The Last Video Store

[Tom Sawyer]

The last video store

No Hollywood ending for Terrace entrepreneur

 

QUOTE

MOUNTLAKE TERRACE -- Dean McDonald loves movies. His passion led him to a career in the video rental business, beginning as owner of Lynnwood Video in 1977, then Richmond Beach Video and, in 1996, Video Mirage, 22402 44th Ave. W. in Mountlake Terrace. But his passion for film wasn't enough, he says, to overcome stiff competition from "the big boys" -- namely, Blockbuster and the Internet-based subscription service Netflix. Simply put, Video Mirage, Mountlake Terrace's only independent video store, is going out of business. On Jan. 24, McDonald rang up the last sales for his collection of DVDs and videos in preparation for vacating the store. His lease expires Jan. 31. "As far as selection goes, I can beat Blockbuster," McDonald said. "But as far as quantity, I can't compete against them." Videos cassettes and DVDs at the store have been marked with price labels ranging from less than $9 to as much as $45 for one-of-a-kind or rare classics. If his life were a movie, the 1988 film "Tucker," comes the closest to describing it now, McDonald said. In that film, Jeff Bridges plays Preston Tucker, inventor of a futuristic 1950s car that never went into mass production because powerful competitors would not allow it. "He believed in what he did until the very end," McDonald said. "What put him out of business was politics and big money. He was fighting big corporations. He believed in everything he was doing -- customer service, the way things were built. He never gave up until he was put out of business." McDonald said he sees a loose parallel between Tucker's experiences and his own. Six years ago, he was part of a large class-action lawsuit filed by independent video store owners against Blockbuster Inc., Viacom and Hollywood film studios. According to a June 14, 2002, New York Times article, the original plaintiffs in that lawsuit were three video store owners from Sacramento, San Antonio and Syracuse, N.Y. They claimed big film studios and Blockbuster had illegally conspired in the late 1990s and that Viacom persuaded studios to sell Blockbuster's videos at much lower prices than what independent store owners could. Plaintiffs settled out of court with some of the companies but other cases are pending, McDonald said. He said he's particularly concerned about the future of classic films on VHS because DVDs have become the primary format for video movies. McDonald said without high definition TV, it's virtually impossible to tell the difference between VHS and DVD. "DVDs are OK except they scratch really easily," said McDonald, whose longtime employee, Rick Roberts of Lynnwood, has been with him for 18 years. "He's a walking encyclopedia about movies," McDonald said. The last VHS releases were completed in January 2006. Since then, only DVD movies have been put into distribution, McDonald said. "They didn't even put the final version of Star Wars on VHS, it's only on DVD," McDonald said. "That's the sad part to me." And customer service, he said, seems to have lost out to price. "What happened to customer service?" he asked. "When a person comes in here, we know every single movie in the store. When you go to a Blockbuster, they type it up in the computer and sometimes they're not sure what the movie is. People will come in here and won't know what a movie's called but they'll describe part of it and bam! We'll know what it is." What's next for McDonald? "I don't know," he said, adding that he'd considered starting an Internet retail business, but on a much smaller scale than Netflix. He rejected that option as impractical and unprofitable. "Thirty years is a long time to be in this business," he said. "I'll miss the people. I won't miss the business. It's gotten too commercialized."

 

 

source of the story

 

*I hope it's appropriate to post this in this forum.

 

This whole subject is a passion of mine. Being a huge movie buff, and having a sensitive side for the small business owners plight in middle-town America.

 

A neighbor and an acquaintance. I enjoyed our movie conversations very much. He will be missed.

 

But I thought it was important to post, I am curious how many of these independent video rental stores exsist anymore.

[The Slanny Ganizat]

There's a guy in my neighborhood who owns an independent store like this, and I hope he stays in business! He's a way nice guy, knows his movies like the back of his hand, and remembers peoples' names even if they only come in once every three years. Fortunately, he has enough distance between him and the nearest blockbuster that he has enough people that don't have to go very far to get any movie they can think of - (he's got a HUGE selection, more movies than I can ever see in my whole life).

 

I always feel good about myself when I rent from him

[softfilter]

There was at least eight independent video stores in the Canton area during the height of the newly found video craze. (Weird I remember having to pay for membership $30.00 for a year and one free movie with every ten rentals, fringe benefits able to reserve movies,you get first priority on new releases and free pop corn! oh boy! ) Man was that a scam but they all were like that in the beginning, at least around here. Now theres none, unless you count the video porn shop downtown

Sad but it's the sign of the times, Blockbuster,Hollywood Video, online service netflix etc. Are the equivalent of Walmart,Lowes and Borders and there effect on local small business. The chains are far more convenient and have more buying power to deal with overhead.

Can't compete, so mom and pop have to close down shop.

[Tick]

hell, forget the independent stores, in my neck of the woods even some of the big chain stores like tommy k's are going out of buisness due to online video chains such as net flix. i can see a day in the not to distant future where there are no more video stores, its just a matter of time.

[owlswing]

QUOTE (tick @ Feb 2 2007, 12:17 PM)

hell, forget the independent stores, in my neck of the woods even some of the big chain stores like tommy k's are going out of buisness due to online video chains such as net flix. i can see a day in the not to distant future where there are no more video stores, its just a matter of time.

We haven't signed with any mail order DVD service but we have something called OnDemand with our cable service where you can rent movies for 24 hrs. You can get some good classic ones as low as $1.99. It goes right on the next months bill.

 

I've noticed with our local Blockbuster. It has been empty. Their going to need to do some perk promos and lower the $$$ or be the next on the chopping block.

 

Our last mom and pop placed closed last year.

 

 

PS: Tucker-Awesome Movie

 

[Atomic.Feedback!]

Mom and Pop everythings are dying. Unless you're out in the sticks, there's really no way to compete with Blockbuster.

 

I've never known any local video stores, but when I went back to visit my brother in Texas, I went to stop by the indie record store down there, called 'Cactus Records'. It broke my heart when I went up and pulled on the door... only to find it was chained shut; when I looked in the window, it was stripped to the bare walls. And look! Down the street! What's that? A Borders.

 

Don't even get me started on online stores. Mom and Pop are unemployed...

 

[softfilter]

QUOTE (Atomic.Feedback! @ Feb 21 2007, 08:42 PM)

Mom and Pop everythings are dying. Unless you're out in the sticks, there's really no way to compete with Blockbuster. I've never known any local video stores, but when I went back to visit my brother in Texas, I went to stop by the indie record store down there, called 'Cactus Records'. It broke my heart when I went up and pulled on the door... only to find it was chained shut; when I looked in the window, it was stripped to the bare walls. And look! Down the street! What's that? A Borders. Don't even get me started on online stores. Mom and Pop are unemployed...

Use to have a couple of independent record stores in Canton.

Quonset hut really cool place had everything posters, tour shirts great selection of music and hard to find albums from 8 track ,cassette, vinyl even had reel to reel. And incense along with all the proper paraphernalia. It closed two years ago and reopened as a dart and skateboard supply shop. The other one was called Strange Daze music just read the Q-hut description but was more heavy on the needs then the music side of the business.Didn't last as long closed late 70's. Very sad.