Store 70s 80s that appeared damaged. Name? - Page 1

Site Notices

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Store 70s 80s that appeared damaged. Name? (Page 1 of 2)

Posted: 9/26/2019 3:15:55 AM EST

GD, help!

I remember a chain of stores that had a normal indoor appearance ( picture Target). But the exterior looked f'd up.

Sacramento's one had a chunk taken out.
Another had the exterior walls pealing off.
Many more.

Please name the store.

Thanks!

Posted: 9/26/2019 3:25:37 AM EST

[#1]

BEST

Attached File

Posted: 9/26/2019 3:42:12 AM EST

[#2]

End of thread/

Posted: 9/26/2019 3:52:56 AM EST

[#3]

I remember Best, but I don’t remember the damaged exteriors. I loved the Best catalog and the GIJoe displays.

Posted: 9/26/2019 4:08:29 AM EST

[#4]

But why?

Eta: It's impossible to search the internet for more info on this.

Posted: 9/26/2019 4:21:03 AM EST

[#5]

Quote History

Quoted:
BEST

https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/3053/1F71ACC5-ACB8-4506-8D23-81EB8DDC1961_jpeg-1103001.JPG

View Quote

never seen those

Posted: 9/26/2019 5:06:07 AM EST

[#6]

Quote History

Quoted:
But why?

Eta: It's impossible to search the internet for more info on this.

View Quote

Yeah, it was an PITA to search.

Posted: 9/26/2019 5:07:28 AM EST

[#7]

When Art, Architecture and Commerce Collided: The BEST Products Showrooms by SITE

According to one survey, images of the BEST Products Showroom in Houston, Texas, designed by SITE (Sculpture in the Environment), appeared in more books on 20th-century architecture than any other building. The intentionally crumbling brick at that Houston store, known as "Indeterminate Faade," and the eight other showrooms SITE designed, were simultaneously iconic and controversial, and most importantly for BEST, they brought in customers. Although SITE-founder James Wines never considered himself a Postmodernist architect, his designs for BEST, completed between 1972 and 1984, steeped in whimsical social commentary, came to symbolize the essence of Postmodernism. Today, all but one of the BEST showrooms have been demolished or altered beyond recognition, but they set a lasting precedent, and continue to influence the use of architecture in corporate branding today.
...

View Quote

https://www.archdaily.com/778003/the-intersection-of-art-and-architecture-the-best-products-showrooms-by-site-sculpture-in-the-environment

Attached File

Posted: 9/26/2019 5:12:54 AM EST

[#8]

Our local BEST store didn't have that kind of facade. It was "normal".

Fond memories of shopping there with my Mother when I was a kid.

Posted: 9/26/2019 5:18:35 AM EST

[#9]

Quote History

Quoted:
Our local BEST store didn't have that kind of facade. It was "normal".

Fond memories of shopping there with my Mother when I was a kid.

View Quote

Yup, they had cool toys there.

Remember my dad picking up the Brand new Atari 2600 and Space invaders game

Posted: 9/26/2019 5:20:52 AM EST

[#10]

Bought many things from Best

Posted: 9/26/2019 5:26:01 AM EST

[#11]

Well, that looks weird and stupid.
Signed,
Authority on Such Matters

Posted: 9/26/2019 5:26:02 AM EST

[#12]

Don't remember ever seeing that in FL.

Posted: 9/26/2019 5:50:30 AM EST

[#13]

Bought many GI Joes there over the years and later a Weider weight bench and barbells that I sill have today.

Posted: 9/26/2019 5:53:03 AM EST

[#14]

Quote History

Quoted:
Yup, they had cool toys there.

Remember my dad picking up the Brand new Atari 2600 and Space invaders game

View Quote View All Quotes

View All Quotes

Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
Our local BEST store didn't have that kind of facade. It was "normal".

Fond memories of shopping there with my Mother when I was a kid.

Yup, they had cool toys there.

Remember my dad picking up the Brand new Atari 2600 and Space invaders game

Place makes me think of Hills a little looking at the pics. They also had awesome displays for their toys.

Posted: 9/26/2019 6:25:48 AM EST

[#15]

The second picture in the first row was the BEST store located in Towson, MD, on Putty Hill Avenue and Goucher Blvd.
That is a Woolworth's store behind it.
There was a Montgomery Ward store on the other side of the shopping center.
I might have gone to the high school that was right across the street from it, and had my first driving lesson in that parking lot.

Posted: 9/26/2019 8:25:57 AM EST

[#16]

Quote History

Quoted:
Don't remember ever seeing that in FL.

View Quote

Posted: 9/26/2019 8:28:12 AM EST

[#17]

Quote History

Quoted:
Don't remember ever seeing that in FL.

View Quote

Yeah, I grew up in FL and never saw one of those.

Posted: 9/26/2019 8:31:29 AM EST

[#18]

Quote History

Quoted:
Our local BEST store didn't have that kind of facade. It was "normal".

Fond memories of shopping there with my Mother when I was a kid.

View Quote

Yup. Lived near and shopped at 3 different Best Buys in VA. Never saw one like those in the picture.

Posted: 9/26/2019 8:33:30 AM EST

[#19]

Bought my G-Shock watches there as a teen and got an Camillus USMC fighting knife new in the issue box for $17 in the 1980’s. Was a cool store. My dad used to get mom’s kitchen appliances there, toasters, coffee makers, crock pots etc...

Posted: 9/26/2019 8:34:01 AM EST

[#20]

We used to have Jafco's here in Washington that later turned into Best.

The local Best stores looked nothing like these pics in the thread though...they look like a standard department store.

Posted: 9/26/2019 8:36:24 AM EST

[#21]

The bricks were not perfectly straight on the store here but that’s all I can remember. Cool to know about it.

Posted: 9/26/2019 8:42:53 AM EST

[#22]

Quote History

Quoted:
never seen those

View Quote View All Quotes

View All Quotes

Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
BEST

https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/3053/1F71ACC5-ACB8-4506-8D23-81EB8DDC1961_jpeg-1103001.JPG

never seen those

Posted: 9/26/2019 8:49:44 AM EST

[#23]

The BEST store in North Randall had a plain facade; nothing that crazy. BEST was awesome for toys, electronics when they were in business.

I am reminded of them all the time because my Mom always talks about computer stuff she always gets at Best and what she really means is Best Buy.

Posted: 9/26/2019 8:58:26 AM EST

[#24]

Quote History

Quoted:
https://www.archdaily.com/778003/the-intersection-of-art-and-architecture-the-best-products-showrooms-by-site-sculpture-in-the-environment

https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/2917/architecture_best_catalog_stores_001_20190926_jpg-1103023.JPG

View Quote View All Quotes

View All Quotes

Quote History

Quoted:

When Art, Architecture and Commerce Collided: The BEST Products Showrooms by SITE

According to one survey, images of the BEST Products Showroom in Houston, Texas, designed by SITE (Sculpture in the Environment), appeared in more books on 20th-century architecture than any other building. The intentionally crumbling brick at that Houston store, known as "Indeterminate Faade," and the eight other showrooms SITE designed, were simultaneously iconic and controversial, and most importantly for BEST, they brought in customers. Although SITE-founder James Wines never considered himself a Postmodernist architect, his designs for BEST, completed between 1972 and 1984, steeped in whimsical social commentary, came to symbolize the essence of Postmodernism. Today, all but one of the BEST showrooms have been demolished or altered beyond recognition, but they set a lasting precedent, and continue to influence the use of architecture in corporate branding today.
...

https://www.archdaily.com/778003/the-intersection-of-art-and-architecture-the-best-products-showrooms-by-site-sculpture-in-the-environment

https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/2917/architecture_best_catalog_stores_001_20190926_jpg-1103023.JPG

"simultaneously iconic and controversial"

Controversial? It's a shopping center design, how much controversy could it stir up?

I think the stores look kind of neat. I had never even heard of them before.

Posted: 9/26/2019 9:02:35 AM EST

[#25]

Quote History

Quoted:

Yup. Lived near and shopped at 3 different Best Buys in VA. Never saw one like those in the picture.

View Quote

Because they are talking about best, not best buy

Posted: 9/26/2019 9:06:57 AM EST

[#26]

Our Best was in an old shopping center, looked normal. Run down in the early/mid 90's.
Had a shit ton of Star Trek/Wars micro machines that were no where else in my city so they had that going on.

Posted: 9/26/2019 9:07:17 AM EST

[#27]

Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
Our local BEST store didn't have that kind of facade. It was "normal".

Fond memories of shopping there with my Mother when I was a kid.

View Quote

Yup. Lived near and shopped at 3 different Best Buys in VA. Never saw one like those in the picture.

View Quote

Posted: 9/26/2019 9:10:05 AM EST

[#28]

LOL that's cool, I've never heard of that store.

Posted: 9/26/2019 9:16:51 AM EST

[#29]

Quote History

Quoted:
BEST

https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/3053/1F71ACC5-ACB8-4506-8D23-81EB8DDC1961_jpeg-1103001.JPG

View Quote

The guy who parked that silver Olds 442 said "fuck all yall". What a scumbag move (unless there's someone in the driver's seat, I can't tell).

Posted: 9/26/2019 9:17:42 AM EST

[#30]

Quote History

Quoted:

View Quote View All Quotes

View All Quotes

Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
Our local BEST store didn't have that kind of facade. It was "normal".

Fond memories of shopping there with my Mother when I was a kid.

Yup. Lived near and shopped at 3 different Best Buys in VA. Never saw one like those in the picture.

Posted: 9/26/2019 9:24:19 AM EST

[#31]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Best_Products

I remember the store in Sacramento, also the catalog.

They also had the store letters start out small to big. I don't quite remember the "damaged" section of the store being the same as the OP's version, but if memory serves me correct(and that's going back a lot of years), the broke away part was the entrance.

Posted: 9/26/2019 9:24:52 AM EST

[#32]

The thread title is epileptic.

Posted: 9/26/2019 9:26:02 AM EST

[#33]

Loved that store and the catalog. it was the 80s and early 90s so I was a kid and my family had what we needed and not a ton more to blow at the time. Grandparents could afford some stuff though.

Posted: 9/26/2019 9:27:18 AM EST

[#34]

Quote History

Quoted:
Don't remember ever seeing that in FL.

View Quote

There was one in West Palm Beach in the mid eighties.

Edit: Maybe I’m thinking of the one in Miami. I was a kid but definitely remember the store.

Posted: 9/26/2019 9:29:53 AM EST

[#35]

Quote History

Quoted:
Our local BEST store didn't have that kind of facade. It was "normal".

Fond memories of shopping there with my Mother when I was a kid.

View Quote

I bought my first gun I ever purchased by myself with my own money from Best when I was 18.
A Ruger 10/22. I still have it.

Posted: 9/26/2019 9:33:36 AM EST

[#36]

The Best in Fairfax, VA was just a big ugly brick cube. Went out of business in the 90s. I worked at the competitor, Service Merchandise, in high school. Catalog Showroom retailers, stupid retail model that helped doom all these types of stores.

Posted: 9/26/2019 9:51:52 AM EST

[#37]

Quote History

Quoted:

I bought my first gun I ever purchased by myself with my own money from Best when I was 18.
A Ruger 10/22. I still have it.

View Quote

Change Best to Service Merchandise and I can say the same thing.

Posted: 9/26/2019 9:56:05 AM EST

[#38]

Quote History

Quoted:
There was one in West Palm Beach in the mid eighties.

Edit: Maybe I'm thinking of the one in Miami. I was a kid but definitely remember the store.

View Quote View All Quotes

View All Quotes

Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
Don't remember ever seeing that in FL.

There was one in West Palm Beach in the mid eighties.

Edit: Maybe I'm thinking of the one in Miami. I was a kid but definitely remember the store.

West Palm was the darkside of the moon for me as a kid. It was Dade and Broward for me. Don't ever recall seeing one in Dade.

Posted: 9/26/2019 10:34:40 AM EST

[#39]

I remember going to the Best store over in Kansas all the time. I hated to see it close.

Posted: 9/26/2019 10:38:56 AM EST

[#40]

I loved the Best catalog. I got some of my best Christmas gifts from Best. The Guns of Navarone play set by Marx was one I wish I still had.

Marx Guns of Navarone Giant Playset

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnvYdWZqSFc

Posted: 9/26/2019 10:47:31 AM EST

[#41]

https://www.siteenvirodesign.com/content/best-products

I like the one with the missing corner.

Posted: 9/26/2019 10:51:00 AM EST

[#42]

FPNI is the Best at Almeda Mall in Houston

Posted: 9/26/2019 10:53:02 AM EST

[#43]

Quote History

I loved the Best catalog. I got some of my best Christmas gifts from Best. The Guns of Navarone play set by Marx was one I wish I still had.

View Quote

Hell yeah- I've still got mine!

Attached File

Attached File

And our Best stores were normal...

Posted: 9/26/2019 10:55:47 AM EST

[#44]

I have many fond memories of shopping at Best when I was kid. Got my first Casio digital watch there :D

Attached File

ETA this is what they did with the building.

Attached File

Posted: 9/26/2019 10:57:58 AM EST

[#45]

Quote History

Quoted:

Hell yeah- I've still got mine!

https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/145914/IMG_20180709_191019_jpg-1103208.JPG
https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/145914/IMG_20180709_191004_jpg-1103214.JPG
https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/145914/IMG_20180709_190946_jpg-1103216.JPG

And our Best stores were normal...

View Quote

I had forgotten about that! My best friend had that and we played with it for hours! At some point we transitioned from using army men to GI Joes :D

Posted: 9/26/2019 10:58:20 AM EST

[#46]

Quote History

Quoted:

The guy who parked that silver Olds 442 said "fuck all yall". What a scumbag move (unless there's someone in the driver's seat, I can't tell).

View Quote

Yep, 'cept it's a standard Cutlass