Black Dog Video, a staple in East Vancouver, surpassed the Blockbuster video chain by 11 years, but owner Darren Gay says video rentals do not match the myriad streaming services accessible to moviegoers today. “It’s the streaming services that have made us,” Gloria Makarenko told On the Coast presenter. “Their explosion in the last two years is just a nail in the coffin every time another one starts.” Rents and other costs have risen, and a rental company cannot afford to raise sales prices, forcing Gay to make the difficult decision of packing. The Black Dog video has been in operation for 26 years, for 16 of which the store is located on Commercial Drive. During this time, Gay and his staff have forged friendships with clients and curated a collection of 17,000 films for true cinephiles. “It’s easy to just turn on your streaming services. I like to call it mediocrity, because that’s basically streaming services,” Gay said. “It will be sad when we are all gone because … the availability of these amazing movies will disappear. You will not find most things in streaming services.”
CBC Visits Vancouver’s Last DVD Rental Store
Check out Darren Gay, owner of Black Dog Video. 1:41
Now, Gay has undertaken to sell thousands of films, which, as he said, were destructive in themselves.
“It’s difficult because I spend my days here and I like being close to these movies.”
It expects to start selling the collection on May 1st.
Having owned and run a small business for so long, Gay is unsure of what will follow.
“I’m too young to retire, really, and I’m too old to find a meaningful job. I did not have to look for a job for almost 30 years and I do not know how to do it anymore. “
He says what he will miss most of all the time he rents movies in Vancouver will be people.
“Clients I have met and made friends with will miss this daily interaction. I know so many people, you know, by name and I consider them friends, and so it will be very difficult.”
title: “Beloved Vancouver Movie Rental Store Prepares To Close Up Shop " ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-07” author: “William Seger”
Black Dog Video, a staple in East Vancouver, surpassed the Blockbuster video chain by 11 years, but owner Darren Gay says video rentals do not match the myriad streaming services accessible to moviegoers today. “It’s the streaming services that have made us,” Gloria Makarenko told On the Coast presenter. “Their explosion in the last two years is just a nail in the coffin every time another one starts.” Rents and other costs have risen, and a rental company cannot afford to raise sales prices, forcing Gay to make the difficult decision of packing. The Black Dog video has been in operation for 26 years, for 16 of which the store is located on Commercial Drive. During this time, Gay and his staff have forged friendships with clients and curated a collection of 17,000 films for true cinephiles. “It’s easy to just turn on your streaming services. I like to call it mediocrity, because that’s basically streaming services,” Gay said. “It will be sad when we are all gone because … the availability of these amazing movies will disappear. You will not find most things in streaming services.”
CBC Visits Vancouver’s Last DVD Rental Store
Check out Darren Gay, owner of Black Dog Video. 1:41
Now, Gay has undertaken to sell thousands of films, which, as he said, were destructive in themselves.
“It’s difficult because I spend my days here and I like being close to these movies.”
It expects to start selling the collection on May 1st.
Having owned and run a small business for so long, Gay is unsure of what will follow.
“I’m too young to retire, really, and I’m too old to find a meaningful job. I did not have to look for a job for almost 30 years and I do not know how to do it anymore. “
He says what he will miss most of all the time he rents movies in Vancouver will be people.
“Clients I have met and made friends with will miss this daily interaction. I know so many people, you know, by name and I consider them friends, and so it will be very difficult.”