Vidiots at 302 Pico opened in 1985 when Patty Polinger and Cathy Tauber decided that they wanted to have their own business.
Lifetime friends since the age of three, Tauber and Polinger announced Monday that after 30 years in business, Vidiots will be forced to close on April 15, 2015.
“It is no secret to our customers and the community at large that we have been struggling to stay open for the last few years,” Tauber and Polinger said in an email on Monday. “Please be assured that we have done everything possible to continue our mission but it was not enough to make up for the precipitous drop in rental income — a 24 percent drop in the last five months alone.”
The pair said its Board is currently reviewing possible 501(c)(3) organizations that would allow public access to its collection of more 50,000 titles, many rare and unavailable online.
“Unless a sustaining benefactor steps forward within the next month, we will close as planned and focus on the future of our collection,” the pair said. “Our heartfelt thanks go to all our generous donors, who through online auctions and direct donations, have enabled us to keep our 30-year collection together. It has been a wonderful journey and we thank all of our staff, past and present, as well as our loyal customers throughout the years for making Vidiots a prime resource for Los Angeles film lovers.”
