This Man Built A Blockbuster Memorial In His Basement And It's Guaranteed To Give You All The Nostalgic Feels

"It was such a rewarding project, and I learned so much along the way."

Stephanie

• Published in Nostalgia
• November 19, 2021

I don't know about you, but one of my all-time favorite memories from childhood is heading to Blockbuster with my dad on a Friday night to rent a bunch of videos for the weekend. There was just something about a video store that filled me with joy and contentment.

Perhaps it was the distinct smell of the VHS tapes. Or maybe it was the excitement of being surrounded by hundreds of my favorite films all at once.

But one thing is for sure - kids today will sadly never understand the immense joy of a video store. VHS tapes are rarely used these days, and although there were once 9,000 Blockbuster stores around the world, there is now just one left in Bend, Oregon.

However, Nick Collins has found a solution to the tragic loss of Blockbuster. He has turned his basement into an incredible '90s Blockbuster memorial!

It all began when Nick started collecting retro games back in 2012. When he completed that collection, he wanted to move on to something different.

"When I neared the end of the road with game collecting, VHS tapes felt like a natural transition," Nick said. "Around this time, James Rolfe had also done something similar and built a video store in his basement, and I thought that was just the coolest thing!"

Nick was inspired by the YouTube film and video game critic. He used blueprints of James Rolfe's video 'store' to build his own.

Nick wanted to use his basement to pay tribute to all his favorite films. And, for the most part, he has been successful without too many issues.

"Really, the only major issue that popped up while building the room was the drop ceiling partially collapsed when we knocked the old wall down," Nick said.

"My uncle and I spearheaded the project, and between the two of us, we figured it out."

The project was an entirely new experience for Nick. "He's a real handyman, and I haven't ever done anything like this before," he said.

"It was such a rewarding project, and I learned so much along the way," Nick said.

"Not just about carpentry, but how to create and mold a vision and really stick to it if you believe in it."

So, how long did this Blockbuster masterpiece take to build? "The original room, which was just a little bit bigger than a closet, was gradually built and improved upon over the course of about four years; however, when I decided to pull the trigger on the room expansion (which is what you see today), it took about two months," Nick said.

Nick says he had no idea the Blockbuster would be such a success.

"At first, it was just going to be an expansion, but not long after we started the project, I had the idea to go with a full-on Blockbuster homage," he said.

And Nick is stoked with the results! "I truly think the vision I had in mind came out very accurate, and most importantly, space is maximized to my liking," he said.

So, what are some of Nick's favorite movies?

"My favorite genres are horror and comedy, and some of my favorites are The Monster Squad, Halloween 3, Son in Law, and The Cable Guy!" he said.

Nick also has some rare VHS tapes in his collection.

"I'd say the rarest one I have is a WWF VHS called "In Your House: Lumberjacks" from 1995," he said.

"It's a very hard-to-come-by tape that was not pushed out into mainstream stores," Nick said.

"From what I can tell, it may have been a mail-away only."

How cool!

You can check out Nick's Blockbuster memorial in the video below.

There's no denying that the results of Nick's work are brilliant! He has created a '90s Blockbuster store in his basement filled with hundreds of classic films, decorations, and (of course) candy.

Nick also sells VHS tapes and merchandise in his online store. So, you can purchase some of the nostalgia for yourself!

Nick is currently working on a new project. It's a series of modern movies packaged in VHS display cases - I can't wait to see them!

You can check out Nick's online store here, as well as on his Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. Keep up the great work, Nick!

Stephanie