Unity Collectibles offers films for rent, $3 each for three days, April 23, 2024, in downtown Pendleton.

PENDLETON — In an expansion of its niche selling physical media, such as CDs and vinyl records, Unity Collectibles is now offering DVD rentals.

Jennifer and Josh Burrington own the store at 237 Main St. in Pendleton and will offer $3 DVD rentals for three days per rental. It is the only store offering rentals in the city. Many of the films are from the Burringtons’ personal collection, consisting of cult classics, horror films and movies not available on most online streaming platforms.

“Being a huge movie buff, this is something I always wanted to do,” Josh said. “I worked in a record store, and now I have a record store. And now I can say I have a DVD store too, and I can talk about movies and recommend those as well.”

Part of the appeal of DVD rentals, just like vinyl, is being able to physically touch the media, he added.

“People of a certain age understand that and grew up going to the video stores as much as watching the actual movie,” he said. “That experience of looking through the shelves and looking at the cover and picking out something was just as much fun as sitting down and watching the movie, and that’s something we wanted to bring back.”

Alongside the launch of their video rentals, they are now selling a few snacks and drinks for people to purchase as a pairing for their movie nights.

Creating a community

Going into the store to find movies also creates a line of connection between two people in a shared community, the couple said. Recommendations from people with varying interests is part of what they love about their store — both they and their customers are exposed to new bands, songs and, now, movies.

“A lot of what we enjoy about being here throughout the day is the communication with people, the exchange,” Jennifer said. “We have a lot of regulars who come in every day just to talk to us. It feels good.”

The Burringtons said they like the eclectic variety of what comes through the store as part of its buy-sell-trade approach. The community they’ve built is central to their shop.

“I look at it as a way of giving back to the community and creating a community of like-minded people, of artistic people, and for lack of a better term, nerdy people, and embracing that and sharing it with each other,” Josh said. “There’s literally something for everyone.”

Part of what the couple does to further encourage that community is host events, such as the monthly Mystical Market and DJ Day, which feature local artists and sellers.

Unity Collectibles also offers free arts and crafts as well as board games that people can play in the sitting area at the front of the store.

“We’d love to have people come in and read or spend time together,” Jennifer said. “They don’t have to talk to us.”

“No, just come and hang out, I mean, we’re offering a space,” Josh added. “We try to have something to do, with the games, that doesn’t cost anything.”

The couple opened their store’s doors in June 2023 and have started reflecting on their experience of the last year.

“We’ve got a lot of great locals who come in and it’s great to see their faces,” Jennifer said, “and seeing everybody’s happy faces when they find something nostalgic that just brightens their day has been fantastic.”

She said living in Pendleton and running Unity Collectibles has exceeded their expectations.

“A lot of what we see is people coming through town from out around the area or headed from Seattle to Idaho, so it’s been great,” she added. “And then the local community has been incredibly accepting.”

Unity Collectibles is celebrating its first year in Pendleton with an anniversary party on June 15. The day-long party will feature a raffle — two tickets for $1, drawn at 3 p.m. — with various prize packages, as well as DJs and maybe even a live band.

Anniversary Party

Unity Collectibles is throwing a party celebrating its first year in Pendleton.

Date: Saturday, June 15, 2024

Location: 237 S. Main St.

Time: All day, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., with raffle winners drawn at 3 p.m.