Poll of the Day > I kinda miss movie rental stores.

(+) Yeah! (+)

Sure, they were more expensive and late fees were ridiculous, but it was always fun to go in there and just look around for a good movie or game for your weekend. Much more fun than Netflix or Redbox.

What about you, PotD?

there's still one in my town

https://www.familyvideo.com/

i only use them to resurface discs for $1
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helIy posted...

there's still one in my town

I am so jelly, helly

SkynyrdRocker posted...

late fees were ridiculous

If you paid late fees, that is your own fault

helIy posted...

there's still one in my town

same here
*high five*
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Ogurisama posted...

SkynyrdRocker posted...

late fees were ridiculous

If you paid late fees, that is your own fault

I don't think I ever used them when I was spending my own money. I think sometimes my mom forgot to return them on time. I'm good about returning stuff on time, I've never had a Redbox rental for longer than one night.

We have a couple around here still. Heh.

I always loved them and miss them very much.

there's just something about browsing around isles looking at cases that's better than standing at a kiosk swiping on a screen

of course, the prices are way shitty at a brick and mortar store

and like, the boxes of candy are like $4 there, when right next door is a dollar general where the SAME boxes of candy are $1
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helIy posted...

there's just something about browsing around isles looking at cases that's better than standing at a kiosk swiping on a screen

of course, the prices are way shitty at a brick and mortar store

Exactly!

I read an article about how there are still like 7 Blockbusters in Alaska because Internet is so expensive there and you have to pay by usage that it's actually a better deal to rent stuff like TV seasons than stream them on Netflix. I thought it was neat.

i work at one
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SkynyrdRocker posted...

What about you, PotD?

I miss the sales they had on ex rentals. Places like Blockbusters, Choices and so on had some good sales now and then. Of course with the likes of Cex these days all is not lost. I can still pick up cheap movies, games and so on from those places at times.
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Lorthremar posted...

i work at one

Is it weird knowing the industry you work in is bound to die eventually? Not being rude, that was something they mentioned in the article about the Blockbusters in Alaska too.

SkynyrdRocker posted...

Lorthremar posted...

i work at one

Is it weird knowing the industry you work in is bound to die eventually? Not being rude, that was something they mentioned in the article about the Blockbusters in Alaska too.

it's just a college job so i don't really care, but what i was told was last year was family video's most profitable year on record so it doesn't look like we're dying out quite yet
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Lorthremar posted...

what i was told was last year was family video's most profitable year on record

...what? What? WHAT???

i never used one before

i think i stepped into one once before
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wwinterj25 posted...

SkynyrdRocker posted...

What about you, PotD?

I miss the sales they had on ex rentals. Places like Blockbusters, Choices and so on had some good sales now and then. Of course with the likes of Cex these days all is not lost. I can still pick up cheap movies, games and so on from those places at times.

and video games, too

you can pick up that new deus ex game for about $5 at the place here
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helIy posted...

there's still one in my town

https://www.familyvideo.com/

i only use them to resurface discs for $1

I like them.

I will occassionally go in with a coupon or on a deal day. Last time i went i rented 5 movies for 3 bucks.
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SkynyrdRocker posted...

Lorthremar posted...

what i was told was last year was family video's most profitable year on record

...what? What? WHAT???

Not that surprising if you are the only competition in town and someone is bound to go "Huh, nothing I want to see on Netflix, might as well go to the video store and see what they have".

I mean hell, there are a ton of 70's and 80's movies I want to see that aren't on Netfix, so if the video rental place has them then they will probably get my business.
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But then why won't Family Video expand to my state? :(

SkynyrdRocker posted...

But then why won't Family Video expand to my state? :(

iirc we're based in Chicago so we stay around there. i work at one in Michigan
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Lorthremar posted...

SkynyrdRocker posted...

But then why won't Family Video expand to my state? :(

iirc we're based in Chicago so we stay around there. i work at one in Michigan

We have a Family Video in my town in Michigan, it actually was profitable enough to warrant moving stores across our city.
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There's at least 3 in my town as for as I know. One of them is a Family Video.

There's also the library where we could check out tons of dvds, a few blurays, and.... vhs tapes.
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ToastyPOP posted...

There's at least 3 in my town as for as I know. One of them is a Family Video.

There's also the library where we could check out tons of dvds, a few blurays, and.... vhs tapes.

fun fact: i had a woman complain to my boss about me because i told her we don't carry vhs tapes anymore and haven't done so for like a decade
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SkynyrdRocker posted...

Sure, they were more expensive and late fees were ridiculous, but it was always fun to go in there and just look around for a good movie or game for your weekend. Much more fun than Netflix or Redbox.

What about you, PotD?

Yeah me too.

It was a fun family event, going in and seeing everything up on the wall like that. As a bonus, one of the ones near me doubled as a pizza joint. I'll bet they never thought back in the 80s making loads of $$$ they'd soon be obsolete :(
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...is family video the only rental store left?
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Try your local library. Mine has DVDs and Blu-Rays and even the week of release. You can reserve them online before they come to make sure you get it right away or just walk in and see what they have. Right now the section is small but they know people rent them and will probably expand it eventually.
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SkynyrdRocker posted...

Lorthremar posted...

i work at one

Is it weird knowing the industry you work in is bound to die eventually? Not being rude, that was something they mentioned in the article about the Blockbusters in Alaska too.

Every industry is bound to die, humans aren't gonna be around forever
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Muscles posted...

SkynyrdRocker posted...

Lorthremar posted...

i work at one

Is it weird knowing the industry you work in is bound to die eventually? Not being rude, that was something they mentioned in the article about the Blockbusters in Alaska too.

Every industry is bound to die, humans aren't gonna be around forever

Same thing with record stores. From 1995-1998 I worked in three huge chains and now they're all gone. The only one I can think of that's still around is Newbury Comics and then only because half of what they sell are shirts, posters, movies and etc.
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It was a different time. There's still a rental store here. Not everyone out in the country has decent Internet and streaming.

My family used to do pizza and movie rentals on Friday. For me I'd rent a NES or Genesis cartridge. It was always exciting to look at the big shelf of games.

To this day I have the occasional dream about trying to return game rentals
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