It hurts so good. You know how much I love interiors, and here’s one of a New Hampshire video store in 1984.
- The old, stodgy guy at the counter is perusing the Mr. T classic D.C. Cab. Never judge an old guy (or a VHS display box) by his (or its) cover.
- The kid’s section is a mess!
- In the “fully stocked equipment department”—i.e. the back room—I can make out a Big Chill box and posters for Greystoke, War Games, Scarface, Star Wars (Tom Jung version), First Blood, and (I think) Twilight Zone: The Movie. I can’t identify the poster on the far left.
Anyone interested in the heyday of home video—especially cult films and VHS box art—should be following The Mom and Pop Video Store.
(Video via yorkie2k/YouTube. Also check out his/her 1972 Magnavox Odyssey demo/promo.)
2 Warps to Neptune 
I remember my first trip to Video Galaxy (Connecticut chain) in 1987. My Dad just got a VCR and my family would rent videos on weekends. I walked around and looked at the aisles of empty boxes (VHS box art is kind of mesmerizing). There was an employee playing Milon’s Secret Castle on an NES console. I was watching him play for a bit and he was called to the counter to check a customer out. He handed me the controller and I got to play the NES for the first time.
Amazing! You don’t have any pics of Video Galaxy, do you?
I do not unfortunately. There is a possibility I might have my families membership cards from various local video / game rental stores though (everytown seemed to have one). I remember seeing them on a basement shelf a few years ago. Although, I doubt there is much interest in them.