Customer profile
What was the name of your video store?
The WhereHouse
Where was the store located?
San Dimas, California (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?
Just an average music and video store. Aisles and Aisles of videos and tapes. The great thing about it was that it offered previously viewed video tapes at great prices.
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 employees were mostly teens and college age kids. I don't remmeber anything particularly special...they were always very helpful. It was nice to be able to reserve copies of videos that would soon be released.
What other services/products did the store offer besides the rental or sale
of videos? Did this change over time?
They sold casette tapes and carried walkmans and music equipment. The only thing that changed was that they began stocking more CD's than casette tapes. And of course DVD's started showing up on the shelves.
What video formats did the store offer (i.e. VHS, Beta, Laserdisc)? Where were
different formats kept in the store?
VHS.........very few Beta tapes ( Those kind of went out of style fast )later on Laserdisc ....DVD's
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?
Lots of Disney releases, music videos and some exercise videos. Each topic had it's own place in the store.I made rentals or purchases at least once a week.
Did you tend to rent or buy videos? Why?
I mostly purchased when the prices started becoming fairly reasonable. I collected movies and liked having them to watch anytime I wanted to.
During the period that you shopped at this store, what changes did you see?
CD's and DVD's
Is this store still open? If not, when did it close?
yes.....I think so
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 bought my first VCR in 1983 when they became more affordable. It was purchased at Sears and I bought it because it meant I could watch movies at home and also rent or buy tapes for my children. Also I was often up in the middle of the night and there wasn't much to watch on late night television.
Did you ever rent a VCR or other hardware (a camera, for instance)? If so,
how often and why?
never rented a VCR and never owned a video camera.