Column: Life with Logan

I confidently entered the blue building, pretending to own the place, and directed my dad to the video games aisle.

As a 6-year-old without much money, Blockbuster visits were luxury occasions. Whenever I spent the night at a friend’s house, we frequently pit-stopped at Blockbuster to gaze at the different VHS tapes, video games and new innovative products they called DVDs. We never left empty handed, normally renting at least one video game.

Finally, I convinced my dad to make a trip with me. 

I owned a PlayStation 1, a down-grade from the new Nintendo GameCube, but still a luxury item for a young kid without revenue. And although my “cool” friends owned newer systems like the Xbox or GameCube, I still relished in the opportunity of renting my own PlayStation 1 video games from the extraordinary blue building adjacent to my school.

I distinctly remember my eyes catching the SpongeBob video game cover, a beautiful adaptation of my favorite TV show at the time. I immediately snatched it, already imagining myself smiling into my small television with controller in hand.  

“Enjoy the game!” a Blockbuster employee said as my dad surrendered a few dollars. 

I bagged my game and headed out the door. 

I rented the game for a week. I probably never passed level one. But the nostalgia of personally renting a video game from Blockbuster felt amazing. Simply walking into the store produced unspeakable excitement.

Now, double-tap the forward button on your VHS and prepare for shocking news… 

Fifteen years ago, nearly 10,000 Blockbuster stores boasted dominance throughout the world. Now, in 2019, only one humble store in Bend, Oregon, holds the Blockbuster name. It’s the final store in existence. 

Blockbuster’s eventual downfall was inevitable. Stores could not compete with the online wave of Amazon, eBay and other platforms. Redbox, Netflix and Hulu definitely didn’t ease the burden.

The franchise tightened to 300 stores nationwide after the company filed for bankruptcy in 2010. Every year, more buildings shut their doors and surrendered control to online streaming and on-demand platforms.

As Blockbuster declined, I turned to GameStop as my preferred purchasing hot spot. I still purchase from GameStop, but as I aged into my teen years and adulthood, I utilized the convenience of online shopping.

Even though internet access revolutionized retail shopping, there’s something special about wandering into a physical shop. The old Blockbuster sign in Madison Heights, the store transformed into a completely different business, remains tall. It shoots goosebumps up my skin every time I drive by.

When you purchase from physical stores who hire local employees, you’re helping hard-working individuals pay off student loans, car payments and maybe even diapers for their growing children. Contrast that with your Amazon purchases, made online and shipped from anywhere in the world with no local ties to your community. 

After years of business, Blockbuster is officially a local store in Bend, Oregon, and unlike its heritage, the store has no plans of shutting its doors. 

According to the New York Times, Bend, Oregon is a community where many residents lack sufficient high-speed internet for streaming. And even more than a video store, the last surviving Blockbuster also serves as a wondrous landmark for travelers to revel.

Movies and video games make for great entertainment, but there’s something irreplaceable about purchasing from hard-working, local employees face-to-face. 

While it may be easier to download movies, TV and video games from the faceless mob of online sellers, nothing will replicate a trip to the store.