Customer profile
What was the name of your video store?
Don't remember
Where was the store located?
Little Rock, Arkansas (United States)
When did you start shopping at this store?
1986
Describe your video store - what did it look like? What were its distinguishing
features?
It was a small shop in a strip mall. All the videos were displayed on a wall behind a counter.
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?
The owner opened two store in Little Rock at the same time. What rocked the community was that he only charged $1 per night and there was no membership fee! At that time all the other video places required you to pay a $30-50 membership, a $50 - 100 deposit, and the movies rented for $5+ per night. This guy changed the economy of video rental in Little Rock in one week.
What other services/products did the store offer besides the rental or sale
of videos? Did this change over time?
Just videos.
What video formats did the 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
(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?
Just regular movies.
Did you tend to rent or buy videos? Why?
Rent only.
During the period that you shopped at this store, what changes did you see?
More titles added.
Is this store still open? If not, when did it close?
Lasted less than a year. When all the other stores dropped their prices they couldn't compete.
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?
Bought a VHS VCR from Sears in '86. Wanted to watch porn.
Did you ever rent a VCR or other hardware (a camera, for instance)? If so,
how often and why?
Rented a VCR for business presentations a few times when traveling.