If it was hard for you to get rid of your beanie babies and cassette player, then you may want to visit what could be the last place to rent a VHS tape in the Twin Cities before it's too late.
Scott Prost, the owner of Video Universe in Robbinsdale, joined News Talk 830 WCCO’s Jordana Green and Adam Carter to discuss his store and how he’s kept his business going for so long, despite the growth of the digital age.
Having been open since 1985, Prost’s store will finally close up shop this year, marking an end to 37 years of business.
“It’s probably like walking into a video museum,” Prost said of his store’s collection of nearly 40,000 movies.
While some parts of the store are like a “time machine,” Prost says that the store offers more than just the old school VHS tapes, as DVDs and blu ray discs are also available to rent. He described it as “the entire history of home video in one place.”
When it comes to how he's been in business so long, Prost doesn't give credit to the current state of the video business.
“I wouldn’t be going out of business if it was rolling in the dough right now. But obviously the video business is not what it used to be. But I think it’s the… diversity of the collection,” Prost said, adding that no matter the film, “you name it, it’s in the store.”
While he isn’t denying that his client base is shrinking, and has for some time, he says there are still some who are looking for a simpler way to watch movies without paying an arm and a leg for every streaming service that’s available.
Prost’s time in his shop is coming to a close, and when it comes to what he’ll miss the most, it isn’t just his favorite movies but the “interactions with the customers.”
“I think through the course of time, you develop a relationship with people and their families and their kids,” Prost said.
While we are living in the digital age, and VHS players are no longer being made, there is a market for old tapes. Prost says there will be a sale at the store for anyone who is interested. No final date has been set, but currently, the tentative date is March 1.
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