- 3,002
- southport
Wow from the 80s, no wonder we had all them vhs rental stores, crazy price, imagine movies costing this today..
Who remembers movies on vhs costing this much?Movies
- Thread starter imported_rik19
- 20 comments
- 3,882 views
- 307
- United Kingdom
I do. I thought I'd never own my favourite films on VHS, let alone on a new and improved format.
This is also the reason why so many small independent video shops went under, they couldn't compete with Blockbusters.
Which sucked if you were a horror fan like me, as you could still find titles you really shouldn't have in the smaller shops.
This is also the reason why so many small independent video shops went under, they couldn't compete with Blockbusters.
Which sucked if you were a horror fan like me, as you could still find titles you really shouldn't have in the smaller shops.
UKMikey
Premium
- 18,306
- Grea'er Laandan
- UKMikeyA
- UKMikeyA
I remember them being expensive on first run. Like today's cable pay per view you could pay extra for a movie that had only recently come out. The tapes were usually intended for rental shops as I recall.
A restrictive practice which only encouraged the rise of piracy.
A restrictive practice which only encouraged the rise of piracy.
RocZX
Premium
- 8,849
- New York
Didn't rental place change even more when you lost a tape?
One time my friend lost a vhs tape in '99/'00 the place was going change him $240($180 for vhs - $60 for service/late fee)for the tape ,the same vhs was in stores for $20. He found it a week later and they just changed him a late fee.
One time my friend lost a vhs tape in '99/'00 the place was going change him $240($180 for vhs - $60 for service/late fee)for the tape ,the same vhs was in stores for $20. He found it a week later and they just changed him a late fee.
- 29,999
- Cuddington, Cheshire
- JDA1982
Are you sure that was in 99/00, films on VHS were quite cheap by then. In the 80's I can imagine they would charge ridiculous amounts if you lost one, but in 1999 a film on VHS cost about £9.99 or less.
I'm not saying that isn't true by the way. I don't recall us ever losing a film we rented so I have nothing to suggest otherwise, and I can imagine the mark up on lost tapes was very high, but that's a whole new level of extortion
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- 36,678
- Scotland
- GTP_daan
Not VHS I know but when DVD films got more popular and were about £15, a DVD for rental used to cost about £60-£70 which surprised the folk who lost them. As a library, we had to get copies of the films from certain suppliers who charged more because it was a copy for rental.
RocZX
Premium
- 8,849
- New York
It was definitely late '90's (I was in '88 so it couldn't be the '80's)Are you sure that was in 99/00, films on VHS were quite cheap by then. In the 80's I can imagine they would charge ridiculous amounts if you lost one, but in 1999 a film on VHS cost about £9.99 or less.
I'm not saying that isn't true by the way. I don't recall us ever losing a film we rented so I have nothing to suggest otherwise, and I can imagine the mark up on lost tapes was very high, but that's a whole new level of extortion
The only reason I remember the price cause all their tapes and games had a sticker inside said if lost you had to pay $### and they all had ridiculously high prices. My friend and I thought it was a joke put there to scare people so they didn't lost tapes or games. I mostly rented games from there and the N64 games were $250 but in stores only $50. This was a independent family owned shop. The owner told my friend/parents the tapes he had were heavy duty/commercial grade that is they costs so much(which I think was just bs). But every thing was overpriced the candy/snacks/drinks they sold were a few dollars more then other places.
They went out of business an year or so later and they were selling their tapes/games for the about same price a new one cost in stores.
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- 3,002
- southport
They were everywhere them rental shops, used to go in as a kid myself in the 80s.. , and what about the players..wow super expensive.
Look at this from the early 80s, probably about 6 months wages or more..
Look at this from the early 80s, probably about 6 months wages or more..
- 3,002
- southport
- 939
- Zürich
At the time this was the price that was aimed at video rental stores, not necessarily the buying public. In the later 80's when VHS movies became more generally available and cheaper, the video rental stores still had to pay a similarly high price for copies that were licensed for video rental.
These VHS movies with that price tag were not intended for general consumption.
- 3,002
- southport
How many months wages would this of been in 1981 for the average worker.
- 7,765
- Yorkshire
- ScapeGoat4U
- WhippingBoy
I didn't realise they were that expensive at the time! 
My mum worked at Radio Rentals when I was a kid, & she was given the very first VHS player to take home for as long as she wanted. It was that JVC thing with the big chunky buttons. My dad's mate ran his own video rental shop, & so we always got the latest videos to watch for free. Spent far too much time watching video nasties in the 80's!
My mum worked at Radio Rentals when I was a kid, & she was given the very first VHS player to take home for as long as she wanted. It was that JVC thing with the big chunky buttons. My dad's mate ran his own video rental shop, & so we always got the latest videos to watch for free. Spent far too much time watching video nasties in the 80's!
- 3,002
- southport
Incredible isnt it, just tried an inflation calculator for that vhs machine from 1981, its
£5,230.17 today...
£5,230.17 today...
- 29,914
- a baby, candy, it's like taking.
- TexRex72
Q: "How crazy is that figure?"Incredible isnt it, just tried an inflation calculator for that vhs machine from 1981, its
£5,230.17 today...
A: "24. It's 24 crazy."
- 3,002
- southport
The priciest tape yet ive found.....
- 23,975
- It/It
- GTP_TheCracker
For someone who grew up with VHS players sat under the TV, today's PS5's are not the behemoth that a lot of people think.
I don't recall VHS tapes costing that much, but i do remember my parents issuing warning to my sister and i about looking after rented tapes as they 'cost £90 to replace'. I guess they weren't bending the truth that much.
I don't recall VHS tapes costing that much, but i do remember my parents issuing warning to my sister and i about looking after rented tapes as they 'cost £90 to replace'. I guess they weren't bending the truth that much.
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- 6,963
- South Africa
...I used to work in the VHS rental store back in early noughties and can confirm that VHS and DVDs meant for rental markets usually cost triple, quadruple of retail versions. If you bought the tapes in bulk, the distributor slashed the prices quite substantially, though. And all those posters and promo materials were preferentially given to those who bought a lot of stock. Kinda unsurprising when you think about it, but also a bit unfair for smaller mom-and-pop shops since they needed to fork out more for less...
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