Kim’s Video Invaded By The 5-0
Filed under Culture : Crime

From a tipster:

kim’s video on saint marks (possibly one of the most venerable independent video/music retail/rental stores in the country) was raided by the cops (or maybe even the feds!) yesterday. they confiscated computers and arrested all employees on the ground floor. apparently, the authorities seized all store computers to determine what pirated material was floating around (not much/any - as far as i can tell). the owner, the eponymous mr. kim was not at the store at the time, but was really pissed the cops didn’t arrest him instead of his employees.

(i learned this when i tried to rent a dvd later that night, and the clerk told me there was no computer to look up titles for me

The person who answered the phone at Kim’s Video in St. Mark’s a little bit ago confirms that the office was raided by “feds, cops, everybody” about 2 p.m. yesterday. Phone Dude wouldn’t say why they were there, but that they “found what they were looking for.”—WL

i love all the stores on st. marks - sounds, mondo kims, joe's records - when i lived in nyc, i could always get new record releases the day they came out for like 7.99 - 9.99 if i scoured the used bins enough at those stores.

as far as bootleggage goes, in my opinion there were a couple of stores in the village that were far better than bleeker bob's for that kind of stuff, but i'm not gonna name any names.

Anxiety said:

well, i don't want 'em getting busted or nuthin'!

Anxiety said:

I know. But isn't it sad that this is an actual threat now.

kims is better when you try to sell used stuff, bobs doesn't wanna give you shit for you used vinyl or disc.

maybe it was someting a little bigger than pirated music? as long as bleecker street records and revolution records is still around on my trips to nyc, i'll be a happy kid.

SassyBritches said:

They've had tax problems in the past. I was a little floored when the Ave. A store closed. My BF was like, um, ok, NOW we can move to Brooklyn. The clerks were so mean ("You're renting THAT movie?") but that was part of the fun. Always found the St. Mark's stores CD prices a little high though.
[Edited 6/9/05 21:02pm]

SassyBritches said:

They've had tax problems in the past. I was a little floored when the Ave. A store closed. My BF was like, um, ok, NOW we can move to Brooklyn. The clerks were so mean ("You're renting THAT movie?") but that was part of the fun. Always found the St. Mark's stores CD prices a little high though.
[Edited 6/9/05 21:02pm]

MendesCity said:

funny...i always thought tla video had a monopoly on movie snobs, lol!

Our big joke was that we'd sign our receipts "Fuck Off"...bet that ALWAYS made you laugh, Anx, huh?

And now I miss it all. Netflix in Brooklyn just isn't the same.
[Edited 6/9/05 21:27pm]

oh hell, i was on the customers' side about 90% of the time when i worked at kim's...i just thought the whole thing was hilarious. you know, the computers at the counter have profiles for all the customers with a field where the clerks can write comments about the people who have video memberships, and some of the nasty shit that i'd read about people....whooo!!!

Anxiety said:

That's really hilarious! Someone should publish those in a coffee table book that they could sell in the glass cases at the counter.

It was an amazing selection, definitely. Think it was the first place I found Sign o the Times even. It is just really sad that mom and pop video and record stores are dying out. The Kims guy was supposed to be pretty cool too, did a lot of activist/artist support stuff in the E. Village.

you know, the computers at the counter have profiles for all the customers with a field where the clerks can write comments about the people who have video memberships, and some of the nasty shit that i'd read about people....whooo!!!

MendesCity said:

it would be total schadenfreude and a half if the smoking gun or something posted some of the more scathing customer profiles, especially considering there were a few famous customers who were members at kim's...oh, and what they'd write about people who were regular porn renters...EVIL.

i'd better shut up now.

yeah, i never bought new stuff at kims unless i ABSOLUTELY couldn't find it anywhere else - and usually other music had the rare stuff for cheaper than kim's...but they had some pretty good prices on used stuff, and as far as i'm concerned, it's THE place to go for rare/obscure video stuff.

when i worked there, kim's was voted the rudest store in manhattan by new york press in its "best of manhattan" issue. i was so proud!

Anxiety said:

TRON said:

I got names for ya.

When I used to be touring in the States a few years ago, I'd always have to check out Disc-O-Rama in NY. I even remember picking up a mint copy of Soft And Wet (12" promo) for $10 there!

sextonseven said:

i bet you do. be nice and orgnote 'em, will ya? i like those stores too much to risk getting 'em in trouble.

TRON said:

well, i don't want 'em getting busted or nuthin'!

when i worked there, kim's was voted the rudest store in manhattan by new york press in its "best of manhattan" issue. i was so proud!

Anxiety said:

Snobs, god forbid u buy a cd from a commercial artist, they look at your Cd like and then they think their so cool because they play music no one has ever heard of.