Neighborhood movie rentals

I think it was 1981 when I first had a VCR. Not too many people had them them then. I would never have bought one but my girlfriend had a rich brother who bought a new model with many features and gave us his one year old model that worked perfectly well. Since then I've always had a VCR and then a DVD player. I don't have Blue Ray and I guess I won't get one.

Wherehouse Records was the first place in my area to rent tapes and they ran frequent specials. A lot of times you could rent two or three for a buck. It was a good deal. I used to rent a lot. I don't rent many movies anymore. I stopped about the time I quit drinking. I wonder if there is a connection.

I always have rented movies someplace in the neighborhood. Most people subscribe to an online mailer service now, mostly Netflicks. Up until the last few years there was a Blockbuster close by, a couple even. No more. The only place around now is a Hollywood video store and it's having a going out of business sale. I guess it's going to be Netflicks or nothing. It will probably be nothing for me. I never liked mail order media services. I joined a record club once thirty years ago and it was a nightmare. They were crooks and almost impossible to get rid of. Finally I just kept sending everything back return to sender, unopened, including their bills and threatening letters, after a couple of years they stopped sending me stuff.

Things sure change quick. Brick and mortar video rental stores only started thirty years ago and became a huge industry. Now they're gone. Think about all the commercial enterprises that were institutions in most communities, book stores, music stores, Dry Goods, travel agencies, trading stamp redemption stores, frozen food lockers, news stands, shoe repair, drive in movies, bus stations, that you rarely see. What kind of places did you go to that don't exist anymore?