1. Getting Your Own Membership Card
Getting your first video rental membership card was a key rite of passage, signifying a new level of freedom and responsibility. This plastic card, often issued by major chains like Blockbuster or a local independent store, was a ticket to cinematic adventure. Unlike today’s instant sign-ups, securing a card often required a parent’s signature and proof of address, making it feel like a genuine accomplishment. Flashing this card to the clerk as a kid gave a sense of importance, officially granting access to the vast universe of movies and, later, video games. It was a tangible connection to the communal movie-watching culture of the era.
2. Enduring the “Be Kind, Rewind” Mandate
The phrase “Be Kind, Rewind” was the inescapable slogan of the VHS era, often emblazoned on signs and rental boxes. Because VHS tapes are irreversible and do not automatically return to the beginning, customers were expected to manually rewind the film after viewing. Failing to do so meant facing an extra fee upon return, a penalty that could feel disproportionate to the cost of the rental itself. This chore led many families to purchase dedicated, often novelty-shaped, external tape rewinders to spare their VCR’s internal mechanisms and avoid the dreaded late-return charge.
3. The Race to the New Release Wall
Every Friday night sparked a thrilling race to the “New Release” wall, the most coveted section in the entire store. Unlike the hundreds of available catalog titles, the hottest blockbuster films had a limited number of copies, making early arrival essential for securing a rental. Arriving too late meant seeing only empty shelves and reservation slips, an immediate disappointment that could derail a carefully planned weekend movie night. This intense competition turned a simple shopping trip into a strategic mission, teaching kids the value of punctuality for their favorite entertainment.
4. Scanning the Back of the VHS Box
Without instant access to online reviews or trailers, the only way to gauge a movie’s quality was by meticulously scanning the back of the bulky VHS box. This process was an exercise in pure anticipation, involving reading the plot synopsis, examining the grainy screenshots, and scrutinizing the list of stars and director. These few paragraphs and images were all you had to go on, forcing you to use imagination and hope that the marketing material lived up to the movie’s content. The box art itself, often dramatic and sometimes misleading, became a crucial part of the selection ritual.
5. The Agony of the Late Fee Tally
Late fees were the universal bane of the video rental experience, a small penalty that could quickly escalate into a substantial debt. Customers lived in fear of forgetting the due date, knowing that each passing day added another rental charge to their account. The walk to the counter became a moment of reckoning, as the employee scanned the returns and the total amount due for overage was calculated. This system was so central to the business model of stores like Blockbuster that it even contributed to their eventual decline, but for a generation, it was a constant, anxiety-inducing reminder of responsibility.
6. Walking the Forbidden Aisle
For kids, the “Adults Only” section, often tucked away behind a curtain or in a clearly marked corner, was an area of irresistible mystery and curiosity. Though strictly off-limits, the sheer designation and the secretive nature of the section made its contents seem infinitely more intriguing. Daring a quick, furtive glance as you passed by was a common, small act of rebellion or curiosity, often done with a racing heart to avoid being spotted by a parent or a store clerk. This space became a symbol of the unknown, representing the adult world beyond their reach.
7. The Smell of the Store
Every video rental store had a unique, yet familiar, sensory signature that instantly transported you into the movie-browsing mindset. The distinct smell was a combination of new plastic casings, the slightly dusty aroma of thousands of cardboard and synthetic boxes, and the faint scent of microwave popcorn sold at the counter. This specific blend of odors was the olfactory welcome mat to the world of home entertainment, an experience completely lost in the digital age, which had no such physical anchor.
8. Renting a VCR Player or Game Console
In the early days of home video, not every family owned a VCR, or a new video game console like the Nintendo 64 or PlayStation. Many video rental stores recognized this market gap and offered rental services for the equipment itself. This meant that along with your movie, you might also walk out with a bulky, heavy VCR unit for the weekend, or a console and controller set. This option made high-tech home entertainment accessible, turning a one-night rental into a full-scale, temporary upgrade of the family’s living room setup.
9. Finding the Misfiled Treasure
Discovering a great movie or game that was accidentally placed out of its correct section felt like finding a rare, hidden gem. Browsing the Action section only to stumble upon a classic Comedy or a highly-rated Horror film was a moment of genuine excitement. This “misfiled treasure” provided a surprising detour from your original plan, suggesting an unexpected viewing for the night. Since stores were organized alphabetically and by genre, a stray box was a literal moment of serendipity and cinematic discovery.
10. Checking the Tape for Wear and Tear
Before taking a movie home, it was a common habit to inspect the VHS tape’s condition by briefly opening the plastic case. Customers would visually check the transparent window on the cassette to see if the magnetic tape inside looked tangled, wrinkled, or stretched, all signs of poor handling and potential playback issues. A damaged tape could result in a terrible viewing experience, marked by fuzzy tracking lines or audio dropouts, making a quick pre-check a necessary precaution to ensure a smooth movie night.
11. The Disappointment of an Empty Box
The worst discovery on the New Release shelf was a brightly colored box with a tiny slip of paper inside instead of the actual movie. This slip, which simply indicated the title was checked out, was a major letdown after the excitement of locating the box. Since the actual movies were often kept behind the counter to prevent theft, the display boxes merely served as placeholders. Finding an empty case was a frustrating confirmation that the movie you wanted was already in someone else’s VCR, meaning you had to immediately start the search for a second-best option.
12. The Smell of Rewinders Burning
Dedicated external tape rewinders, often shaped like race cars or novelty items, were a common household accessory to save wear on the VCR. However, these small, specialized motors could generate a distinctive, slightly acrid “burning” smell when used frequently or for prolonged periods, especially if they were cheaply made. This warm, electrical smell was the literal scent of fast-paced tape motion, an incidental sensory experience tied directly to the ritual of quickly preparing a rented film for its return.
13. Debating the Betamax vs. VHS Choice
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, video rental shops were caught in a format war between Sony’s Betamax and JVC’s VHS. Customers had to choose which format to commit to, as stores often specialized or at least kept separate sections for each. VHS eventually won this battle due to its longer recording time and more open licensing, but for a period, families and kids remember the confusion and debate over which format to invest in, with one part of the store essentially becoming obsolete.
14. Waiting for a Clerk to Unlock the Game
Video games, particularly for new consoles, were treated like precious, high-value items in the rental store. The actual cartridge or disc was secured in a locked display case or kept behind the counter to prevent theft. You couldn’t just pick it up and walk to the checkout; you first had to flag down an employee, request the specific game, and wait patiently for them to retrieve the title and unlock the anti-theft case. This added a layer of ceremony and anticipation to game rentals, making the final moment of possession feel more rewarding.
15. Listening to the VCR Tracking Adjust
A common issue with VHS tapes, especially well-used rentals, was a loss of picture clarity, resulting in static or wavy lines across the screen, an effect called “bad tracking.” Kids remember having to manually adjust the VCR’s “Tracking” dial, a small button or knob on the machine, until the picture stabilized into a clear, watchable image. The distinct, whirring sound of the VCR’s internal mechanism responding to the manual adjustment was a classic, necessary pre-movie ritual.
16. Returning the Movie to a Drop Box
For late-night or early-morning returns, customers used a dedicated outdoor drop box, a sturdy metal slot often resembling a mail drop, located near the store’s entrance. The satisfying clunk as the bulky plastic case slid down the chute marked the completion of the rental obligation. Kids remember the relief of depositing the movie before the store opened, ensuring they met the due date and avoided any potential late fees, a critical mission successfully completed outside of business hours.
17. Watching the Store’s Trailer Loop
To generate excitement for new and upcoming releases, video rental stores often had multiple television screens playing a continuous, looping reel of movie trailers. Waiting in line could often involve being mesmerized by this promotional loop, watching the same two-minute snippets multiple times. This pre-programmed sequence of clips was a form of in-store advertising that built anticipation and helped customers discover movies they hadn’t initially considered renting.
18. Receiving a Free Popcorn Coupon
To incentivize rentals and create a complete entertainment experience, some video stores would offer small, low-cost perks, with the most memorable being a coupon for a free bag of microwave popcorn. This was an early form of a loyalty reward, linking the act of renting a movie with the essential cinematic snack. For kids, a free bag of popcorn elevated the entire night, solidifying the connection between the store and the cozy, theater-like experience at home.
19. Renting Video Games on Cartridges
Before games transitioned fully to CDs and discs, the rental store was the main source for high-demand, expensive game cartridges for systems like the Nintendo Entertainment System or Super Nintendo. Since buying a new game was a significant investment, renting a cartridge for the weekend was the only way most kids could play the latest titles. The feeling of finally slotting that heavy, rented cartridge into the console on a Friday afternoon was a pure rush of weekend anticipation.
The video rental store was more than a place to get a movie; it was a weekly social hub, a battlefield for new releases, and a powerful lesson in time management. Though the aisles are gone, the memories of the membership cards, the rewind fees, and the collective rush for that single copy of a blockbuster hit remain clear for anyone who grew up in that golden era. It truly was an experience that can’t be streamed.
Like this story? Add your thoughts in the comments, thank you.
This story 19 Things Only Video-Rental Kids Remember Doing was first published on Daily FETCH
