All four have held onto their vast and varied inventories while emphasizing customer service - two things their customers routinely complain about regarding chain stores.
When each store started in the 1980s, it competed against dozens of VHS rental stores in their respective communities. Even gas stations like 7-11 and Maverick rented movies.
When the chain stores like Blockbuster and Hollywood Video began buying out other stores or taking away their business, Cosmo Video in Kaysville, Star Video in Syracuse, Top Hat Video in Bountiful and 3-D Video on the border between Centerville and Bountiful had to weather out the competition.
Now they each say that people come from miles around to rent movies because they crave something different.
"When Blockbuster and Hollywood first opened they affected me, but after the newness wore off customers came back to me. I live locally and my customer service is better," said Dorothy Jones of 3-D.
Lee Earl of Top Hat said that at one time he was encircled by Blockbuster stores but outlasted most of the chain's outlets. After a while he even started getting referrals from one of the remaining managers because he carried movies they didn't have in stock.
Star Video's Richard Cowley said he stayed in business by supplying his competition tapes. When the chains started taking over, his business actually increased.
"People weren't happy with their policies and their prices were higher," he said.
Pam Major of Cosmo Video wasn't so lucky. She was forced to go head-to-head with Blockbuster in a battle for territory.
Major said that in the late 1990s Blockbuster representatives tried to trick her into selling off her inventory by promising to buy her out at a later date. When she refused, they called her for months promising to open a store across the street and threatening to put her out of business. She made a deal with her landlord to forego paying rent if necessary and told Blockbuster that she was ready to enter a price war with them.
"I threatened to rent movies for 50 cents a piece, so they backed off. Next they tried to purchase the building from the owner, but he's independent, too, and supports other independents," she said.
Next, Major went on the offensive. She placed a giant jug on her counter and offered a free rental to anyone who would cut up their Blockbuster membership card into the jug.
"We filled two jars," she said. "It didn't really destroy their membership with Blockbuster, it was just an 'in-your-face' sort of thing."
No matter what strategy was used to survive, all four stores now say that their inventories are what keep them in business.
"We carry older classic titles and people have no other place to find them," said Cowley of Star Video. "I still have every VHS that I've always had. A lot of older titles aren't yet on DVD. People come from all over because they need a title for a college class."
Major of Cosmo Video said along with all her BBC and PBS classics she has a film called "The Message" about the life of Mohammed. Because the film was recalled soon after being released, it is one of the only copies in the world. Students even drive up from Provo to see it, she said.
Top Hat Video has a special section called the "Brain Drain" with rare titles including Ed Wood horror films.
Jones of 3-D said she tries to carry older Disney films, all the new LDS films and even rents children's cartoons for free to please clientele in the Centerville area.
But these owners' commitment to customer service extends beyond their willingness to carry older and rare titles. Cowley in Syracuse said he works hard to remember names. Jones tries to give free popcorn to customers in the store. Earl of Top Hat sells soft drinks and candy well below market price resulting in some brands refusing to sell to him. He also offers a service to convert personally recorded VHS tapes onto DVD.
Many owners also brag about having had large DVD selections before the chain stores made the switch, and all four also say they are ready to switch to Blue Ray or High Definition once the winner is decided.
Spencer White of Valencia, Calif., grew up renting videos from Top Hat and 3-D and said their selection opened him up to new genres that are still inspiring him as he studies film at the California Institute of the Arts.
"I rented every movie in the 'Brain Drain' section and every music video 3-D carried - even the bad ones. I'm appreciative of what they did, and I'm really glad they're still in business," he said. "They carry things I wouldn't be able to see anywhere else in Utah."
