Long live Ames. My brother worked at the Concord NH store which originally was a Zayre. He worked there til the final day of closing in 2002 and actually got to turn the lights off and close the doors for good. He gave me his name tag.
Great video Ace. Your videos just keep getting better and better. I worked part time at Ames from 90 to 92. When I worked there everything was still red. The vests we wore were even red. Its a shame they went out of business. They were a nice department store.
I like you mixing up what you document. The individual retailers and their rise and fall is just as interesting as the death of a mall. Glad the space is being repurposed for something useful (storage facility.) Videos are more fun with WallieB joining you to help. Keep them coming and can't wait for another instant classic video: Milwaukee's Northridge Mall
It still blows my mind the stores weren't all torn down. Never mind sitting vacant for so long and not repurposed. I never searched this because I thought they were all gone. My first job was a summer at a new store in 1989 (?) and everything was red. IT is so weird to see Ames with a website. They did have decent goods and treated me well... at least for a punk kid at his first job! Thanks for the video!
KD2NOA Edward Martz The one Salvation Army here(Scranton, PA) uses old Hill's carts for their store. Plus I found a random one just sitting by the side of the road in South Scranton about six months ago.
I don't remember Ames - the one in Athens, Ohio closed when I was very young. But one of my favorite toys - a life-sized toy truck you could sit in - was bought there. One of my mom's laundry baskets still has the Ames price tag on it! Looks like Ames was kinda like Kmart.
Pretty crazy they went out of business in 2002, even though it was only in business for 48 years. That’s a pretty premature demise, considering this was in better economic times too.
And that was before the Internet was widely used. Doubt it’s survive today with so many more stores. And online shopping has taken off a lot in recent years.
I guess those 44 years of business must've gone to a waste. R.I.P. Ames 1958-2002 0:22 This is a tape from Ames to new employees who were hired at their chain of stores. If Milton and Irving were still alive and saw this, they would be incredibly angry that all those 44 years are just wasted.
Man, Many Big stores chain companies had so much trouble at the beginning of the 21st Century... It's so sad when you see an abandonned building that few decades ago was swarming with customers... Businesses is a really harsh world, you can go down under in a blink of an eye if you're not careful (and if you don't do stupid decisions, that help too)
I kinda find it distasteful the way the closing commercial was. There were lots of people losing their jobs and they commercial is all happy and cheerful like it's the greatest event ever and going to be so much fun.
Wow, just mind blown! Sadly Ames never did make it to Utah. We have Shopko, same concept. Simply just awesome. I dig the vintage aesthetics on the furniture in the back, lol. I really miss these old discount stores. But hey, at least a storage facility serves some purpose.
I'm in Missouri and we didn't have them either. This is mainly Walmart country but Target and Kmart have had a major presence in the area as well (up until Kmart started closing stores in the area).
You should head an hour east to Binghamton NY. There's an Ames there too with power on Upper Front Street. Also got our half dead Oakdale Mall which surprisingly no one has made a video on for loosing two anchors and quite a few smaller shops. Plus we got the nearly abandoned Binghamton Airport which now only has two flights a day versus the 25+ flights a day just 15 years ago.
Correct me if I am wrong, Ames went out of business because of Walmart, right ? I am from Canada and many businesses here went out of business after Walmart came to Canada in 1994.
GolfFanaticEst2005. R. They also acquired the remaining empty stores of "Hills" department stores in hoping of expanding more in 1999. But that backfired terribly. That's when they're sales starting declining and debt began piling up. They ended up unable to profit off of the new stores which ultimately led to their demise in August 2002.
I used to go to the Ames in Chester, NY out in the Hudson Valley. It became a bowling alley and a Tractor Supply Store in the 2000's. If anyone has more information about that Ames which used to exist in Chester, NY , let me know. I've been into these types of defunct stores lately.
Sadly I think most Zayre or Woolworth's are redeveloped. Although the former Woolworth's in downtown Scranton(PA) is currently for lease/rent. But that was converted over to an office building. Though it still has the red siding the old Woolworth's signage once hung on.
This was a Hills for decades. Hills was waaaaay better than Ames (which only occupied this space for a few years, in compassion to the decades Hills occupied it.) Just visited this yesterday. Still the same. Decay is continuous
A lot of Ames seemed to be in bad locations. Probably why there’s so many still vacant plus the buildings have a ton of mold so might as well tear them down
Bradlees. Caldor. Two Guys. Korvettes. Woolworth/Woolco. Grants/Grant City. Morphy's/Murphy's Mart. Montgomery Ward. They come and go. Eventually Target and Wal-Mart will be gone also. The times shall change. Sad.
Aaron Toney Agreed. While I like reading about old retail and their histories, I could definitely do without the 'intros' with old commercials and stuff and would just rather abandoned place videos go right into exploring the abandoned place.
Long live Ames. My brother worked at the Concord NH store which originally was a Zayre. He worked there til the final day of closing in 2002 and actually got to turn the lights off and close the doors for good. He gave me his name tag.
Is that old Zayre building still there?
@@matth3805 It's a strip mall now
I love old commercials. So nostalgic.
Great video Ace. Your videos just keep getting better and better. I worked part time at Ames from 90 to 92. When I worked there everything was still red. The vests we wore were even red. Its a shame they went out of business. They were a nice department store.
Scott Lillis thanks Scott!
It's nice when property managers allow you to go in and record a piece of history for preservation.
Thanks Ace! In the training video it's funny how they said "value conscious markets" which today would equate to "cheap" hahaha
I like you mixing up what you document. The individual retailers and their rise and fall is just as interesting as the death of a mall. Glad the space is being repurposed for something useful (storage facility.) Videos are more fun with WallieB joining you to help. Keep them coming and can't wait for another instant classic video: Milwaukee's Northridge Mall
You do a valuable job documenting all these abandoned stores Anthony keep up the good work.
Very cool what they did with the lighting at the end. I remember my local Ames was a Zayres before it became an Ames.
Phillip Wright Same
My Zayre became a Venture and is now Menards.
It still blows my mind the stores weren't all torn down. Never mind sitting vacant for so long and not repurposed. I never searched this because I thought they were all gone. My first job was a summer at a new store in 1989 (?) and everything was red. IT is so weird to see Ames with a website. They did have decent goods and treated me well... at least for a punk kid at his first job! Thanks for the video!
Kudos to the building owner!
Nice find I miss these old stores
I went to this store when it was “Hills”.
That's because both the Zayre and Hills chains were acquired by Ames and each chain of stores advertised their liquidation by 1990.
I found an Ames shopping cart in front of a local deli.
KD2NOA Edward Martz The one Salvation Army here(Scranton, PA) uses old Hill's carts for their store. Plus I found a random one just sitting by the side of the road in South Scranton about six months ago.
Take it.
Keep it. It's gonna be worth thousands haha
I beat the TMNT arcade game in the entrance of an Ames.
Love the light thing at the end
Only a matter of time before old Walmart stores has the same tours going through it.
The corporation isn't going to go under anything soon but as far as individual stores there are abandoned Walmarts out there.
Should try and get into the old headquarters in Rocky Hill, CT sometime in the future
I USED TO SHOP AT AMES IT WAS A GREAT STORE. GREAT VIDEO
Ace use to be Hills dept store when i was younger seem good to see home town again. All closed up run down though
Nice find Ace. Good work with the channel.
Another great video 😀
I’ve been through Horseheads! I gotta see this next time I pass through
I don't remember Ames - the one in Athens, Ohio closed when I was very young. But one of my favorite toys - a life-sized toy truck you could sit in - was bought there. One of my mom's laundry baskets still has the Ames price tag on it!
Looks like Ames was kinda like Kmart.
Satoshi9801 I was born in 99 and never got to experience Ames
Satoshi9801 Same i have two fold up chairs that have Ames stickers on it
Lool, there is city names Athens in Ohio. Interesting
Pretty crazy they went out of business in 2002, even though it was only in business for 48 years. That’s a pretty premature demise, considering this was in better economic times too.
amazing that paint has not faded after all those years
I would've imagine if Ames was still around today it's a shame that they closed In 2002
And that was before the Internet was widely used.
Doubt it’s survive today with so many more stores. And online shopping has taken off a lot in recent years.
I guess those 44 years of business must've gone to a waste.
R.I.P. Ames
1958-2002
0:22 This is a tape from Ames to new employees who were hired at their chain of stores.
If Milton and Irving were still alive and saw this, they would be incredibly angry that all those 44 years are just wasted.
Hills was so much better.
@@PileOnPileOffPileUpOnThe481 okay.
That location was a Hill's Apartment Store before it was Ames.
I need that sign!!
Man, Many Big stores chain companies had so much trouble at the beginning of the 21st Century... It's so sad when you see an abandonned building that few decades ago was swarming with customers... Businesses is a really harsh world, you can go down under in a blink of an eye if you're not careful (and if you don't do stupid decisions, that help too)
Some great stills at the end there - quite haunting
Thank you aces Adventures. Anthony
I kinda find it distasteful the way the closing commercial was. There were lots of people losing their jobs and they commercial is all happy and cheerful like it's the greatest event ever and going to be so much fun.
Wow, just mind blown! Sadly Ames never did make it to Utah. We have Shopko, same concept. Simply just awesome. I dig the vintage aesthetics on the furniture in the back, lol. I really miss these old discount stores. But hey, at least a storage facility serves some purpose.
You didn't miss anything they sold old outdated electronics
I wonder what their electric bill must cost, considering it was like this since 2002
Never heard of Ames until your channel. I’m from Texas so we didn’t have Ames
Dana Cantu Also, they've been out of business since October 2002. Quite a long time ago.
I just cant believe the corporate phone number worked till 2015!
I'm in Missouri and we didn't have them either. This is mainly Walmart country but Target and Kmart have had a major presence in the area as well (up until Kmart started closing stores in the area).
@@KC8EWU but how....
@@daraka1754 good question, nobody really knows.
You should head an hour east to Binghamton NY. There's an Ames there too with power on Upper Front Street. Also got our half dead Oakdale Mall which surprisingly no one has made a video on for loosing two anchors and quite a few smaller shops. Plus we got the nearly abandoned Binghamton Airport which now only has two flights a day versus the 25+ flights a day just 15 years ago.
I was 7 in 2002 when Ames closed. I remember going into my local one in its final days :(
Correct me if I am wrong, Ames went out of business because of Walmart, right ? I am from Canada and many businesses here went out of business after Walmart came to Canada in 1994.
GolfFanaticEst2005. R. Walmart surely didn’t help
GolfFanaticEst2005. R. They also acquired the remaining empty stores of "Hills" department stores in hoping of expanding more in 1999. But that backfired terribly. That's when they're sales starting declining and debt began piling up. They ended up unable to profit off of the new stores which ultimately led to their demise in August 2002.
Davin Peterson Walmart did not arrive in Utah til 1991. And started out with just 3 stores along the Wasatch front.
Jennifer Jones umm ames was never that far west. I think they didn't get past ohio. They were mostly saturated on the east coast
You (or someone) should try to find the lady in the ames soundbite and maybe interview her.
First impressions at the beginning why is their still a sign up? Its been 16 years.
@Brandy Montgomery same with a Wittmark which has been closed well over 20 years. Building finally went up for lease/sale.
There’s a diy Home Warehouse in warren, Ohio with signage still up and it’s been closed since 2001
Ames is making a comeback in 2023 with 7 stores opening by the end of the year and more to come in the upcoming years.
I what a thought that would have been a pretty cool store if I was around back then
I used to go to the Ames in Chester, NY out in the Hudson Valley. It became a bowling alley and a Tractor Supply Store in the 2000's. If anyone has more information about that Ames which used to exist in Chester, NY , let me know. I've been into these types of defunct stores lately.
“Looking forward to opportunities in the 21st century!”
Yea, how’d that turn out?
An approximate two years. LOL
I’d like to see a former Zayre or Woolco on an adventure of yours.
Sadly I think most Zayre or Woolworth's are redeveloped. Although the former Woolworth's in downtown Scranton(PA) is currently for lease/rent. But that was converted over to an office building. Though it still has the red siding the old Woolworth's signage once hung on.
I have an old Zayre plastic bag full of Game Boy games, that's the closest I've come to seeing anything Zayre.
@@VSigma725 I bought a item at yard sale they put in a zayer bag
@@CheapestGamer they zayer store at became a Ames store at been Vacant since 1990
LOL I just mentioned this very store a day or two ago on a WallieB26 video where I think you guys were checking out another Ame's with him.
This will make a great airsoft skirmish sight
"...looking forward to opportunities into the 21st century" BISH WHERE 😂😂😂😂
0:36 Is it just me, or does that lady have an extremely tiny head?
Creepy but fascinating
That doll house was probably only meant for display purposes.
I want to know who and why is paying the bills for electricity for these 17 years?!
Great video
Cool video :)
whos paying the electric bill, and how hsd light bulbs lasted 16 years?
They changed the light blubs to LED and they aren't original, they replaced the blubs
Hey man you need come to Sarasota Florida is dead mall here it's Sarasota square mall. More and half of store gone out of mall
This was a Hills for decades. Hills was waaaaay better than Ames (which only occupied this space for a few years, in compassion to the decades Hills occupied it.)
Just visited this yesterday. Still the same. Decay is continuous
I think that they should put an Ames Department Store in there again because Ames Department Stores are returning in 2023 thank you.
The local economy where that store is located didn't help either. It was (and still is) a pretty depressed "Appalachia" type area.
A lot of Ames seemed to be in bad locations. Probably why there’s so many still vacant plus the buildings have a ton of mold so might as well tear them down
What Day Of August 2002 Did They Close Everything. Because I Was Born August 28, 2002
Love #History 💚
What about upstairs??
Wow that still hasn't seen lights in over 16 years
I used to go to that store Ames great store
Bradlees. Caldor. Two Guys. Korvettes. Woolworth/Woolco. Grants/Grant City. Morphy's/Murphy's Mart. Montgomery Ward. They come and go. Eventually Target and Wal-Mart will be gone also. The times shall change. Sad.
Woolworth's was the best you could buy anything there.
video begins at 2:35
Aaron Toney the video begins at 0 seconds
Lol, you're right.
Aaron Toney Agreed. While I like reading about old retail and their histories, I could definitely do without the 'intros' with old commercials and stuff and would just rather abandoned place videos go right into exploring the abandoned place.
CheapestGamer I respect that but it’s not about it being abandoned it’s about what it used to be lol
Ace, I couldn't agree more. The intros are a cool peek into history and make the actual footage more relevant. Don't listen to these dummies.
This is what will happen to most kmarts
Although I never really went to Ames since i was born in 3005 and it closed in 2002. But I still feel bad for the store ;-;
Spud the Undead Misfit time traveler confirmed!
Never had the pleasure of visiting an Ames..did it sell groceries to..or was it just a Department Store..like a regular Kmart???
It was kinda similar to Kmart.
where did you find the training video
We had an AMES is Imlay City Michigan ………. also had a store called the BIG WHEEL not too far from there …….. anyone remember the BIG WHEEL ??
What a shipwreck why can’t they just Tear it down and build a Target on that spot
does ames sell hardware
0:15 How come this company-only video public?
Lol Wallie Alert😂
Ames was like Walmart & Target
Ames essentially was Walmart of the Northeast when Walmart was still mainly a regional company.
Ames store start off good
Then it plummet to closing there doors for good
That sad see Ames store do so good
Then crash burn
Closed in 08
Amesfanclub website is gone :(
WHERES MY 60FPS?????
Hills was so much better!!!!!
I almost thoted it that an ames store had eyes
leaky rough and poer= bad combo
rough poer?