The bidding might already be over, as it was only intended to last until March 25th, several days ago in fact, but one can imagine that someone might be sporting a rather large Blockbuster Video sign atop their home, or in their garage, or backyard at this moment. For the price it was being sold for at auction one can only hope that the sign is being displayed prominently in some manner if it was sold since it’s a piece of American history whether people want to believe it or not. Some folks might not appreciate or even like nostalgia in any way since moving forward and focusing on the present and the future is what a lot of people believe in. But the funny thing about that present and future is that it still requires a base to work from, and for a good amount of time, Blockbuster was that base when it came to home entertainment, or it was a big part of the base at least. Renting movies used to be one of the things that people would do on the regular during the weekend, or on a rainy day, or whenever the mood struck, and that big blue and yellow sign was a beacon at times for those that wanted to watch the latest movies that had just been released, or for those that were looking for an older title that they hadn’t seen in a while. In other words, Blockbuster served a pretty big purpose at one time, and the sign is still every bit as iconic as it used to be, even if it’s not quite as useful.
To be certain, one might even think that it could be better used as a museum piece or a private collector’s item for someone that has space and the money to keep it maintained since obviously the company won’t be sending anyone out to fix it if anything goes wrong with it at this point. The last surviving Blockbuster store in Bend, Oregon had no need of it to be sure, but one could be forgiven for thinking that they might have wanted to preserve it somehow. But considering that the price tag was already large enough, the $1,000 dollar shipping cost doesn’t really sound like it would be worth it. That might sound a little too dismissive, especially for a piece of history such as this, but at the same time, while it’s a part of American culture, it’s still something that has more symbolic value than any actual practical value since it’s a pretty big sign that was used for a now-defunct company that has one store on the west coast that’s being kept running by the local community. That is pretty cynical, but it’s realistic at least. Personally, I’ll admit to missing Blockbuster just a bit, but with so many streaming channels and the fact that we don’t need to go that far for entertainment, it’s not hard to see why a lot of people wouldn’t bother with video stores any longer. Plenty of people miss those days since it was something that allowed people to spend time together, to become closer, and create bonds that were harder to break. But the fact is that streaming isn’t much different since people still need to decide what to watch, can still sit and enjoy hours of entertainment together, and enjoy a series or a movie in much the same way.
Some folks might actually laugh at the idea that Blockbuster is a part of American culture, but the truth is that it’s something that a lot of people came to value back in the day since whether people want to admit it or not, the video store did enlighten quite a few lives during the time it was up and running. From VHS to DVD to the eventual decline of the video store industry and the rise of streaming, Blockbuster was one of the biggest and most influential names in the business, and it was one that many upon many people knew about since it was so prominent across the nation. The idea that someone could own a piece of that business is definitely an idea that would get a lot of folks excited, and hopefully the sign did find a good home rather than be destroyed. Waxing on and on about a business that’s been gone for a while now probably isn’t what a lot of people want to hear, but the fact remains that Blockbuster video was a prominent part of American culture in its time, and it was something that a lot of people remember fondly since those moments spent in the video store looking for something to watch since all the new releases were picked over are still memorable in one way or another.
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