Customer profile
What was the name of your video store?
City Video
Where was the store located?
St. Paul, Minnesota (United States)
When did you start shopping at this store?
1985
Describe your video store - what did it look like? What were its distinguishing
features?
The City video was a brown, narrow shoebox on Snelling avenue, a busy street. It was next to some barber and an alley. The Walgreens was up the street. It had fake wood paneling, brown carpet, and wooden movie racks. It was the first video store I went to. They had a tv on with videos playing. I remember vividly Stallones "Cobra" box cover. I was about eight or ten, and it looked like the coolest movie ever. I still haven't seen it though. I did eventually rent Conan the Barbarian from there. That was huge. Star Wars with my friend Graham. Adventures in Babysitting was my favorite movie for a long time. The sign for City Video was just some sticky letters put up in the window. After awhile they tried to expand, and went out of business. The same owners re-opened at another location I heard though. I remember when Blockbuster was new in town, and going there and thinking what overkill it was. Like why would they try to do this when we already had City Video. It's scary sometimes how well corporations know the publics habits.
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?
The owners were from the neighborhood.
What other services/products did the store offer besides the rental or sale
of videos? Did this change over time?
They started to rent video cameras for awhile.
What video formats did the store offer (i.e. VHS, Beta, Laserdisc)? Where were
different formats kept in the store?
Just VHS as far as I know. I believe they kept some beta behind the counter though.
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 tons of childrens videos. Lots of kids in the area.
Did you tend to rent or buy videos? Why?
Rent. My family wasn't that into movies to be buying them.
During the period that you shopped at this store, what changes did you see?
Not many. They ripped out the carpet. Then some new signage. The next thing I knew they were gone. The new one they opened carried X-rated videos, and they were constantly changing prices and rental times to compete with Blockbuster. It didn't work though.
Is this store still open? If not, when did it close?
No. I believe it was 1988
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?
Our families first VCR we still have. I don't know where my Dad got it, maybe Target. That was in 86 or 87. It is a Quasar. It works great. It pops open on top. It has big red and blue buttons and a digital clock that has never been set. My dad brought it home, and it was just kind of there. We didn't use it very much. We didn't buy much of anything new, we were kind of broke, but they had this VCR, and I didn't even know what to do with it. I remember my dad rented "The Search for Spock" when I was sick once and let me watch it by myself and he would refill my 7-up and soup every once in awhile. That was my first memorable experience with home video. It became my own movie theater, but better.
Did you ever rent a VCR or other hardware (a camera, for instance)? If so,
how often and why?
My parents rented a camera once. Just to get some footage of me and my little sister. It was winter and 88 or 89, and I did some break dancing in a black and red Freddy Kreuger sweater. I did the backspin on the kitchen floor, some singing in the backyard in my snow-suit. That was the only time.