WYOMING, Mich. — They say streaming killed the video star.
Not so.
A soon-to-open store in Wyoming is rewinding time, stepping into nineties nostalgia as it prepares to sell and rent VHS tapes, DVDs and Blu-Rays, as well as VCRs and other video equipment.
The people behind the operation — "champions of physical media" — are calling it Bardertown, a reference the practice of bartering and the tendency of Michiganders to incorrectly pronounce their Ts as Ds. The name is also a nod to a remote outpost from a Mad Max film.
"A way station for vintage video," said Rob Grimes, one of the store's founders. "Some naysayers are out there saying video's not back. Nay! Nay!"
A specialty shop, Bardertown will be open on Fridays and Saturday evenings, the traditional times when families, friends and couples typically begin to scroll through their streaming services to select on a movie to watch.
Grimes says there's another option.
"The old fashioned video experience," he said.
For those looking to borrow one of the thousands of titles available at Bardertown — from Titanic to Top Gun to the recently released Alien: Romulus — most rentals will be around a dollar. In many cases, five bucks will get you the movie for good, and rentals in the kids section will be free.
If you've got an old VCR player (or a DVD or Blu-Ray player) collecting dust, Grimes will refurbish it, too. Or, you can simply rent one.
"Not everybody owns a VCR," Grimes said. "I'm ashamed of you if you don't, but that's your thing. You know, no judgment."
On the corner of Porter Street and Byron Center Avenue, Bardertown is doing a number of sneak peek weekends prior to its grand opening on August 22.
For updates on Bardertown, click here.
