around.
Did you ever rent a VCR or other hardware (a camera, for instance)? If so,
how often and why?
no