Customer profile
What was the name of your video store?
Odyssey Video
Where was the store located?
North Hollywood, California (United States)
When did you start shopping at this store?
1990
Describe your video store - what did it look like? What were its distinguishing
features?
Odyssey Video was a bright yellow store that had been around for a while before I even began shopping there. The distinguishing features were that it was pretty big for a mom and pop style store. They competed directly with Blockbuster Video across the street, but I think they had another two or three stores in the LA area. They had a pretty substantial new release section, and a big adult section. They had a good deal - On Tuesdays and Thurdays, videos were 99 cents.
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?
I didn't have much interaction with the employees - they were mostly 20-somethings who seemed like stereotypical disinterested videostore clerks. But I'm sure they would've helped me if I asked.
What other services/products did the store offer besides the rental or sale
of videos? Did this change over time?
They sold snacks (popcorn, candy) and had a small magazine rack. They also had a small laserdisc section.
What video formats did the store offer (i.e. VHS, Beta, Laserdisc)? Where were
different formats kept in the store?
No Beta when I shopped there. I'd say the store was 95% VHS at the time I shopped there. Laserdiscs were a small part of their stock.
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?
They had a big adult section - roughly 1/4 of the store, (and it was a big store). They also had a children's section and a music video section. They had a small sports section which encompassed sports highlight/bloopers, wrestling videos and exercise videos. They also had a nice sized horror/sci-fi section. And compared to the Blockbuster across the street, they had many more "cult" and older movies.
Did you tend to rent or buy videos? Why?
Rent. 100% of the time. If they had a "for sale" section, I don't remember it because I never browsed in that section.
During the period that you shopped at this store, what changes did you see?
The adult section got bigger. When Blockbuster stopped renting adult-themed videos, Odyssey took advantage.
Is this store still open? If not, when did it close?
I can't be 100% sure if it's still open - I haven't been there in over 2 years.
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?
My dad bought a Beta machine when I was very young (4 or 5 years old). We had that machine for many years until we couldn't rent anything on a Beta anymore - then we switched to VHS. I have no idea where he bought it for from whom.
Did you ever rent a VCR or other hardware (a camera, for instance)? If so,
how often and why?
No, if video stores rented VCR's, I didn't know about it. I never rented a camera either.