The fishbowl on the front desk at Video Rodeo overflows with cut up Blockbuster cards, some cut in half and others cut into shapes like dinosaurs.
The walls are adorned with posters for movies you've probably never heard of.
Video Rodeo, a locally owned rental store, opened its doors in December 2004 to supply Gainesville with nontraditional media. Five years later, the business is fighting to stay afloat while Netflix and Redbox threaten to make video stores a thing of the past.
Roger Beebe, a UF film studies professor, said he decided to open the store after living in Gainesville for four years and felt a need for an alternative video store.
Beebe, 37, said he set up his store as a reaction to the cash cow mentalities of big business video stores like Blockbuster and Video Gallery.
At Video Rodeo, if a customer cuts up their Blockbuster card, he or she receives a free rental.
The store started with Beebe's personal collection of DVDs and VHS tapes and has grown to a selection of more than 5,500 films.
Beebe said he picks which new DVDs to purchase through research and with help from his staff.
There is also a suggestion book on the front desk where patrons can scribble in titles of movies they want to see, give feedback on movies they hated and sometimes just doodle.
Customers like Jamie Mann, a UF sophomore, appreciate the time employees spend trying to help find the perfect movie.
"It's great going to a video store that's all video and very little store," Mann said.
Beebe said he thinks that knowing their customers on a personal level is what keeps them loyal.
One regular has even been driving in from Micanopy to rent videos for years.
But despite this loyalty, Beebe said the store isn't a profitable business.
"We're not as afloat as one might think," he said.
Local businesses can't compete with services like Netflix and the convenience of the Internet, he said.
And Redbox DVD rental machines, which are placed in grocery stores and malls, also pose a threat.
Beebe said to stay open, the store operates on a system of collective ownership. Incoming money is used to pay the bills and any remaining profit is split between the employees.
If money gets even tighter, there's a plan B: Use volunteer workers who will get unlimited rentals instead of paychecks.
Despite these plans, Beebe says he doesn't see the store having infinite potential.
And the possibility of watching movies on tiny computer screens becoming the norm is the most depressing thought for him.
"I see video stores as a societal good," he said.
"I do feel that it is a fight worth continuing."
