After 20 years, the first- and for a very long time the ONLY-  Blockbuster Video in Loveland has shut down.

I grew up in Loveland and frequented this Blockbuster store a lot.

But- that WAS then.

Is online streaming/delivery completely wiping out an American icon?

Blockbuster 2
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I was headed out for one of my workouts the other night and passed by Blockbuster- correction: Where Blockbuster USED to be.

At the corner of Orchards and Buchanan,  this Blockbuster store operated for 20 years.

The number of movies and games that I've rented, my brother has rented, and that our mom rented within that time frame must reach into the thousands.

"Let's go to Blockbuster and get "Dances With Wolves".  "No--'Edward Scissorhands'! - I remember one night back in 1990.

But- that was 1990.

20 years ago when Americans appreciated availability- movies and games were AVAILABLE just down the street! Available? Golly!

Today- we appreciated convenience - "Golly, it's just so convenient how we can order and/or watch our movies via the internet!"

It's another example of how machines are putting people out of work.

 

Today It's just too darn easy to get online, click the mouse, and watch a flick. Or pick a movie to be delivered.

I'm ready to admit- I used to have a Netflix subscription- and now have a  Blockbuster Online subscription. But when all of the video stores are history- I'll be one of the people missing the experience of hunting down a movie to watch.

Heck - even being a Blockbuster employee was appealing!- -

 

And of course- the dreamer in me always imagined finding Mrs. Right while SHE was hunting for a movie all by herself.  That dream is slowly dying... because we've all become too lazy.

That movie is from 1996. I don't have any numbers here in front of me, but you can only IMAGINE how many people went into a Blockbuster to rent it!

Today.....

Blockbuster closed
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In April [of 2011], Dish paid $320 million for Blockbuster as part of a bankruptcy auction, one of the many humiliations the once-dominant video rental company has had to suffer in recent years. Dish wouldn't say exactly how many stores would close but it could be as many as 200. Blockbuster's assets included 1,700 stores at the time of the auction.

I'm going to make a point of driving ALL THE WAY ACROSS TOWN at least twice a month to frequent the remaining Blockbuster over by Thompson Valley.

South Blockbuster
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