Customer profile
What was the name of your video store?
Can't remember
Where was the store located?
Washington, District of Columbia (United States)
When did you start shopping at this store?
1988
Describe your video store - what did it look like? What were its distinguishing
features?
Small storefront on retal block in urban area. Nice open layout with chest-high racks in the middle, taller shelves along the walls. I don't recall any adult videos.
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?
Don't recall.
What other services/products did the store offer besides the rental or sale
of videos? Did this change over time?
None that I can recall.
What video formats did the store offer (i.e. VHS, Beta, Laserdisc)? Where were
different formats kept in the store?
I was a VHS renter, so I'm not sure whether they carried Beta. It was pretty much a dead format by this time. Definitely no laserdisc.
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 didn't rent any of those genres, so I never noticed them if they had them.
Did you tend to rent or buy videos? Why?
Rental only. It was much cheaper. There weren't many videos to buy then, and I didn't have the desire to own them anyway.
During the period that you shopped at this store, what changes did you see?
None.
Is this store still open? If not, when did it close?
I moved out of the neighborhood in 1991, but I believe it subsequently closed.
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?
I still have it, and it works fine. (I also have a newer VCR, which I don't like as much, and a DVD player.) It is a Panasonic 3-head VCR (kind of unusual). I bought it in May 1988. We drove down from DC to the then-new Potomac Mills Mall, which is a discount store mall. I purchased it at a discount electronics retailer. I believe it was a discontinued model. It was an impulse purchase. I needed a new TV, so I bought a new 19-inch color TV and saw the VCR and decided to purchase it as well. The critical factors in the purchase were the price and the Panasonic name.
Did you ever rent a VCR or other hardware (a camera, for instance)? If so,
how often and why?
No.