Customer profile
What was the name of your video store?
New Video
Where was the store located?
New York, New York (United States)
When did you start shopping at this store?
1982
Describe your video store - what did it look like? What were its distinguishing
features?
A hole in the wall. It was down a short flight of stairs in a basement office. Small area out front where 1000+ video boxes were kept.
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?
Some were great, others were obnoxious. It was a strictly NYU film school crowd, and many had begun to take their first steps from graduation to bitterness. Some would offer great advice, others would comment on your film choices and it was usually not flattering. It depended on who you got. They had a GREAT catalog/newspaper with reviews of 100s of movies. It was a wonderful resource and very entertaining and informative.
What other services/products did the store offer besides the rental or sale
of videos? Did this change over time?
Rental/sale of videos. I think they rented VCRs also.
What video formats did the store offer (i.e. VHS, Beta, Laserdisc)? Where were
different formats kept in the store?
VHS and Beta.
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 wide selection - certainly children and S-rated, though the exercise vids were few back then. They certainly had Jane Fonda's workout.
Did you tend to rent or buy videos? Why?
I rented. I always disliked VHS tape quality - I have purchased maybe a dozen prerecorded VHS tapes in my life.
During the period that you shopped at this store, what changes did you see?
Expansion. New stores opening up, mostly. At full force they had maybe 4 stores in NYC, maybe 5?
Is this store still open? If not, when did it close?
Nope, its not open. I think it expired by 1990 or so.
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?
A panasonic $400 VHS model. I purchased it I bought it in August of 1982. I bought it at J&R Music World in downtown NYC. I still have it - it was serviced once but it works fine. I decided to buy because it allowed me to timeshift tv programs I liked, zip by commercials, and also would allow me to rent movies.
Did you ever rent a VCR or other hardware (a camera, for instance)? If so,
how often and why?
Nope.