Customer profile
What was the name of your video store?
The Video Box
Where was the store located?
Gaithersburg, Maryland (United States)
When did you start shopping at this store?
1980
Describe your video store - what did it look like? What were its distinguishing
features?
One story small store. Video tapes both along the walls and in racks on the floor. Glass counter where you checked out the video tape. There was one section for Beta and one for VHS.
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?
Employees were mostly collage age. Just the basic customer interaction. Only memorable exchange was when I checked out a VHS video. I had Beta at the time. The VHS was in the video section and I never checked. Received a free rental because of their mistake.
What other services/products did the store offer besides the rental or sale
of videos? Did this change over time?
Rented out either VHS or Beta machines. Added some products such as hand held recorders.
What video formats did the store offer (i.e. VHS, Beta, Laserdisc)? Where were
different formats kept in the store?
VHS and Beta. They were kept in separate locations in teh store that were labeled.
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?
There were children's tapes and X-Rated. I do not believe this store sold tapes in the beginning. Just rented. The children's tapes were in one section of the store. The X-Rated were behind the checkout counter.
Did you tend to rent or buy videos? Why?
Rent. There really wasn't a video I thought was good enough to actualy buy.
During the period that you shopped at this store, what changes did you see?
More tapes for sale. Better prices as competition from other stores lowered prices. More rental products.
Is this store still open? If not, when did it close?
No. It closed about five years later, 1985.
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?
First VCR player was a Sanyo. Purchased from Montgomery Wards. Purchased to mostly record TV shows and movies. Video tapes came later. Purchased a Beta because that was the best technology at the time.
Did you ever rent a VCR or other hardware (a camera, for instance)? If so,
how often and why?
No.