Is this a "weird" obsession, even for an aspie?

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Omg I used to work at Ames in New Hampshire before it closed.... do you remember Porteous in Portland ME? I also like this information and remember it very easily. Not a weird fascination to me.

Why were the EXACT same vehicles sold as both Chevrolet and GMC in the 90's? The only reason I've heard is that historically, the two brands were distinct. But a lot of GMC dealership franchise owners would have lost their livelihood if their brand had been discontinued (and they would thus have to close up shop). If the GM bankruptcy/bailout had happened in the 90's, I get the feeling GMC would have been one of the divisions to be shut down. But maybe to keep dealers happy, they would have discontinued Chevy truck models instead. Since 2000, the brands have become different again. I liked the early 2000s GMC Sierra a lot better than the Chevy Silverado from the same period. Seems like the GMC version in that case had much better quality. But I still always liked GMC better anyway.

I think that this is a WONDERFUL obsession!

And if you think YOUR obsession is weird, TAKE a gander at THIS:

I am obsessed with the Out Islands of the Bahamas - specifically the Berry Islands. I've been obsessed with them since I was an early teen many-a-year ago. I've spent time poring over maps and books and with the advent of the Internet, I've been able to go HOG WILD indulging my interest in places I will likely NEVER visit.

Currently, I am concerned about the overdevelopment of some of the cays. Take Whale Cay, for example. It was once owned by Marion "Joe" Carstairs - heiress to the Standard Oil fortune. To make a long story short, she developed it many years ago as her own personal haven. Now developers and perhaps even the Bahamian government want to put houses and hotel facilities on EVERY SQUARE INCH of the island. Too much development would DESTROY the natural charm and beauty of the island.

There...we ALL have our obsessions

But what's the difference between a 90's Chevy Silverado and a 90's GMC Sierra? Or a 90's Chevy Suburban and a 90's GMC Suburban? Or a 90's Chevy Tahoe (Blazer) and a 90's GMC Yukon? Or a 90's Chevy S10 and a 90's GMC Sonoma? Or a 90's Chevy Blazer and a 90's GMC Jimmy? Or a 90's Chevy TrailBlazer and a 90's GMC Envoy? Or a 90's Chevy Astro and a 90's GMC Safari? Or a 90's Chevy Express and a 90's GMC Savana?

Hmmm... seems like my obsession caters to certain brain circuits, not NT ones, but not the same ones which lead other Aspies to have obsessions like Xbox Live...

I have an intellectual question: why do people who are otherwise interested in history (as far as it concerns "local" matters, wherever they happen to live) seem to "tune out" any changes to the shopping attractions in their area? What makes a 1750s schoolhouse which was demolished somehow more interesting and notable than a 1950s supermarket (with distinctive architecture not seen anywhere today) for example?

When the Genuardi's (now GIANT) in Springfield, PA was built in 1996, a Thrift Drug was next door. Eckerd bought the whole Thrift Drug chain in 1997 and renamed it Eckerd, but closed the store in this center in 2000. Pier 1 is now in this spot, and moved there from a store in a weird location farther east on the same street (now a mattress store). There's a really old, dingy Rite Aid with limited parking in Springfield, which planned to move to the site of the former Ferraro Buick/Cadillac dealership (which would have to be demolished), but this plan was cancelled when Rite Aid almost slipped into bankruptcy. It's a shame the Eckerd in town closed because that would have ended up as a Rite Aid anyway if it had stayed open. If that had been the case, Rite Aid would have been able to get a "new" store site for "free" in Springfield to replace the old one. But because drugstore chains have been trying to get away from shopping centers, the ex-Eckerd probably wouldn't have been a very successful location. I wouldn't be surprised though if Rite Aid had bought it, put their name on it, and kept it open for a couple years as a "temporary" store, but eventually built a brand new store (where Ferraro was) with a drive-thru to replace it.

There had been a very old and small Wine & Spirits store in Springfield which ended up finally relocating in 2005. The new location is crappy too though. Springfield has a lot of shopping centers, a lot of which were empty around that time, and yet they had to choose a "new" location in a very old building, which also had very little parking. The ex-Eckerd was available around that time, so I'm surprised the Wine & Spirits didn't move there (which would have conveniently put them next to a busy grocery store).

The Rite Aid in Drexel Hill PA (near Springfield) is also horrible. It's a shame the Eckerd in town (now a Tuesday Morning) also closed before Rite Aid had a chance to buy it. There isn't really any land left anywhere in the area where Rite Aid could have built a new store from scratch. The Tuesday Morning also occupies a former salon which moved to be in another space in the shopping center. This particular Eckerd had been very tiny, but if it had expanded into the salon, it would be a decent size. Tuesday Morning did a lot to repair the otherwise run-down property, yet they got rid of the speaker system in the ceiling, but play music on box speakers! The Wine & Spirits in this center had moved to a new spot in the same center around the same time Eckerd closed. Normally the ex-Eckerd still would have been too small for Wine & Spirits to use, but not if the salon space was added.

Also, the Rite Aid in Prospect Park PA was built in 2006 on the site of a closed and demolished Texaco gas station, and replaced the very old Rite Aid in nearby Norwood. It's ironic that the BP (was Amoco) gas station across the street has a McDonald's in it, because many later Texaco stations (many of which are now Shell) also did. If it were Texaco instead which had a McDonald's in this case, the station would likely be a Shell now, so Rite Aid wouldn't be there. I don't get why the Texaco didn't become a Shell anyway though. It seems Shell only wanted the "cream of the crop" Texaco stations which were large and had a C-store and car wash if not a fast food place inside. But a handful of older Texaco stations, with only gas and a service center, did become Shell. I'm surprised Shell bought the Texaco in Drexel Hill PA, even though pretty much every other Texaco in the area closed, as did the Prospect Park one. But this station ended up closing as a Shell later, yet it since has reopened as Shell. There also was a Texaco in nearby Upper Darby (actually Drexel Hill is part of Upper Darby) which was later Gulf, but now is an independent gas station.

Why is this such a dead thread all of a sudden?

You make a good point here. History is history, right?

Consider this: eventually, the 1950s will be as far in the past as the 1750s is now. Why not study even "recent history" right now?

You mentioned Edy's versus Dreyer's ice cream, with no logo change. Kind of like "Best Foods" vs. "Hellemann's" mayonnaise (hope I spelled that right). Again, no logo change.

You're speaking from a northeastern U.S. standpoint. Moving towards the southwest (that's all I'll say regarding location): was Thrift Drug related to "Thrifty Drug" in any way, which eventually became Rite Aid?

Also: Sav-on Drugs becoming (or being bought out by) CVS?

Ever hear of the supermarket chains Vons and Lucky?

Just an attempt to revive the thread, AND put in my $0.02 about stuff I remember regarding the "evolution" of various stores/locations.

NOT an "odd" obsession at all, IMO. I notice the evolution of various logos: companies, TV stations (local and national), TV production companies, movie production companies, sometimes who bought out whom, etc.

Hope you're still watching this thread!

Conundrum, sorry but I only am familiar with Vons and Lucky (owned by Safeway and Albertsons respectively).

That's better than many people. Oh well, just thought I'd ask.

My current obsession (well, before investigating AS took over my life) has been urban exploring. I find myself researching old abandoned factories and hospitals and finding ways inside to explore and take photographs. There are a number of reasons I enjoy this but a part of it is to do with appriciating the more mundane and much-overlooked local history which your OP reminded me of.