Employee profile
What was the name of your video store?
Home Video & Amusement
Where was the store located?
Cotati, California (United States)
When did you start working at this store?
1991
In your own words, how did you get started working in video retail? What
led you to choose the video industry, and this store in particular?
It was a supposed to be a way for me to make more money than I was at the grocery store and the hours were supposed to be better.
Describe your store - what did it look like? What were its distinguishing
features?
It used to be a Crocker Bank branch, and was split about 70/30 between Video Store & Arcade. While the whole place was remodeled, we did keep the vault virtually intact. We kept all the videotapes in there. One of the ideas that never got off the ground was converting the walk up window into a Ticketmaster Outlet.
What were your customers like? What particularly memorable customers or events do you remember?
College town. Sonoma State University was down the street from us. So we got a lot of younger viewers. The Cotati/Rohnert Park area is also one big bedroom community, so we got a good cross-section of middle class folks. They sure did love action films and porn.
What was your boss like? How did he or she divide the work in the store?
He was a drunk. WHEN he was in, he was stumbling and mumbling. He let his girlfriend run the place. She was a chain smoking bitch. They tried to screw me out of nearly a dollar an hour from the day I started, until I produced proof. That's when I quit and demanded the backpay.
What video formats did your store offer (i.e. VHS, Beta, Laserdisc)? Where were
different formats kept in the store?
VHS only. They were afraid to carry laser.
In addition to mainstream Hollywood movies, what other kinds of videotapes
(children's videos or X-rated tapes, for example) did you rent/sell? Where were these
videos found in your store, and how important were they to the business?
A whole lot of porno. Lots of it. Mostly straight and lesbian stuff.
What other services/products did you offer besides the rental or sale of
programs? Did this change over time?
We got to use the drive-up windows that were left over from the bank. Folks could call ahead and come to the drive-up for thier flicks. This was real popular.
Did you ever rent VCRs or other hardware to your customers? If so,
how important were hardware rentals to the business?
They were offered, but by this time, most everyone had a vcr.
During the period that you worked at the store, what changes did you see take place?
nothing much. it was a short period.
Is this store still open? If not, when did it close?
No. The owners were forced to move to another part of town, and the business went into the shitter from there. They eventually sold it off to some other folks which operate something like it today. Its kind of a dive now. But they have the best selection of Porno in the county.