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The '90s were the greatest — it's why '90s kids don't ever stop talking about their childhoods, and why parents still recall the time fondly.
One of the biggest reasons why the '90s and early aughts were the best was a little store you may have heard of called Blockbuster Video.
For most people, the perfect Friday night consisted of a trip to Blockbuster to pick out a movie — wandering through rows and rows of films and snacks.
Here are 11 reasons why we still miss Blockbuster.
You could easily stumble upon a movie you had never heard of before — and end up finding your new favorite flick.
Blockbuster in its heyday.
Ed Bailer / AP
Nothing will beat wandering the aisles of Blockbuster without a specific movie in mind, and coming across something that piqued your interest. Streaming websites don't give you that same thrill.
You never knew who you'd run into — your local Blockbuster was essentially your social scene.
Blockbuster was a community.
NBC
You'd bump into friends and neighbors, exchange recommendations, and hope you weren't caught renting anything embarrassing.
Blockbuster wasn't just a video store — the snack section was unparalleled.
Blockbuster had an excellent snack selection.
Shutterstock
The rows of films were only rivaled by the rows of snacks. And the giant microwaveable tubs of popcorn at Blockbuster were arguably better than movie theater popcorn.
If you weren't down with spending hundreds of dollars on a video game console, games, controllers, and a plethora of other accessories, renting from Blockbuster was your best bet at playing some of the most iconic video games ever.
They actually *had* everything — at Blockbuster, the possibilities were endless.
There was so much to choose from.
Radu Bercan/Shutterstock
Streaming services and Redbox are limited in comparison
As time goes on and streaming services start putting more of their money into original content, they let their licenses to iconic movies and TV shows lapse, making it impossible for you to watch what you want.
And if your local Blockbuster didn't have what you wanted, they'd call around until they found a store that did. You could either pick it up or have it mailed to you.
Planning a trip to Blockbuster could make your entire week.
A Blockbuster Video.
Rick Bowmer/AP Images
Knowing that you had a movie night coming up, whether it was with your family or with your friends, gave you something to look forward to.
Your family would bond by agreeing on a movie together — and then actually watch it together. Today, people tend to separately binge watch shows on personal devices.
Movie night.
Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock
Nowadays, there's an overwhelming amount of media to consume, and it's impossible to get everyone to agree on what to watch. But when one person got to pick the movie your family was renting, everyone was able to simply sit down and enjoy it.
It was cheap. Even in 2011, it was just $2.99 to rent a new movie for a day. Compare that to a $14 movie theater ticket or $5.99 rental fee on iTunes.
You could get solid recommendations from human beings, not an algorithm.
Talking to real people was a thing.
Netflix
Getting out of the house and talking to a human was probably a good thing. Plus, chances are that Blockbuster employees were passionate about movies and knew what they were talking about.
Today, we're increasingly attached to our phones and computers — and they're taking our data and browser history and deciding what we should rent, watch, and buy. Talking to a real person was a way to get exposed to things you may not have been otherwise.
There's just something to be said about the tactile experience of holding videos and DVDs and looking at their cover art.
Covers were half the fun.
Reed Saxon/AP Images
It's the same reason why many people refuse to switch from books to e-readers — there's something satisfying about having something tangible to hold.
Becoming a Blockbuster member felt like joining an elite club.
A Blockbuster membership card.
Amy Sancetta/AP Images
Even though it was basically meaningless, it was still cool to have your very own official Blockbuster membership card.
