Working in a video store, I found it to be quite hilarious when people came in late on a Friday night, absolutely scandalized, expecting to rent a new release: ""You have no copies? How is that possible? There's a whole wall of them!""
Well lady, FYI: Other people exist, and those people understand how to manipulate the competitive world of DVD renting better than you—or, at least they know how to get the best out of it.
What does that even mean? Well, when the sun goes down at night, there's one thing avid movie-renters should be relatively sure of: new releases are hard to rent. They come out on Tuesday as one-night-only rentals, and then all the douche bags get there early (meaning: I get there early) and reap the wall completely. After that, it's all about timing. I remember somebody would get to Family Video at 5 o'clock Friday night, and ""Taking Lives"" would be wiped from existence. They'd rent something else, and while checking them out, I'd comment on their choice internally and wish them a happy evening. Then, the moment they'd walk out, some stinker would drop ""Taking Lives"" into the drop box (late, of course), I'd scan it in and then put it on the shelf five to 20 minutes later.
That moment was always thick with anticipation. Which special customer would be the next to walk in? Whoever it was, they were the lucky ones. Everybody else just got snubbed—until the next new release.
Are you one of the lucky ones? I'm not. So I've had to employ some basic but effective tools to come out on top in my movie rental experience. These are the things I was talking about earlier—ways to manipulate the video rental worldA-—how to get the new release you want.
First of all, suck it up and get there on Tuesday. If it's really important to you, or, like me, you're incredibly bored and nerdy, you'll be all up in their faces by 10 a.m. Especially if you're looking for a smaller title. Nobody's going to look at you funny. If anything, they'll applaud your commitment to the competitive arena of DVD renting.
Now, like I said earlier, we don't all have time to watch movies on Tuesday. Some of us are infected with senioritis and can't wait to skip their homework for things like Christian Bale movies and CSI marathons. Pft. Who are those people?
But seriously, for those of you who just can't do it, go to Blockbuster. You won't be selling out if you rent there. In fact, their indie film repertoire has increased vastly over the last few years. Plus, they don't have late fees. Keep the movie a week past your due date, and you're golden.
Still a last minute person? Can't make it on Tuesday? Then find out what time movies are due at the video store in question. If they're due at noon, get there at about 11:30 and stick around for a while. If they're due at midnight, try getting there at 10. If none are in, come back in an hour or so. Most people wait for the last minute to turn DVDs in, and you can benefit from that. Also, most video stores will allow you to reserve available titles for an hour. Locate these places and call ahead. This saves time, gas, and utter annoyance. And for me, utter annoyance can make or break a good evening of procrastination.
So don't be that stupid lady that walks in bitching about her failure to recognize the rules of the game. Be a true competitor. DVD renting can be aggressive and fruitless, but if you know what you're doing, as in most situations, you'll always get what you want.
