Rental store stickers - shop still around?

[B.A. | 1,139]

I was putting away some of my NES carts tonight, I've always liked the history of rental store stickers. I got sucked into the Google rabbit hole of looking up if the places were still around. 

Not surprisingly I didn't find any that were, but there surely must be some survivors in some form out there right?? Or are they all completely gone? I found one that was an electronic shop and now is a computer store, so could be an evolution.

Does anyone have any carts where the store still exists? Take a look and post em if you got em!

[Tulpa | 3,492]

There's technically one Blockbuster still open, but does that only count if you have a game from the one in Bend, Oregon?

I rented mine from two places, Pop'N Go video, which is now a donut shop, and our local supermarket. The supermarket is still there, but they stopped renting games years and years ago. I don't even know when they actually stopped.

I think I looked up the two video stores my carts came from (Treasure Island Video from somewhere in Indiana and a place called Country Time Video in Washington), but couldn't find a trace of them.

Edited October 21, 2021 by Tulpa

[B.A. | 1,139]

If it's the same grocery store I would say that absolutely counts! Nice 

[Tulpa | 3,492]

It's too bad Redbox stopped renting games a couple of years ago, as I just looked the grocery store up and it does have a kiosk inside.

[DK | 258]

Just went through what I have and only found one. Bill and Ted from Price Chopper in Kansas City MO. Still has the same phone #, but I imagine the "Video Store" is gone.

 

[NintendoTwizer | 123]

To be honest, its been years since I've seen a physical video store.  That said, maybe grocery stores or other random places that rented video games could be around.  

[Foochie776 | 1,051]

The Cash Wise that my Super Mario Bros 3 came from still exists, though they haven’t rented out movies/games in probably 10-12 years now. 

[croagunk | 798]

I have a few games from Jumbo Video and Video Biz. Neither are still around. The nostalgia factor for those places is high.

I think Video Biz might be a Salvation Army now? And Jumbo Video became a few other stores, but it’s nothing now.

Edited October 21, 2021 by croagunk

[Tulpa | 3,492]

10 hours ago, NintendoTwizer said:

To be honest, its been years since I've seen a physical video store.  That said, maybe grocery stores or other random places that rented video games could be around.  

Grocery stores IMO are the most likely former rental outlets that are still around (people gotta eat), followed by maybe electronics stores that haven't been run out by Best Buy or Amazon.

Maybe a few Mom & Pop video stores that managed to weather the Blockbuster/Netflix onslaught and are now kitschy retro hangouts with a dedicated patron base still exist. Those have to be few and far between by now, though.

[8bitsupremacy | 208]

I have a cart from from People's Choice Video Express in Waukegan, IL which was actually a hometown spot of mine...I believe one of the largest video rental stores in the US at one point actually...over time it converted into a family fun center/video game arcade with skee ball and all that shit (another antiquated business venture) and up until very recently they always had a little remaining sad corner of DVDs and VHS and some common NES or whatever games you could rent or buy...that's all gone now but it's definitely a conversion spot and now called People's Choice Family Fun Center...even though my lady and I live in Chicago (I haven't lived in or near Waukegan in at least 15 years) and I don't visit Waukegan much anymore we'll pop in when passing through and take a dorky couple shot in the photo booth there and add some sweet flame background in on the options screen.  Also, weirdly enough another current collector from Kenosha, WI I met through Instagram used to work there as a teenager, and also-also another buddy of mine scored a cib Action 52 for $5 in a liquidation tent sale the store did in uhhhh 1999?  Jeez... long time ago.  He still has it too.

 

Edited October 22, 2021 by 8bitsupremacy

[B.A. | 1,139]

@8bitsupremacythat's the type of scenario I thought there might still be some of.  I figured none of these places are still in the rental business, but it's still cool if they are still kicking in some form or another. 

[a3quit4s | 4,096]

On my NES loose set I purposely bought ones that I could find that had rental store stickers. They are cheaper and I think it’s kind of neat to track where they came from. All the ones I looked up are closed unfortunately. It’s sad to think my son won’t have the same experience of spending many hours in the game rental section picking the perfect game only for it to suck when you get home hahaha