Customer profile
What was the name of your video store?
Erols
Where was the store located?
Alexandria, Virginia (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?
One side for Beta, the other for VHS. All tapes stored on end, so everyone had their head titled sideways.
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?
You always had to get there before Friday night, otherwise all the good videos would be gone for the weekend.
What other services/products did the store offer besides the rental or sale
of videos? Did this change over time?
I think you could rent video recorders. Yes, it changed over time - the Erols chain was either bought-out or put out of business by Blockbuster.
What video formats did the store offer (i.e. VHS, Beta, Laserdisc)? Where were
different formats kept in the store?
Beta and VHS, stored on different sides of store.
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 don't know.
Did you tend to rent or buy videos? Why?
Rent, purchase price was too high back then.
During the period that you shopped at this store, what changes did you see?
Seems like there was more selection and quantity on the VHS side of the store (I had Beta).
Is this store still open? If not, when did it close?
Closed - sometime in the 90's, I guess. I moved out of the area and switched to Blockbuster before they went out of business.
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 a Sony Beta VCR because it had stereo before VHS. It also had a really nice display panel (that was before on-screen programming). I liked the smaller tapes. At the time, the jury was still out on who would win between VHS and Beta.
Did you ever rent a VCR or other hardware (a camera, for instance)? If so,
how often and why?
Once, my girlfriend rented a VHS camera to videotape the dance recital for the studio that she owned. That was only time. The rental cost was too high ($50 for one day, or something).