Customer profile
What was the name of your video store?
Azalea Video
Where was the store located?
St. Petersburg, Florida (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?
You would walk in. New releases in a room off to your right. Video games to your left. Horror in the back. Everything had little round plastic tabs with numbers on them, corresponding to what they were.
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?
They were great. They made great video game selections.
What other services/products did the store offer besides the rental or sale
of videos? Did this change over time?
N/A
What video formats did the store offer (i.e. VHS, Beta, Laserdisc)? Where were
different formats kept in the store?
VHS.
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?
Porno, in the back.
Did you tend to rent or buy videos? Why?
Rent. They were way too expensive to buy back then.
During the period that you shopped at this store, what changes did you see?
They phased out NES games for SNES games, and at one point they offered less new titles.
Is this store still open? If not, when did it close?
No. It closed in the early to mid 1990's.
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?
The first videotape I ever watched was "Back To The Future". It hadn't been rewound, and I vividly remember that it began during the scene where Doc and Marty are just about to be attacked by the Libyian terrorists.
Did you ever rent a VCR or other hardware (a camera, for instance)? If so,
how often and why?
No.