There was a time when momma and papa video rental places existed. I can remember them as a kid. Often, there was floor to ceiling shelves of movies. In those days, they would just leave out the box cover and they actually had the VHS tape stored in the back of the store. I remember the tape was often put in a dark brown jewel case with the movie title typed or written on a large sticker. These places had their own prices and policies. And some times when you were late, if they were really nice, they'd let you off without having to pay a fee. Each store had an unique selection of movies. They'd even have a small section of used movies for sale. These were the days before DVDs were ever around, and these were the days before corporate stores started taking over. A lot of these privately owned video rental places, started dissappearing in my town during the late 80's when places like "The Warehouse", "Blockbuster" moved in.

Who here remembers these places, or worked in a momma and papa video rental store?
Did they ever have BETA's in the early days?
Share your memories.

P.S.

I'm sure there might still be a few stores like these left, but it's rare.

The places I rented from were Bandito Video (currently out of business), King's Stereo, and D&D World of Video.  Only King's Stereo and D&D World of Video are still in business in Thunder Bay.

Currently I rent from Blockbuster, and before that Roger's Video and Hopedale Video, which is now out of business.

Bandito Video (currently out of business)


I used to love Bandito Video.  The one we had here was really huge.  It had a section for VHS and Beta, and in the middle of the store was a little playground that I used to play on while my mom shopped for movies to rent :)

They had at least two in Thunder Bay, the place was big and the selection was good.

Then Blockbuster came into town.

The first time I can recall renting videos was at one of the so-called "mom and pop" places. Not far from I lived, there was a grocery store/convenience store called "My Three Sons" that had a video rental section. The first time we went in, one of the new movies was the early River Phoenix kid flick "The Explorers". Anyway, they also had the big suitcase VCR units, which were commonly used in my household until my folks shelled out the cash for one of their own in the late 80s. By then, "My Three Sons" had long since gone out of business and most of the independent video stores had disappeared with 'em. 

These days, Blockbuster and Hollywood Video are the places to go, though the first major chain in my area, First Row Video, still remains in business, albeit under at last three different names since it opened.

We had 2 mom & pop video rental shops that were in close prximity in the 80's. One has since closed, I think because it was out of the way, but the other which is in town is still around and thriving. They also rent video games.

Wow, I forgot all the former customs of the old time video rentals, but now I totally remember how that processed worked with having to go to the actual cashier and getting the video from them. Wow, that seemed like ages ago - but I remember it.

I think in small towns they still do exist.

Back in 2002 I went to this southern Oregon town where there was a video rental, in of all places at a barber shop!  ;D

I remember the "mom & pop" video rental places very well, although I can't seem to remember any names.  I think most around me were like "Video Time" or "Movie Time", something pretty generic. 

I remember it was such a big thing to rent a "new" video - new meaning it was out within the last 5 years!  Sometimes we had to put our names on a waiting list and wait about a week to get it.

There was a great little store in Avondale Estates, GA - Avondale Video - that I used to visit all the time.  They would sell you stuff off the shelf if you wanted it and they would also sell the movie posters.  I got some really great posters - Pulp Fiction, Usual Suspects, etc.  That was really at the begin of the downfall of the mom & pop video store I guess.  Blockbuster, Hollywood Video, etc. put them out of business.

Oddly enough, it's really tough to find a video store within miles of my current home.  They all closed - well, except Blockbuster anyway. 

I worked at a few Mom & Pop video rental stores. We sold albums and cassettes as well. My favorite job was at Foothill Video. We would put on some funky music video and perform for the clients. We always had a blast.  Even though I worked the weekends and nights, it never failed to be entertaining and fun. I even remember having a small private room for x-rated videos. Everyone would draw straws to see who had to be the one to go put the movies back in there.  ;D

I am originally from Youngstown as well.....

and we had "First Row Video"...and "Anthony Cocca's Video Land"

First row became a "Moovies"...and now I think its something else.....

Cocca's just went out of business.....

i remember when renting videos first started becoming popular....it was like a special occasion in my house.
My dad would go to the video store after work on a friday and bring back videos of old Mickey Mouse cartoons for me and my siblings to watch.

I grew up in Tasmaina, which for those who don't know is a small island off the south east of Australia. About 10 min walk from home was the small, family-owned Sandy Bay Video -still there, as far as I know. They had a VHS and a Beta section -and an adult section in the far back corner, where you had to squeeze between two rows of shelf. As the 80s wore on, the Beta section became smaller and smaller, completely to disappear come the 90s.
Just before I moved away from Tassie in 2000, the male owner came to know me quite well, as I showed up every week to re-hire a certain Culture Club video. Sometimes if I gave him a nice smile, he would say, "Just $1 will be fine" or "Don't worry about it." ;)
I also remember a Video Chemist -a large pharmacy, with a just as large video higher section. An interesting business idea, it disappeared around '87, replaced by a run-of-the-mill ChemMart pharmacy. In the more country areas of Tasmania, it was not unusual for the little family-owned corner shop/general store to have a small section of VHS movies for hire.

I used to love Bandito Video.  The one we had here was really huge.  It had a section for VHS and Beta, and in the middle of the store was a little playground that I used to play on while my mom shopped for movies to rent :)
In the area were I live did have a Blockbuster Video, it has closed down and now is an office/shop front for a funeral director. In fact, a famous film who lived near by used to frequent this shop.

For us it was Major Video in the 80s and early 90s.

Blockbuster
The Wherehouse

These were active at least in California.

In the area were I live did have a Blockbuster Video, it has closed down and now is an office/shop front for a funeral director. In fact, a famous film who lived near by used to frequent this shop.



During the late 1980's there was a Blockbuster video place to rent videos.

For us it was Major Video in the 80s and early 90s.


Ours was Video Box and Video Zone, they were across the street from each other.

We had a couple local chains called Family Video and Horizon Video. Eventually they merged and Family Video still exists. We had a Blockbuster but it wasn’t real popular. The mom and pop video stores were gas stations that had a small selection. We used one because town was like 12 miles away.

During the late 1980's there was a Blockbuster video place to rent videos.

And it was still active in the 1990's and beyond. However, it went defunct in the 2010's.

In fact, it had a music store spinoff in the 1990's called Blockbuster Music, which was actually the result of the corporation purchasing the MusicPlus store chain. But that was short-lived, because that, too, was bought out by 1998.

There were a few in town. I bet most of the small shopping areas on the different housing estates had one. Neither of the ones I used are still open. One became a house and the other is now a hair and beauty place.

The only one I can remember the name of is Milan video. It started out in the row of shops near me (these have been knocked down), then it moved to another location into a converted house. I think it is still there, but rents out Bollywood movies to the Indian community in town.

Don't remember. I know it wasn't Blockbuster. It might have been a locally owned place.


Cat

It might have been a locally owned place.


Cat

I remember a few of those in southern California as well. But I don't remember their names.

Don't remember. I know it wasn't Blockbuster. It might have been a locally owned place.


Cat


2 that I can I remember but they weren't Blockbuster, one was Video Box and the other was The Video Zone.

2 that I can I remember but they weren't Blockbuster, one was Video Box and the other was The Video Zone.

Yeah, those two were probably independent stores (not chains).

Yeah, those two were probably independent stores (not chains).


One was right across the street from each other, I can remember it was probably a Friday night, right after eating a few slices of pizza I'd go to Video Zone to rent a tape then right next door Baskin And Robbins.

One was right across the street from each other, I can remember it was probably a Friday night, right after eating a few slices of pizza I'd go to Video Zone to rent a tape then right next door Baskin And Robbins.

Sounds to me like they were in competition, being that close. I assume both are now gone?

Sounds to me like they were in competition, being that close. I assume both are now gone?


Both are gone, went out of business most likely close to 30 years ago.

Both are gone, went out of business most likely close to 30 years ago.

Figured as much. I'm pretty sure all the video stores in CA that were chains or independent are also now gone (even after they switched to DVD rentals...if they even survived to that era).

In the 80s there were a lot of small, independently owned video stores in local areas. They got to know their customers and would make recommendations based on the customer's tastes. I guess you could say it was an early version of an algorithm.  ;D  :D

Figured as much. I'm pretty sure all the video stores in CA that were chains or independent are also now gone (even after they switched to DVD rentals...if they even survived to that era).


And I think after they shut down Blockbuster was still around in a different neighborhood.

In the 80s there were a lot of small, independently owned video stores in local areas. They got to know their customers and would make recommendations based on the customer's tastes. I guess you could say it was an early version of an algorithm.  ;D  :D


I remember going into one and it smelled like an old basement.

In the 80s there were a lot of small, independently owned video stores in local areas. They got to know their customers and would make recommendations based on the customer's tastes. I guess you could say it was an early version of an algorithm.  ;D  :D


My ex did that when she ran the local Book World. Good way to get repeat business. Unfortunately the whole chain went defunct.

My ex did that when she ran the local Book World. Good way to get repeat business. Unfortunately the whole chain went defunct.


Why did it go defunct?  ???

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/75247-book-world-to-close-all-45-stores-across-the-midwest.html

I remember going into one and it smelled like an old basement.


Lol. Our go-to video rental place in the 80s was Major Video. I remember it having this weird smell...it was the VHS tapes/movies.

Lol. Our go-to video rental place in the 80s was Major Video. I remember it having this weird smell...it was the VHS tapes/movies.


Ours had that smell of a basement as soon as you entered, mine was called Video Box and Video Zone.

I lived in a small town in the west and we only had small "mom & pop" video rental places.
I loved the movie Cocoon, which I found very deep and emotional.

But paradoxically I also loved "teen sex comedies" as a child. I didn't understand a lot about the sex part but I found them light and funny. To this day, my favoriites are Revenge of the Nerds, Private Resort, Hot Resort, HUNK, The Allnighter...and John Candy's "Summer Rental."