Video Vault to close

[bellenseb]

Not surprising at all. End of an era. Stock up on all your exploitation VHS!

Washington, D.C.?s Video Vault Closing Doors For Good After 25 Years.... I'm writing to share some sad news. After 25 years as a mainstay in Old Town Alexandria and among movie-lovers and wackos nationwide, Video Vault will soon be finis, kaput, closed forever. What happened? Well, the story of packaged media (movies, but also music and maybe books) is simple: It's all about digits. Too many digital downloads, too many digits on that rent check. My wife Jane and I always believed in the value of good advice and customer service. In tough times, low cost and convenience trump all that. We haven't had any time to really look back over the 25 years, but we did scrape up some of our favorite news articles about the Vault. Sorry to say, the National Enquirer piece isn't available online, neither are the Entertainment Weekly or Wall Street Journal, but here's some stuff that helps tell our story, a kind of virtual press kit: Finding VHS in a DVD World - 2006 - washingtonpost.com... Movie 'Turkeys' Run Free at Specialty Video Store - 1990 - Associated Press... Thrillers Are Treasure at Alexandria's Vault - 1987 - washingtonpost.com... Treasures in Relocated Vault - 1993 - Washington Post (preview)... Best Place to Rent Bad Movies - 2008 - Washington City Paper... Vault About to Burst - 2002 - The Astounding B Monster... Video Vault Uncovered - Multimedia fansite about Video Vault... My wife Jane and I will be around the store until the end, telling our story and selling off everything that will fit through the door, especially our collection of 65,000 movie titles, ranging in quality from the great to the good to the God-awful! Many titles in our inventory are impossible to find elsewhere - we've prided ourselves on selection that no chain and no other mom & pop store could beat. Our GOING OUT OF VIDNESS sale starts today and runs until April 30. Come see us, you never know what amusing title, anecdote, or graphic art might be fodder for your reporting. I'm in the store from 11-6 nearly every day. You can reach me at 703-549-8848. I'd love to hear from you, and tell a few stories, and yes, get some more folks in the store at least one more time. Support independent retail! Jim

[RustyOrgan]

RIP

[chaz]

Wow that is really too bad.  Hadn't been their in a while as Old Town isn't the most convenient.  Used to love browsing that place, and going way back, the Georgetown location too.

[RustyOrgan]

It's owned by very hardcore republicans. Let them get a taste of the economy their glorious leader put in place.

[vansmack]

What happened? Well, the story of packaged media (movies, but also music and maybe books) is simple: It's all about digits. Too many digital downloads, too many digits on that rent check.

What happened? You didn't listen to Smackie.... 

[jackrabbitslims]

It's owned by very hardcore republicans. Let them get a taste of the economy their glorious leader put in place.

They may be republicans, but last time I checked, politics had nothing to do with video rentals.  Not to mention, owning an independent store for 25 years supports the local economy.  Next time you want to use politics to measure one's character, think about your own and how much of a whining, small-brained, probably voted for Obama to prove you weren't racist, fuckhead you sound like when you say something like that.  I bet in your life you will never do anything that even comes close to the honest, hard work that those owners went through to keep that store running for 25 years. 

[Jaguar]

^ You tell 'em, jackrabbitslims!!!

I don't know who you are but I sure hope that you stick around.

Knowing Rusty Organ, (not personally, mind you) some naked woman probably told him who to vote for. 

[sweetcell]

how's that hopey-changey workin' for ya?

[walkonby]

when palin becomes president . . . she'll reopen all the hard working vhs, video store places.

[Jaguar]

when palin becomes president . . .

Oh, dear God! Can things really get that much worse?

[Herr Professor Doktor Doom]

I'd forgotten that the Video Vault was owned by hardcore Republicans, which means that even if they were hardworking business people, they were also at some level total Aholes.   And with my memory jogged, I remember that people who worked there tended to think of them as such.

That being said it's still sad to see that place go -- it was inevitable in this era, but still sad.    I don't think it has much to do with the economy, and everything to do with the fact that you can now get most movies over your internet connection.

[bellenseb]

I would argue that while downloading/streaming is a small part of the reason for their demise, at this point, Netfilx (by mail) /Redbox killed them just as much. I used to hit up Video Vault for the slightly more obscure stuff that is now so easy to rent on Netflix, rather than schelpping to Old Town and then schlepping back a day or two later.

Thing is, they carry a lot of really obscure stuff that Netflix doesn't. I guess you might be able to torrent a lot of it, maybe, but it's not exactly the same. As for their supposed political leanings, that may well be true, but it didn't keep them from carrying the most underground/controversial movies...I'll miss the dusty-museum quality of browsing there.

[diediemydarling]

so sad, i loved that place!!!!!!

[Herr Professor Doktor Doom]

It's actually a pretty good case study in what we're losing to the internet and convenience.   Yes, Netflix has almost everything you want, and I haven't been to a video store in years now either, as a result.

At the same time, I remember how the staff there worked there because they were total movie geeks.  You'd ask them about anything and they'd know the answer, and they'd talk way beyond it.   There was a sense of community there.  You just don't get that with Netflix (yes you can comment and write reviews but nothing beats human interaction).   To see the Blockbusters of the world go away is no loss, but places like the Video Vault were treasures.