Scarecrow Video

Scarecrow Video

Company type	Non-profit organization
Industry	Video rental and sales
Founded	1988
Founder	Rebecca Latsios, George Latsios, John McCullough
Headquarters	Seattle, Washington , United States
Area served	United States (nationwide DVD-by-mail service)
Products	Video rentals and sales (DVDs, VHS, laserdiscs)
Website	scarecrowvideo.com

Scarecrow Video is a non-profit, independently operated video rental and sales establishment located in Seattle’s University District. Established in 1988 by Rebecca and George Latsios alongside John McCullough, it boasts one of the nation’s most extensive video collections, containing more than 150,000 titles, and stands as Seattle’s sole remaining video rental store.

Collection

The vast selection at Scarecrow encompasses numerous foreign DVDs, an impressive catalog of over 5,000 anime titles, and a variety of rental playback devices including PAL players, laserdisc machines, and region-free DVD players. Its holdings include 14,676 titles available only on VHS and 263 exclusive laserdisc titles. Deposits ranging from $150 to $1,000 are required for many rare or out-of-print items. Of the top 100 rarest titles, 88 are absent from the Library of Congress’s collection, with Scarecrow providing the only publicly accessible copies for 77 of these. The library covers media from 129 countries and features approximately 126 languages beyond English. The earliest item in the collection dates back to 1891.

Activities

In 2004, Scarecrow Video authored The Scarecrow Video Movie Guide, released by Sasquatch Books. Its operations rely on a combination of donations and income generated through rentals and sales. By 2024, the store reported an average monthly rental volume of about 1,800 titles both in-store and via mail service since its introduction in 2021. Additionally, Scarecrow organizes complimentary film screenings for the community, hosts virtual lectures and educational sessions, as well as outdoor public movie events.

History

Scarecrow Video was founded in 1988 by Rebecca and George Latsios along with John McCullough in Seattle’s Ravenna neighborhood, starting with a modest collection of 600 titles. Renowned for its rare film selections and inviting environment, it relocated in 1993 to a larger space measuring 8,300 square feet within the University District. The store has drawn notable visitors such as Quentin Tarantino and Roger Ebert.

Following George Latsios’s brain cancer diagnosis in 1995, he focused heavily on acquiring rare videos which enhanced the store’s prestige but caused financial difficulties that culminated in its sale in 1999. Latsios later moved back to Greece and passed away in 2003.

With streaming services threatening its viability, Scarecrow nearly shuttered in 2014. At that time, owners Carl Tostevin and Mickey McDonough transferred ownership of the collection to the nonprofit Scarecrow Project, created by staff members and supporters. A Kickstarter campaign successfully raised over $100,000 to facilitate reopening. Since then, Scarecrow has maintained one of the world’s largest publicly available film archives.

In response to changing market conditions during the pandemic, the store launched a nationwide DVD-by-mail service for non-rare titles in 2021 after a successful trial period. It remains Seattle’s last operational video rental business following the closure of competitors in 2019 and 2021.

In June 2024, Scarecrow announced plans to raise $1.8 million to secure a new lease and sustain operations long-term. By October, a $600,000 fundraising effort was completed, ensuring financial support through at least 2026.

See also

• Movie Madness Video located in Portland, Oregon
• Vidiots based in Los Angeles, California
• VisArt Video situated in Charlotte, North Carolina

External links

• Company’s official site