Rental Return: Tales From the Video Store

We close out season 4 with a first for Rental Return as we interview a father and son who both worked at video rental stores. Joe shares amazing stories about his time as the general manager of Canadian chain, The Video Movie Place from 1984-1988, while Mike reveals how much the business changed a decade later when he worked at Blockbuster Video. Plus, we announce a special event screening of documentary, 7 Year Rental, which you can get an invite to by contacting @hojukoolander on social media or sending an e-mail to hojukoolander@gmail.com. Follow @TRNsocial on X, Instagram, and Facebook for more Rental Return visuals provided by our Video Heroes and other memories form the video store era. Support Geekster and shows like Rental Return by becoming a VIP on Patreon. Your monthly support helps Geekster and its creators, but also gets your name in the show notes as a supporter, access to the VIP Lounge chat on Slack, and exclusive content. If you are a former rental store employee and would like to be interviewed for an upcoming season, please contact Adam @hojukoolander on X or Instagram or email hojukoolander@gmail.com. Thanks to our monthly supporters ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Lee joins us to recount his experience working at multiple Movie Gallery stores throughout the state of Iowa. Hear tales of getting peed on while dressed up as The Grinch for in-store events, destroying video store shelves with Spider-Man style shenanigans and so much more! Follow @TRNsocial on X, Instagram, and Facebook for more Rental Return visuals provided by our Video Heroes and other memories form the video store era. Support The Retro Network and shows like Rental Return by becoming a VIP on Patreon. Your monthly support helps TRN and its creators, but also gets your name in the show notes as a supporter, access to the VIP Lounge chat on Slack, and exclusive content. If you are a former rental store employee and would like to be interviewed for an upcoming season, please contact Adam @hojukoolander on X or Instagram or email hojukoolander@gmail.com. Thanks to our monthly supporters ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

David joins us to tell the fascinating tale of working in a privately owned video rental store in Wisconsin from it's opening day in 1999 to it's abrupt closing 8 years later. Plus learn about the documentary he created during the store's final year. Get more details about the doc here http://sevenyearrental.squarespace.com/synopsis/ Follow @TRNsocial on X, Instagram, and Facebook for more including visuals from our Video Heroes. If you are a former rental store employee and would like to be interviewed for an upcoming season, please contact Adam @hojukoolander on X or instagram or email hojukoolander@gmail.com Visit The Retro Network on Patreon to support Rental Return and other network podcasts. You VIP status gets your name in the show notes of all shows on The Retro Network, an invite to the private VIP Lounge chat on Slack, and exclusive content. Thanks to our monthly supporters ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Dalibor joins us to share stories of working at Blockbuster Video in the early 2000's during the transition from VHS to DVD to streaming, explains how he became the top seller of upgraded memberships and more. Follow @TRNsocial on X, Instagram, and Facebook for more including visuals from our Video Heroes. If you are a former rental store employee and would like to be interviewed for an upcoming season, please contact Adam @hojukoolander on X or instagram or email hojukoolander@gmail.com Visit The Retro Network on Patreon to support Rental Return and other network podcasts. You VIP status gets your name in the show notes of all shows on The Retro Network, an invite to the private VIP Lounge chat on Slack, and exclusive content. Thanks to our monthly supporters ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Rob joins us to share his tales of the first video rental store in Australia, founded by his father in 1980. Lines out the door, Mickey Mouse costumes, gangsters, illegal porn and more! We've never heard wild stories like these before. Press Play now for one of kind stories from Down Under. Follow @TRNsocial on X, Instagram, and Facebook for more including visuals from our Video Heroes. If you are a former rental store employee and would like to be interviewed for an upcoming season, please contact Adam @hojukoolander on X or instagram or email hojukoolander@gmail.com Visit The Retro Network on Patreon to support Rental Return and other network podcasts. You VIP status gets your name in the show notes of all shows on The Retro Network, an invite to the private VIP Lounge chat on Slack, and exclusive content. Thanks to our monthly supporters ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Danielle from the No More Late Fees podcast shares her experience working at 4 different Blockbuster Video locations in Florida during the early 2000's, breaks down the daily grind and you won't believe the story she shares at the end about an incident in the video game section. Follow @TRNsocial on X, Instagram, and Facebook for more including visuals from our Video Heroes. If you are a former rental store employee and would like to be interviewed for an upcoming season, please contact Adam @hojukoolander on X or instagram or email hojukoolander@gmail.com Visit The Retro Network on Patreon to support Rental Return and other network podcasts. You VIP status gets your name in the show notes of all shows on The Retro Network, an invite to the private VIP Lounge chat on Slack, and exclusive content. Thanks to our monthly supporters ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Dirk Marshall from the VH-US podcast share his fantastic stories about growing up in a mom & pop video rental store during the 80's and 90's. Discover all the awesome promotional items he brought home as a kid, what he did with movie screener tapes, the terrifying tale of cockroaches invading a VCR and so much more! You can check out Dirk's podcast at vh-us.com. Follow @TRNsocial on X, Instagram, and Facebook for more including visuals from our Video Heroes. If you are a former rental store employee and would like to be interviewed for an upcoming season, please contact Adam @hojukoolander on X or instagram or email hojukoolander@gmail.com Visit The Retro Network on Patreon to support Rental Return and other network podcasts. You VIP status gets your name in the show notes of all shows on The Retro Network, an invite to the private VIP Lounge chat on Slack, and exclusive content. Thanks to our monthly supporters ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Rental Return is back for Season 4! In this kickoff episode, Adam and Chad Young (Horror Movie BBQ) introduce the new season of interviews with former video rental store employees, explore a long closed video rental store through instagram, talk about favorite childhood VHS tapes and recent additions to their video collections. Plus, a very special farewell to dearly departed friend and producer of Rental Return, Jason Gross. Follow @TRNsocial on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for more Rental Return visuals provided by our Video Heroes and other memories form the video store era. Support The Retro Network and shows like Rental Return by becoming a VIP on Patreon. Your monthly support helps TRN and its creators, but also gets your name in the show notes as a supporter, access to the VIP Lounge chat on Slack, and exclusive content. If you are a former rental store employee and would like to be interviewed for an upcoming season, please contact Adam @hojukoolander on Twitter or hojukoolander@gmail.com. Thanks to our monthly supporters ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

With Season 3 of Rental Return in the books, Adam (@Hojukoolander) and Jason (@RD80s) bookend the season by reflecting on what they learned through the experiences shared by the Video Heroes. They discuss some of the most interesting stories, things they did not know about the video store business, and favorite moments overall. They also talk about some recent video rental news including Netflix finally cancelling their DVD service and Blockbuster seemingly on the cusp of opening physical stores again. Follow @TRNsocial on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for Rental Return visuals and VHS memories. You can also support Rental Return and other great retro podcasts on The Retro Network by becoming a VIP on Patreon. Your monthly pledge gets your name in the show notes of every show, access to the VIP Lounge on Slack, and bonus content like podcasts and videos. Thanks in advance for your support! If you are a former rental store employee and would like to be interviewed for an upcoming season, please contact Adam @hojukoolander on Twitter or hojukoolander@gmail.com Thanks to our monthly supporters ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Season 3 of Rental Return - Tales From the Video Store concludes with an interview of Landall Goolsby (@iamlandall) who owned his a video store, Landall's Box Office, up through 2019. He also worked at several stores in the New Mexico area which he started working at 13. Randall talks about the circumstances of beginning in the video store industry, managing stores, and then owning his own store and becoming a board member for a national video rental association. He talks about the transition from VHS to DVD, meeting famous actors at conventions in Las Vegas, and the emotional time of closing his store and the outpouring of customer appreciation. Follow @TRNsocial on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for more including visuals from our Video Heroes. If you are a former rental store employee and would like to be interviewed for an upcoming season, please contact Adam @hojukoolander on Twitter or email hojukoolander@gmail.com Visit The Retro Network on Patreon to support Rental Return and other network podcasts. You VIP status gets your name in the show notes of all shows on The Retro Network, an invite to the private VIP Lounge chat on Slack, and exclusive content. Thanks to our monthly supporters ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Season 3 of Rental Return - Tales From the Video Store continues with an interview of Russ Burlingame (@RussBurlingame) who worked at Emerald City Video and just about every chain video store during the 2000s in the Syracuse area. Russ talks about the difference between working at a "Mom and Pop" store versus the corporate giants. He remembers some of the unique décor at Emerald City Video include screen used (and not so screen used) props. We also hear some stories of bad customers and what it was like to be a manager. Finally, Russ tells a heartwarming story about how he reconnected with a long lost customer. Follow @TRNsocial on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for more including visuals from our Video Heroes. If you are a former rental store employee and would like to be interviewed for an upcoming season, please contact Adam @hojukoolander on Twitter or email hojukoolander@gmail.com Visit The Retro Network on Patreon to support Rental Return and other network podcasts. You VIP status gets your name in the show notes of all shows on The Retro Network, an invite to the private VIP Lounge chat on Slack, and exclusive content. Thanks to our monthly supporters ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Season 3 of Rental Return - Tales From the Video Store continues with an interview of Michael May (@MichaelMayComix) who worked for a "Mom and Pop" store called Adventureland Video (later changed to Aardvark Video) in the late 80s in Tallahassee, Florida. Listen as he shares his early memories of visiting the store and how eventually was hired and became the manager for a time. Michael talks about ordering new movies, the perks of taking posters home, and how Blockbuster essentially led to the store going out of business. Follow @TRNsocial on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for more including visuals from our Video Heroes. If you are a former rental store employee and would like to be interviewed for an upcoming season, please contact Adam @hojukoolander on Twitter or email hojukoolander@gmail.com Visit The Retro Network on Patreon to support Rental Return and other network podcasts. You VIP status gets your name in the show notes of all shows on The Retro Network, an invite to the private VIP Lounge chat on Slack, and exclusive content. Thanks to our monthly supporters ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Season 3 of Rental Return - Tales From the Video Store continues with an interview of Andy Serwin who worked for a "Mom and Pop" store called The Video Hut in the late 80s in rural Pennsylvania. Listen as he shares his memories of working at the store and the family atmosphere it had when he started. Then he talks about new ownership and how he eventually moved on from working at the store. Andy also talks about the perks he experienced like watching movies all day and a close call he had while visiting a convenient store and still on the clock. Follow @TRNsocial on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for more including visuals from our Video Heroes. If you are a former rental store employee and would like to be interviewed for an upcoming season, please contact Adam @hojukoolander on Twitter or email hojukoolander@gmail.com Visit The Retro Network on Patreon to support Rental Return and other network podcasts. You VIP status gets your name in the show notes of all shows on The Retro Network, an invite to the private VIP Lounge chat on Slack, and exclusive content. Thanks to our monthly supporters ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Season 3 of Rental Return - Tales From the Video Store continues with an interview of Michael Labbe (@Superstarml) who worked for Movie Gallery in Augusta, ME in the late '90s to early 2000s. Listen as he shares his memories of working at the store, what he did in a typical week, and perks. Michael also remembers the layout of the store, encounters with the adult film room, and the unique time of when VHS was slowly being replaced by DVD. He also tells a sad story about the demise of his personal collection of hundreds of tapes. Follow @TRNsocial on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for more including visuals from our Video Heroes. If you are a former rental store employee and would like to be interviewed for an upcoming season, please contact Adam @hojukoolander on Twitter or email hojukoolander@gmail.com Visit The Retro Network on Patreon to support Rental Return and other network podcasts. You VIP status gets your name in the show notes of all shows on The Retro Network, an invite to the private VIP Lounge chat on Slack, and exclusive content. Thanks to our monthly supporters ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Season 3 of Rental Return - Tales From the Video Store kicks off with an interview of Landon (@HOC_STUDIOS) who grew up in a family-owned store in the early to mid '90s. Listen as he shares his memories of the store his mother ran for several years including her trips to the VHS warehouse that sold tapes and promotional items. Brandon also talks about the setup of the store, his favorite and least favorite rentals, and a ghost that still haunts a former video store location to this day. He also gives listeners a sad story about what happened to the vast library of VHS tapes kept inside his home and a redemptive experience that found him inside the remains of a store that went out of business years ago. Follow @TRNsocial on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for more including visuals from our Video Heroes. If you are a former rental store employee and would like to be interviewed for an upcoming season, please contact Adam @hojukoolander on Twitter or email hojukoolander@gmail.com Visit The Retro Network on Patreon to support Rental Return and other network podcasts. You VIP status gets your name in the show notes of all shows on The Retro Network, an invite to the private VIP Lounge chat on Slack, and exclusive content. Thanks to our monthly supporters ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Adam, Chad, and Jason host a preview episode for Season 3 of the Rental Return podcast series. First, the hosts comment on the recent representation of rental stores on Netflix including Blockbuster and That 90s Show. Then the trio share recent VHS finds in thrift stores and on eBay. Then, get a sneak preview of what to expect for Season 3 of Rental Return. Follow @TRNsocial on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for more Rental Return visuals provided by our Video Heroes and other memories form the video store era. Support The Retro Network and shows like Rental Return by becoming a VIP on Patreon. Your monthly support helps TRN and its creators, but also gets your name in the show notes as a supporter, access to the VIP Lounge chat on Slack, and exclusive content. If you are a former rental store employee and would like to be interviewed for an upcoming season, please contact Adam @hojukoolander on Twitter. Creators & Guests Adam aka Hoju KoolanderJason GrossChad Young Thanks to our monthly supporters ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Get ready for Season 3 of Rental Return as we introduce our Video Heroes! Thanks to our monthly supporters ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

With Season 2 of Rental Return in the books, Adam (@Hojukoolander), Chad (@HorrorMovieBBQ), and Jason (@RD80s) bookend the season by reflecting on what they learned through the experiences shared by the Video Heroes. They discuss some of the crazier stories, things they did not know about the video store business, and favorite moments overall. They also talk about some old newspaper stories that Jason dug up from the '80s about video rental stores, news about a video store closing recently in PA, and the trio's recent acquisitions in their collections. Erol's Video Club Newspaper Ads Read the Newspaper stories on TheRetroNetwork.com Follow @TRNsocial on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for more from Rental Return visuals and VHS memories. If you are a former rental store employee and would like to be interviewed for an upcoming season, please contact Adam @hojukoolander on Twitter or hojukoolander@gmail.com Thanks to our monthly supporters ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Season 2 of Rental Return - Tales From the Video Store comes to a close with "Pushing Stop." This episode features the final days of video stores from the perspective of our Video Heroes. You'll hear how DVD, Blu-Ray, and Netflix affected the operation of their stores. Then, listen how some of our Heroes ended their tenures and their perspective on other store closings in the area. With the perspective of hind sight, we then ask our Heroes what they miss most about working at a video store. And finally, we find out if our Heroes kept any mementos from the store as a badge of honor. Our "Video Heroes" for Season 2 include Mark DeWitt (@Mark_DeWitt), Brian B. (@InnerDemonsGR), Joe Corey (@YourCanadianGF), Matthew Corey (@rollerdogNC), Bob O’Rourke (@constrictionpix), William Lanham (@deadly_dinosaur), Colin Fitzpatrick, Alan Smith, W. Axel Foley aka Billy Foley, and Brandon Meyers. Follow @TRNsocial on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for more from Rental Return visuals and VHS memories. If you are a former rental store employee and would like to be interviewed for an upcoming season, please contact Adam @hojukoolander on Twitter or email hojukoolander@gmail.com Visit The Retro Network podcast page for every show on the network. Thanks to our monthly supporters ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Season 2 of Rental Return - Tales From the Video Store continues with "Secrets of the Staff." This episode features some wild stories of staff shenanigans during and after business hours. Here Brandon tell about an epic pen-throwing war that occurred after hours one night that ended with an exploding marker and a clean up that lasted until the wee hours of the morning. Our Heroes also take us behind-the-scenes with details about how the business of rental stores operated that most customers wouldn’t realize. William explains the unique job he had for awhile at Blockbuster going from store to store scanning tapes all night for inventory. Then find out if our Heroes' time working at rental stores resulted in some friendship that have lasted until this day. For Billy and his colleagues at World of Video, lifelong friendships were defintiely made. Our "Video Heroes" for Season 2 include Mark DeWitt (@Mark_DeWitt), Brian B. (@InnerDemonsGR), Joe Corey (@YourCanadianGF), Matthew Corey (@rollerdogNC), Bob O’Rourke (@constrictionpix), William Lanham (@deadly_dinosaur), Colin Fitzpatrick, Alan Smith, W. Axel Foley aka Billy Foley, and Brandon Meyers. Follow @TRNsocial on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for more from Rental Return visuals and VHS memories. If you are a former rental store employee and would like to be interviewed for an upcoming season, please contact Adam @hojukoolander on Twitter or email hojukoolander@gmail.com Visit The Retro Network podcast page for every show on the network. Thanks to our monthly supporters ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★