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Did Blockbuster/Hollywood Video et al purposefully limit new releases….
Posted on 10/13/26 at 7:46 pm
Posted on 10/13/26 at 7:46 pm
To get more bodies in their stores?
Create a false volume of new releases because 9/10 times, you’d end up settling on a different movie if the new release was “sold out”. Those left out in the cold would still certainly come back to rent the new release because other smaller stores wouldn’t have that movie at the same time as Blockbuster. They would always get new releases a couple weeks after Blockbuster did.
What say you movie fellas?
Create a false volume of new releases because 9/10 times, you’d end up settling on a different movie if the new release was “sold out”. Those left out in the cold would still certainly come back to rent the new release because other smaller stores wouldn’t have that movie at the same time as Blockbuster. They would always get new releases a couple weeks after Blockbuster did.
What say you movie fellas?
Posted on 10/13/26 at 7:57 pm to idlewatcher
I don’t think so, more tapes equals more rentals.
Posted on 10/13/26 at 8:13 pm to idlewatcher
Maybe in the early years. Plus, better movies took forever to come out on video, like years. The bigger the blockbuster, the longer it took to come out.
In the later years, though, they just stocked dozens of copies of new releases. The more popular it was, the more copies they carried.
The thousands of older movies were the real magic of the video store, though. It's how people discovered great movies from past decades.
In the later years, though, they just stocked dozens of copies of new releases. The more popular it was, the more copies they carried.
The thousands of older movies were the real magic of the video store, though. It's how people discovered great movies from past decades.
Posted on 10/13/26 at 8:24 pm to idlewatcher
No, because new releases were $3 and the old movies were $1. It wouldn't make sense to hold back extra copies of a new release so someone rents a $1 movie instead.
Posted on 10/13/26 at 8:33 pm to idlewatcher
Back in the day in the prime age of video stores, a big new release VHS tape cost the store like $80 each.
When blockbuster took over and the local video stores started to die, most of the local places entered into contracts with leasing companies for their tapes so they could have more copies initially and then after a set time they could send extra copies back and keep the number of copies they needed long term.
When blockbuster took over and the local video stores started to die, most of the local places entered into contracts with leasing companies for their tapes so they could have more copies initially and then after a set time they could send extra copies back and keep the number of copies they needed long term.
This post was edited on 10/13/26 at 8:34 pm
Posted on 10/13/26 at 8:46 pm to idlewatcher
I doubt it. The big new releases were only 2-day rentals, so that's how they cycled more bodies through the doors.
They also probably accounted for a small percentage of rentals that came back late, damaged, or not at all, so they'd want to be overstocked if anything. Films like Jurassic Park or Titanic would sometimes have one or two whole sections to themselves, at least at my Blockbuster.
They also probably accounted for a small percentage of rentals that came back late, damaged, or not at all, so they'd want to be overstocked if anything. Films like Jurassic Park or Titanic would sometimes have one or two whole sections to themselves, at least at my Blockbuster.
Posted on 10/13/26 at 9:26 pm to idlewatcher
No. The “new release” energy lasted about a month. After that the store got stuck with a large number of tapes taking up costly physical space that end up in the discount sale bin.
The amount of tapes purchased was carefully calculated to balance between initial interest and the need to not end up with a lot of dead inventory.
The amount of tapes purchased was carefully calculated to balance between initial interest and the need to not end up with a lot of dead inventory.
Posted on 10/13/26 at 10:10 pm to idlewatcher
Don't mention H'wood in the same breath as those Blockbuster assholes
Posted on 10/13/26 at 10:33 pm to idlewatcher
quote:
What say you movie fellas?
99/100 times there was a copy in the return bin
Posted on 10/14/26 at 12:39 am to idlewatcher
I remember when it was impossible to rent the lion king
Posted on 10/14/26 at 5:57 am to idlewatcher
They had more of the high demand movies than the general stock. Unless the claim was they just had placeholders on display & didn’t really have that number of physical copies. 
I think they had what they claimed.
I think they had what they claimed.
Posted on 10/14/26 at 8:42 am to idlewatcher
As a former Blockbuster employee during college I can tell you no, they were not purposely limiting new movies to create false demand.
We got a metric frickton of new shite each couple weeks and we'd have to move a lot of stuff out to make room. They cared far more about having newer movies and it's why Blockbuster always had a weaker selection of stuff that was more than a year old compared to a bigger store like Hastings.
We got a metric frickton of new shite each couple weeks and we'd have to move a lot of stuff out to make room. They cared far more about having newer movies and it's why Blockbuster always had a weaker selection of stuff that was more than a year old compared to a bigger store like Hastings.
This post was edited on 10/14/26 at 8:44 am
Posted on 10/14/26 at 9:18 am to Pax Regis
quote:
No. The “new release” energy lasted about a month. After that the store got stuck with a large number of tapes taking up costly physical space that end up in the discount sale bin.
Blockbuster always had sales on Tuesdays, including new releases for sale. My old roommate and I would hit it just about every single week and pick up movies we liked/wanted. It's how I began my movie collection (which is almost at 1,800 now). Eventually I switched over to DVDs, but man those Blockbuster VHS days were fun as hell.
Also, shoutout to Showbiz Video, which was my local video store near my house in HS/college. It stuck around for a good while. I don't remember what the video store from my childhood was called though.
Posted on 10/14/26 at 9:46 am to CocomoLSU
the one I went to first as a child was called Video Visions in BR, the horror section was a haunted house, the sci fi section a spaceship, etc. Cool store, BB killed them
Then it was all BB from there. My kids will never know the struggle of trying to play the hide games/movies you wanted to be safe for the next time you came up. I could have spent hours in there trying to decide what game I wanted to rent
Then it was all BB from there. My kids will never know the struggle of trying to play the hide games/movies you wanted to be safe for the next time you came up. I could have spent hours in there trying to decide what game I wanted to rent
Posted on 10/14/26 at 10:09 am to BilJ
Was Video Visions on South Harrell's Ferry or near the trailer park on Flannery? We went to both. I remember renting Top Gun (Nintendo) and Big Trouble in Little China frequently. Add in Pizza Hut or Godfather's, and your Friday night was untouchable.
Posted on 10/14/26 at 10:17 am to SidetrackSilvera
yeah I think South Harrell's ferry sounds right
the BBs around here always seemed to be right next to a little Caesars so big foot or whatever they called their big pizza + nintendo rental, nothing better
quote:
Add in Pizza Hut or Godfather's, and your Friday night was untouchable.
the BBs around here always seemed to be right next to a little Caesars so big foot or whatever they called their big pizza + nintendo rental, nothing better
Posted on 10/14/26 at 10:20 am to BilJ
I had a soft spot for the mom and pop video stores.
Was an unbelievable feeling when that game or movie you weren’t expecting to get was available. Peak 90s life.
Was an unbelievable feeling when that game or movie you weren’t expecting to get was available. Peak 90s life.
Posted on 10/14/26 at 11:47 am to S
No better feeling than seeing the game you wanted or movie. Because there was no other option to get it then. Would be nagging parents to get there before the rush
Posted on 10/14/26 at 12:42 pm to idlewatcher
Plus they would also hold movies if someone called in to request such. It would always be put aside. I rarely did that because I liked the idea of getting the newest movie on time by getting there myself, and if that failed I'd just rent something else I didn't expect to be looking for.
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