It is curious business. Still today, I have XXX section in my store, and there are people who buy DVD, but sometimes VHS and magazines. Store is too small to have all this stuff properly on display.
Northern Europe is curious thing, since Sweden and Denmark were notorious for "anything goes" policy from late 60's onward till 80's and for most part legal situation pretty free. Norway and Finland were entire different deal, where anything "for adults" was monitored and forbidden. Regular hc porn was illegal here till late 90's. It created amusing situation, that if its all illegal, so what the hell, you might just sell beastiality and scat videos, since they are not really giving you more trouble than regular fuck flicks. So eventually when they legalized regular hc, suddenly a lot of stores felt necessity to clean up. It was golden years for buying stuff. Since knowing a lot of guys who operate shops, I could walk into store pile car full of nastiest vhs tapes out there. Price tags may have been 40, 50, 70, 90 euros and I could just grab anything, usually for 5 euro each. Also few situations where shop owner told me in advance that he is quitting, and will file being bankrupt, so last day I can come and take anything cash deal, dirt cheap, next to nothing, since all the inventory will be left behind after that.
During those years, when there was huge network of physical shops, but they were run by older folks who didnt have known how for importing stuff, I would order things or visit suppliers in European countries and buy the "grey zone" smut many would sell under the counter, but didnt have guts to import. There is basically one thing nobody touches, but rest is grey zone. Did run into trouble with law enforcement who didnt like the stuff they found. Pretty funny story after all, but cant be told in way that the amusing qualities would not look a bit shady in current world, hah..
