Customer profile
What was the name of your video store?
Can't remember
Where was the store located?
Athens, Other (Greece)
When did you start shopping at this store?
1986
Describe your video store - what did it look like? What were its distinguishing
features?
Small ground floor. Fairly kitch deco (it was the 80s!), videos everywhere, not very bright (there were film posters on all windows). Counter at the back.
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?
Owned and operated by a family. I think the mom was english or australian or something, and the dad Greek. Got to know them quite well (when you're 5 you watch a LOT of videos), and always hanged out with the two kids, either at their store, or round each other's houses or out to play.
What other services/products did the store offer besides the rental or sale
of videos? Did this change over time?
Nothing, they didn't even sell videos! Things changed when it closed and a clothes shop opened instead.
What video formats did the store offer (i.e. VHS, Beta, Laserdisc)? Where were
different formats kept in the store?
Laserdisk??? it didn't exist back then! Just VHS I'm afraid.
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?
It had loads of normal mainstream films, loads of 80s cult films (only they weren't cult yet), quite a few horror and Sci-Fi (they were quite in fashion, even though never making it big in the big screen) and a fair amount of kids' stuff. I don't know bout x-rated, as I was too young to watch it!
Did you tend to rent or buy videos? Why?
Rent. Well, they didn't sell any, and even if they did, I wasn't into buying vids.
During the period that you shopped at this store, what changes did you see?
At some point they stopped the big fat empty boxes and changed them with the slim plastic ones for looking through their selection.
Is this store still open? If not, when did it close?
It sadly closed sometime in the late 80s. I think a couple of years after I started using it.
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 didn't buy it, my dad did. He got it when I was a few months old in Monterey or something (we used to live there before moving back to Greece). Big silver top-loading one. Still have it somewhere in the basement, but doesn't like rewinding any more.
Did you ever rent a VCR or other hardware (a camera, for instance)? If so,
how often and why?
Never.