I worked a a small mom & pop rental place for a few months around 1992, before DVD. Everything was VHS with a limited box of laserdisc that I never saw move. I lived less than a quarter mile from the place. Despite the size of the shop, they were one of the very first to open in the 1980s so everyone had a membership there, and early on my family would have to drive two towns over because they were the only place around. There was also a Domino's pizza directly next door, which was symbiotic for both.

I was hired because I lived close, and they were dabbling with renting out Genesis, NES, and SNES games. Gamestop did not exist yet. I had actually sold them a few games I was done with in order to afford some new ones.

They weren't one of those places who would play movies on a TV to entice people. Their computers were ancient, even by 1992 standards. Every night we'd have to back up the day's transactions onto a 5 inch floppy, through a heavily screen-burned monochrome monitor. They'd rotate between 4 discs, each one groaned and strained from being overwritten hundreds of times.

The work was shit. Nonstop filing tapes onto shelves or tags onto hooks for the adult section. Customers were often rude and in a hurry. If someone had reserved a movie (this system was pen and paper) but the previous renter was late with it, they'd bitch like it was you who personally arranged to fuck up their night.

I can't say it was a magical place to work but it was convenient for me. Eventually a second store called 'Choices' opened in town and it was MUCH larger and had a better selection. That place even had a music section that sold new release tapes. I remember buying 2 Live Crew there because they didn't card despite the warning label.

At that point the small place panic fired half the staff. They hung on for a few more years because a liquor place opened in the connected building, (parking lot mishaps and fights became legendary after this) but eventually a Blockbuster opened in town to counter Choices and it all went under.

I worked a a small mom & pop rental place for a few months around 1994, before DVD. Everything was VHS with a limited box of laserdisc that I never saw move. I lived less than a quarter mile from the place. Despite the size of the shop, they were one of the very first to open in the 1980s so everyone had a membership there, and early on my family would have to drive two towns over because they were the only place around. There was also a Domino's pizza directly next door, which was symbiotic for both.

I was hired because I lived close, and they were dabbling with renting out Genesis, NES, and SNES games. Gamestop did not exist yet. I had actually sold them a few games I was done with in order to afford some new ones.

They weren't one of those places who would play movies on a TV to entice people. Their computers were ancient, even by 1994 standards. Every night we'd have to back up the day's transactions onto a 5 inch floppy, through a heavily screen-burned monochrome monitor. They'd rotate between 4 discs, each one groaned and strained from being overwritten hundreds of times.

The work was shit. Nonstop filing tapes onto shelves or tags onto hooks for the adult section. Customers were often rude and in a hurry. If someone had reserved a movie (this system was pen and paper) but the previous renter was late with it, they'd bitch like it was you who personally arranged to fuck up their night.

I can't say it was a magical place to work but it was convenient for me. Eventually a second store called 'Choices' opened in town and it was MUCH larger and had a better selection. That place even had a music section that sold new release tapes. I remember buying 2 Live Crew there because they didn't card despite the warning label.

At that point the small place panic fired half the staff. They hung on for a few more years because a liquor place opened in the connected building, (parking lot mishaps and fights became legendary after this) but eventually a Blockbuster opened in town to counter Choices and it all went under.

I worked a a small mom & pop rental place for a few months around 1994, before DVD. Everything was VHS with a limited box of laserdisc that I never saw move. I lived less than a quarter mile from the place. Despite the size of the shop, they were one of the very first to open in the 1980s so everyone had a membership there, and early on my family would have to drive two towns over because they were the only place around. There was also a Domino's pizza directly next door, which was symbiotic for both.

I was hired because I lived close, and they were dabbling with renting out Genesis, NES, and SNES games. Gamestop did not exist yet. I had actually sold them a few games I was done with in order to afford some new ones.

They weren't one of those places who would play movies on a TV to entice people. Their computers were ancient, even by 1994 standards. Every night we'd have to back up the day's transactions onto a 5 inch floppy, through a heavily screen-burned monochrome monitor. They'd rotate between 4 discs, each one groaned and strained from being overwritten hundreds of times.

The work was shit. Nonstop filing tapes onto shelves or tags onto hooks for the adult section. Customers were often rude and in a hurry. If someone had reserved a movie (this system was pen and paper) but the previous renter was late with it, they'd bitch like it was you who personally arranged to fuck up their night.

I can't say it was a magical place to work but it was convenient for me. Eventually a second store called 'Choices' opened in town and it was MUCH larger and had a better selection. That place even had a music section that sold new release tapes. I remember buying 2 Live Crew there because they didn't card despite the warning label.

At that point the small place panic fired half the staff. They hung on for a few more years because a liquor place opened in the connected building, (parking lot mishaps and fights became legendary after this) but eventually it all went under.