Moncton store offers a trip back in time
From gumball machines, to arcade classics, to rows of vinyls and videos, Spin-It Records & Video in Moncton, N.B., helps turn an everyday shopping experience into a trip back in time.
“I just took my childhood bedroom and I threw it into a store and hoped for the best,” said owner Patrick Parisè.
The main differences between his childhood room and his store is the number of arcade games and the size.
He first opened his doors back in 2001 and while trends have changed over the years, Parisè has found a way to keep all the aspect he loves, including movie rentals.
“We’ve got one of the biggest selections of movies for rent in Canada,” he said.
“Probably the world really, just by default, because everybody else is getting out of it, but we’ve got over 40,000 titles.”
He adds that for years the store would bring in any movie that a customer asked for which has really helped grow its collection.
“If you add up all the movies, on all the major streamers, we have more movies than all of them put together, so there’s a lot of movies that you can find here that you can’t find anywhere else,” he said.
While COVID-19 impacted the amount of people who still utilized the service, officials say renting a movie offers an experience that you just can’t find anywhere else.
“I think the younger generation does enjoy kind of being able to talk about movies and being suggested things based on what they like by someone who’s kind of seen more movies,” said employee Ryan White, who has been with the store for seven years.
“It can be a positive experience, something that’s not quite present when you’re at home streaming.”
He adds that he usually spends more time searching then actually watching when trying to pick something online, and going to the store helps people be more decisive and gives them more options.
“A lot of the videos we have for rent are either unavailable for rent on regular streaming services or they are just less so available,” he said.
“That being said, I think just being exposed to the extra library of content is a shock for some people.”
Spin-It Records & Videos has movies from the silent era to this week's new releases, helping to guarantee that there is something for everyone.
Parisè says while video rentals aren’t the most popular aspect of the store right now, there’s a good reason he’s not ready to give up on this part of his dream.
“I’m a stubborn kind of fella and I have young children and I want them to grow up in a world where video stores exist because it was such a huge part of my childhood – going to the video store on a Friday night, smells like popcorn when you walk in, talk to the clerk, talk to the other patrons about movies that they’ve watched lately and they’ll recommend stuff to you,” he said.
“Just the whole experience of it that, unfortunately, with streaming services, doesn’t exist.”
Going to the movie rental store on a Friday night is a fond memory shared within the four walls of Spin-It Records & Video.
“Getting some movies to bring home was always a tradition for my family, so it’s nice to be able to up keep that here at the store,” said White.
While thousands of movies take up the first half of the store, it’s definitely not the only option for customers.
“Definitely what keeps the store open is the resurgence of vinyl records. People are very interested and they’ve gone up in value and I’ve been stock piling them for 20 years,” said Parisè.
The store offers something for everyone including unique collectables, gaming systems, CDs, and knowledgeable staff to offer suggestions.
For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Louis Gossett Jr., 1st Black man to win supporting actor Oscar, dies at 87
Louis Gossett Jr., the first Black man to win a supporting actor Oscar and an Emmy winner for his role in the seminal TV miniseries 'Roots,' has died. He was 87.
Weather alerts issued for 7 provinces, 1 territory
Warnings of up to 60 millimetres of rain and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces and one territory ahead of the Easter weekend.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
Luxury cruise line selling world cruise suite for US$1.7 million
Luxury operator Regent Seven Seas Cruises is raising their price tag to eye-watering levels, with a suite on an upcoming 140-day world voyage costing US$1.7 million.
Why Kim Kardashian is being sued for 'knockoff' furniture
The estate of minimalist contemporary artist Donald Judd filed a lawsuit against Kardashian this week, claiming the fashion and beauty mogul promoted 'cheap knockoffs' of his furniture designs.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
A Filipino villager is nailed to a cross for the 35th time on Good Friday to pray for world peace
A Filipino villager has been nailed to a wooden cross for the 35th time to reenact Jesus Christ’s suffering in a brutal Good Friday tradition he said he would devote to pray for peace in Ukraine, Gaza and the disputed South China Sea.
Ontario homeowner on the hook for $27,000 when contractor severed power line
An Ontario man who built a garage on his property has been locked in a battle with his electricity provider for a year and half over a severed power line.
King Charles will attend Easter Sunday service at Windsor
Buckingham Palace officials say King Charles III and Queen Camilla will attend an Easter service at the chapel at Windsor Castle on Sunday.