Abandoned - Ames Department Store

A discount store giant on the American east coast. A department store infamously known for its public decline in its later years. This is Ames Department Stores.
Twitter - / brightsunfilms
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Patreon - www.patreon.com/BrightSunFilm...
Personal Twitter - / datjakewilliams
Ames Fan Club - www.amesfanclub.com
Dan Bell's Video - • DEAD MALL SERIES : The...
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Outro Song - Jeff Kaale (X I X X) - Happy Days (rmx)
/ happy-days-rmx
BrightSunFilms 2016

[@BrightSunFilms]

A new video on Ames's competitor, Bradlees is out NOW! kzbin.info/www/bejne/bWqmqIKqZ9mNrs0

[@theshawnatiom7918]

where I live the Dollar General store was originally or a Ames store

[@Fredstrains]

Bright Sun Films can you do one on British Home Stores

[@Fredstrains]

Bright Sun Films Can you do one on woolworths

[@kozykoz05]

what about jamesway? i remember we had a ames and jamesway across from each other growing up. oh the glory days..

[@sldl04]

You'll be doing one on Sears and K-Mart before long.

[@corneliusmcmuffin3256]

Ames buys Hills: "look, we're big now!" *begins coughing up blood* promptly dies.

[@79clit]

Etru grimy Nickelodeon Studios videos and more more of videos or something like that anymore Target videos and target videos and videos and then target videos and Blockbuster videos framing new Blockbuster videos with Target and Walmart

[@79clit]

Etru grimy Nickelodeon Studios videos and more more of videos or something like that anymore Target videos and target videos and videos and then target videos and Blockbuster videos framing new Blockbuster videos with Target and Walmart

[@ItzBIULDmusic]

@@79clit stop

[@paulfowler2378]

Hills was dying, they would not have lasted much longer.

[@PorkchopGMX]

Ethan O'Brien Sometimes KZbin posts 2 comments that are the same when you only want to post one, with one being unable to be deleted.

[@Mr.Plant1994]

Goes in debt for buying a struggling store chain. Barely gets out without death, immediately decides to buy another struggling store chain, goes in debt again.

[@jenniferclark9842]

Our Piped Dreams Definition of insanity.

[@rockvilleraven]

Like Two drunks trying to help each other out.

[@danielfife348]

never learned: first Zayre then 10 or more years later Hill's What was Hills like?

[@kai937gaming]

Lol true

[@AndrewAMartin]

@@danielfife348 Hill's was OK, nothing special really. Had popcorn machines in the front of the store, so it always smelled like a cheap carnival. There were three different discount chains in PA when we moved here in the late 80's -- Hill's, Lane's/LaneCo, and GeeBee (Glosser Brothers), and now there's one -- Walmart. Ames built a huge new distribution center just north of Reading, PA not long before they went out of business, maybe 5 years of use out of the facility. Their management wasn't very bright, but to be fair, neither was my employer at the time, Woolworth Corporation...

[@Keithguinn97]

They should've stopped acquiring failing businesses and focused on THEIR OWN BUSINESS. It might've worked in the past for them, but that's lucky. Sad loss

[@Samspianopage]

That's Corporations for ye mate. They start getting too big for their boots and start looking to the stratosphere and thinking they can saturate the market, look at what Walmart has done. Of course what they don't always realize is that by doing that they're taking on huge extra amounts of outlay and overhead that they might not be able to afford, and the areas they choose to buy might not be right for their brand. You normally find the successful shops tend to choose their markets carefully and only build in areas they know their customer base, aka John Lewis and Frasers dept stores here in Glasgow, Scotland where there are a wide mix of people. However you wouldny find a Harrod's here because they're a fortune for even the smallest things LOL so they build where the dosh is there to be spent, London. Plus management at these companies is often daft and doesn't have direct access to the locations they buy (I bet they don't even go there to check them out for themselves before they aqquire them), they rely on their inside minions to select places by analyzing stuff but it's like a committee thing and you don't have one person and their lower team coming together to judge the next business decision. Can't blame them we've all done it, hey that's great we'll buy 20 stores but hawd on what's that gonna do to us in 10 years time if 10 of em are losing money and we have to sell them wasting all that dosh we put in. Also these corporations start to get involved in stuff that had hee-haw to do with what the company was about which could add too much heft to the amount of stuff they have to manage that they might not have alot of knowledge about, hence they need to slim down and restructure, you see it all the time in businesses.

[@lillyie]

Ames:i don't know how. but we recovered from a retarded purchase we made during the 90s. let's make another one!

[@acenace24]

Especially when you did it once and it blew up. Ames ran its business like someone with a gambling issue.

[@capndavey1]

the biggest problem was after the Zayre take over they adopted many of their procedures and policies.the issue was Zayre was corrupt to the bone managers ripping off stores district managers disposing of store stock that wasn't written off yet.

[@marylizsotoquiles]

Is it me... or does Walmart ALWAYS get mention when a giant store closes... They kill everything 😂

[@mattwalters6834]

Marylile yep and they’ll eventually collapse too.

[@trafficracer124]

@@mattwalters6834 oh boy, walmart is going to get beaten someday aswell, by online stores such as Amazon.

[@ItzBIULDmusic]

We need to give them a taste of thier own medicine, oh wait, they have, due to toxic things, a Walmart store had to close, with most of the shopping plaza due to it not being safe with toxic materials nearby.

[@johnharris7751]

A lot of Walmarts built thier stores literally in Ames parking lots against thier building's and just pushed them out of business.

[@eilenekellogg7017]

Amazon is closing allot down.They are the king of the mountian!

[@rump438]

Ames'll always have a special place in my heart. My house burned down in september 2001 when I was 5, one of the cashier's at the one near me donated a bunch of Jurassic Park toys to me since I had lost all mine in the fire. It's kinda weird realizing/learning now that that may have been both out of kindness AND getting rid of whatever stock they had.

[@rump438]

And also, my Ames was abandoned for YEARS until a bargain outlet moved in, and subsequently abandoned it again. I don't think it was occupied for at least 5 years.

[@akoww1000]

we had a Ames store open in Largo Florida after they bought out Zayres , they ended up closing the store in 1992 with out warning and a lot of my friends lost their jobs . Most of them never got their last pay checks . I remember my friends going to work on Monday and the doors being locked with a big sign saying closed . The manager never called anyone about why it closed . The store stayed fully stocked for over 5 years , until the owner of the building was able to get a court order to clear it out "they stop paying rent the year it closed " K-mart rented the place , but not to open a store " they had one across the street" but to stop Wal-mart from getting the location.

[@79clit]

Well you're you're the greatest but I'm just saying please be safe on this Corona I'm just saying please send the videos new Toys R Us videos and do Blockbuster videos and sending all the videos you can all of them and send the greatest Disney World video ever you're my only hope be safe

[@79clit]

Well you're you're the greatest but I'm just saying please be safe on this Corona I'm just saying please send the videos new Toys R Us videos and do Blockbuster videos and sending all the videos you can all of them and send the greatest Disney World video ever you're my only hope be safe

[@thomasplouffe1363]

I would totally have found a way in and gotten anything I wanted for free lol

[@digitalfootballer9032]

Fun fact, Zayre still exists. They sold of their general merchandise store to Ames. But they kept their discount chain, Marshall's. They then purchased TJMaxx and changed their company name to TJX Companies. So Zayre lives on to this day under the TJMaxx/Marshall's/Home Goods name. Fun fact number two...Wolworths still exists as Foot Locker.

[@cysjunkextra]

Still fully stocked with products?

[@TheCODfatherSD]

I'll never forget Ames. my mom bought my 1st N64 here with NFL Blitz 2000

[@VSNVanny]

Usa strong no

[@tonymartin8738]

Go bills!

[@thomasmacdonough288]

Our Ames remained vacant until about 2012 when it was replaced by a Texas Roadhouse. The Ames in a nearby city was torn down, with just the enter and exit signs standing. It's a vacant lot for sale in a dying town now.

[@ElderStatesman]

What a coincidence. The old Ames Plaza north of us got torn down after P&C Foods closed. The parking lot remains abandoned to this day. And the space that's left in front of the plaza? A Texas Roadhouse restaurant. There were rumors of The Home Depot setting up shop in the vacant lot, but nothing ever materialized.

[@jiogcyihsugyiocjfdoivhphvw6821]

wtf is standinh??????????????????????????????

[@petersamfanchristmasstudio1887]

Well the Ames my family used to shop at in Southington connecticut was replaced by Bob's Discount Furniture and Bed Bath and Beyond

[@RandomNonsense1985]

@@ElderStatesmanSounds like Plattsburgh, NY.

[@chemergency]

Circuit City - succumbed to lack of focus and leadership Blockbuster - failed to address competition Target Canada - simple overambition Ames - poor management of money and resources

[@LadyJay114]

Blockbuster's biggest mistake - Not buying Netflix for $50M way back when.

[@mattwalters6834]

Chemical_E and now Sears made the same mistake of not acknowledging the competition.

[@deendrew36]

@@mattwalters6834 Sears should have taken their online catalogue infrastructure and morphed it into online shopping. Amazon before Amazon, it could have been.

[@frodolives8969]

Wow. This has be, without a doubt, the most comprehensive history of Ames department store ever created. I feel like now that I have watched this 13 minute video, I am now a certified Ames expert myself.

[@anthonydwyer1783]

Frodo Lives lol same

[@capndavey1]

but its not 100% correct see my post many errors in this interpretation

[@jiogcyihsugyiocjfdoivhphvw6821]

@@capndavey1 ur not 100% correct

[@madingwang7778]

Failing stores: exists Ames: I’ll take your entire stock

[@StephenSiu]

Why would a company who had a bad history of buying other brands, and was just getting back on its feet decide to purchase again? Seems like there's no real reason for it.

[@BeerBaron23]

Pressure from shareholders demanding they find ways to make more money so the shares rise...

[@jimmyfaustjr6413]

Greed

[@tomfieselmann5906]

Drugs.

[@heavyearly2232]

Theoretically more stores leads to more discounts on volume purchases. Wal-Mart would have been deadly competition to even a healthy Ames.

[@WitchyWhale]

I never heard of this Ames before. This is an interesting video.

[@TimeBunny]

Ianna Matney same here. Have heard of companies like Walmart but not Ames.

[@brandon074]

That explains why I never heard of Ames Stores. Thanks.

[@Titanic19127]

Ianna Matney I miss Ames

[@Charmedone9805]

depends on were you grew up in the US, Ames was mainly in the North East and Mid Atlantic

[@marye3974]

I worked for them in Revere, Mass about 20 years ago. They were a good company to work for. Treated their employees right.

[@elmandarin1002]

Somewhere in the near future there's going to be a video on abandoned Kmart and Sears

[@joemancini327]

You're damn right there!

[@corneliusfudge7152]

The Sears Canada video is out

[@MannyPhoenix]

Hit it on the nail

[@icecreamforcrowhurst]

Wait long enough and it’ll be Walmart

[@MannyPhoenix]

@@icecreamforcrowhurst It's already happening. Walmart has been closing stores

[@1981deloreanfan]

The location in Weymouth, MA I swear is cursed. The store opened as a Caldor, out of business; reopened as an Ames, out of business; reopened as a Building 19, out of business; and now it is a national wholesale liquidators, stay tuned

[@chayden153]

1981deloreanfan any update?

[@Amberrogers]

Is the wholesale liquidators still in business?

[@cheesecake134]

LMAO our former Ames was cursed too. It was a Hills(out of business), then an Ames(out of business), then a Steve & Barry's(out of business). I have no idea what it is now.

[@ElevatedEyes2023]

Any update?

[@1981deloreanfan]

Update: National Wholesale lost their lease.

[@charleskosyjana1295]

I just watched your video for the first time and would like to give you some feedback. The Ames in Baltimore that Dan Bell featured is 10 minutes from my house. This store was originally a Zayres and surprisingly is still standing. The entire shopping center (named Diamond Point Plaza) is abandoned except for a discount furniture store on the far left side which is a totally separate building. It was originally a Sams Club but was only open for 4 years before they moved to a bigger location about 5 miles away. The shopping center parking lot is used as an open air flea market on the weekends. I believe once the furniture stores lease runs out, they will demolish the whole thing. While your history of Ames was pretty accurate, I was totally surprised that you didn't mention one of their key acquisitions was the 1985 purchase of G C Murphy Co. Ames bought the whole company but only wanted the Murphy's Mart stores. This purchase almost doubled the number of Ames locations. They rapidly sold the small G C Murphy dime stores to Mc Crorys. I actually worked for the Murphy's Mart location in Eastpoint Mall ( see Dan Bells video on it ) which is less than 1 mile from the Ames shopping center. I was an assistant manager and quit just after 1 and 1/2 years of Ames ownership. I went from working a standard 48 hour managers schedule to working up to 70 hours a week and even more around Christmas with no raise. Ames was horrible to work for.

[@94SexyStang]

It's crazy how most companies Can succeed so easily...but due to bad decision making, many don't.

[@jumpman366]

Its not easy then...

[@mooviedude141]

The trend seems to be that successful companies end up expanding too aggressively and it ends up becoming what sinks them.

[@kuroregal7788]

Mike Fu It's because financial analysis look at fiscal trends and think multiplying what's there will lead to growth.

[@moviegirlaka]

MoovieDude please subscribe to my channel

[@mooviedude141]

Subscribed. Are our screen names fate? lol

[@PancakeRAPTURE]

So there's still merchandise in some of the stores? Wouldn't it be cool if there was a fully boxed NES underneath all the rubble and whatnot?

[@TheFPSKingsGaming]

Dang that would be AWSOME

[@rileydunevent7831]

I would buy 5

[@syntheticfox_real]

I'll go get the raiding supplies.

[@danh2134]

don't get your hopes up. I was there when it was going out of business. the ps2 was the hot console at that moment

[@johnpenguinthe3rd13]

Not a NES.... but you could get lucky and find some Playstation2, Sega Dreamcast, Nintendo Gamecube, Gameboy Advanced, and original Xbox stuff. Might even find a Majestco manufactured Sega Game Gear (Majestco re-released Sega's Game Gear during 2000 and a few years AFTER).

[@mrkipling2201]

That secret wal mart executive did a great job advising Ames to buy the hills stores !!

[@thename2472]

I worked for ames started in 1999 till oct 3 2002 in ossipee nh I loved my job started unloading trucks got promoted to electronics department head I was just 19 if they were still open I would never have left the people working there were like family to me

[@vultren4221]

This channel is becoming one of my favorites by far, great content! Sports Authority next!!!

[@BrightSunFilms]

Thanks so much!

[@henryricci4905]

Bright Sun Films can you do the Titanic for Abandoned plz P.S. I'm using my dad's account so I'll get a channel and my name is Tony

[@kasra8106]

Bright Sun Films you deserve way more then 160 subscribers for your work

[@sandrofilice2541]

Vultren o

[@sandrofilice2541]

Vultren poop

[@ThisisDanBell]

What a great video...the one at the end that I made. Awesome job, J!

[@WafflezGaming]

wow dan bell!

[@TimeBunny]

This is Dan Bell. Nice one.

[@1amieosia]

This is Dan Bell. Its Dan the man himself!!

[@evanjefferson2809]

This Is Dan Bell do a sports authority

[@theworstpresident6254]

This is Dan Bell. Do Grand Ave Mall in Milwaukee, Wisconsin! 😀

[@peterichard8616]

I grew up in South ridge Mass in the fifties. Going to 'the Ames' was a treat. Two levels, enormous a wonderful adventure. It was not downtown like everything else, but located in an old brick mill building. So sad when it started to close.

[@AllisonDancerChick1982]

My fiancee and I were driving to Michigan last week for a work trip, and while we were on the Turnpike in Western Pennsylvania (I believe somewhere between Somerset and Allegheny), there was a house that could be seen from the PA Turnpike with an Ames trailer from a tractor trailer in a backyard. It looked well-cared for and letters looked freshly painted. No doubt the person living there must have driven for Ames, but wow, that was quite the relic. My fiancee is from Southern California originally, so he didn't quite get the excitement of seeing that (he understands the nostalgia part of it), but when I told our friends about it yesterday, they geeked out about it. I've watched this video twice, but it never fails to fascinate me about how a store so prominent at one time could take such a massive fall.

[@brodym.3547]

8:31 Ames next to Blockbuster lol. All we need know is a Circuit City in the background

[@MerryweatherAlex]

Brody M. Yep

[@donut5818]

Brody M.+ I wish

[@thegamingrhino5864]

Brody M. don't forget about Pontiac and AMC cars in the parking lot

[@thisisabadchannel.stopsubs2952]

and a kmart next to that.

[@BlueAcidball]

Brody M. *rimshot*

[@iostar7290]

lol soon you'll be making one of these on GameStop

[@brittanybrown2452]

Karo lol I know right! They have to do something different before they become obsolete. Nothing has really changed about their business model.

[@lilmilkdud6874]

thier trade in is awful

[@darkus7483]

Karo I doubt they'll close it any time soon like Circuit City or Blockbuster, besides they sell merchandise and shit too so it will take a while for it to be completely obsolete.

[@reptaronrice7317]

Karo Lol. Considering that GameStop is closing about 225 stores, that sounds likely.

[@gokusondbz]

Karo honestly I think Kmart's going to meet their ends before Game Stop does. because GameStop has focused a lot on online sales which is helping the company overall. plus they're also gained a lot of exclusive with video game developers.

[@macedawgy]

There is an abandoned Ames store right next to the Market Basket grocery store on Lafayette Road in Seabrook, New Hampshire. Driven past it multiple times.

[@AlwaysSunnyInCali77]

Was Ames only prevalent in the Northeast? Since this is my first time hearing about this store...

[@Brainulator9]

Yes.

[@Amberrogers]

ThatOneGirlOrihime mostly in New England

[@joemancini327]

They had one around Binghamton NY..............whish I was alive when they were still around

[@elliebellie7816]

I sort of recall an Ames being located in the Panama City, FL area back in the '80's. It wasn't there for long, though.

[@101Volts]

There was one by Oakmont, Pennsylvania roughly where there's now a parking lot for a Target. I got shoes there in the late 90s but it didn't last much longer.

[@ScagsWH13]

My local Hill's turned into Ames when I was a kid, but soon after closed up. That building is still vacant to this day.

[@MaxRoc21]

Doodle Still vacant?

[@SirFragalot]

Having lived close to three Ames stores, I can tell you the downfalls of Ames at least in my area. First off, all the Ames around me did not have the same amount of stuff in it as a k-mart or even wal mart. This was due to locations being smaller than k-marts and wal marts of the area. Second they did little or no expansion into food. While k-marts went into a slight food selection, Ames around here had none besides maybe candy at the checkout. A lot of k-marts here have become big k-marts where you can at least buy some food and all wal-marts have become supercenters. Lastly, even months before when the last Ames around here closed down, it looked and felt like the 80's. The decor inside was old, the stores looked old in a bad way. Shopping in there felt like I was shopping at a cheap store. At least with wal-mart, they attempted to make the decor look more inviting. Although it took awhile for target to get here, target still is the nicest. Also the other problem with buying Hills is they were literally the same store of the same quality. Hills was the same store as Ames so buying them was just to eliminate a competitor and not to improve their stores. Hills would of eventually died off so they would of been better focusing on improving their stores.

[@katieeee380]

8:29 two classic abandoned stores next to each other

[@randomperson-pt1gp]

dnylkihyun blockbuster and Ames What a coincidence!

[@xXNotAwesumXx]

Abandoned: Sears coming to a KZbin near you

[@mattwalters6834]

Horangi and wouldn’t you know it he just released that video a few days ago!

[@eilenekellogg7017]

When I was a kid everybody went to Sears to buy Kenmore appliances. They where the best for your money,and customer service was the top. Now as and adult Kenmore quality is about the same as GE, crap,and customer service is mostly none exsistant. Kenmore is not the best th can get for your money. Not anymore!

[@AndrewAMartin]

@@eilenekellogg7017 Kenmore was NEVER a manufacturer, they were just a brand name that Sears slapped on appliances made by others. Same with Admiral, which was Montgomery-Wards' in-house brand.

[@Larry]

Does Ames mean anything? But it is so sad really, I'd love to be able to go back in time to the 80s and visit these stores in their prime. But I just love the whole consumerism of the 80s, you never see the excitement of going to stores and malls now. Especally now with the rise of the internet.

[@AlexSpalex1]

If I remember correctly, Ames was already on the front the building that became the first store; the founders kept it save the cost of a new sign.

[@Larry]

Alexander Falarski Ah interesting, I was expecting it to be short for something, or that it would appear at the top of a yellow pages Etc.

[@1amieosia]

Alexander Falarski that IS interesting!

[@jumpman366]

Larry Bundy Jr lol you basically described how i feel. Thats why i like this channel. I get nostalgia from something i never even experienced (never heard of Ames). Its just interesting

[@Larry]

***** Absolutely!

[@dangeredwolf]

8:32 hold up, there's a blockbuster video right next to that Ames. Hah. RIP both of these brands.

[@donut5818]

imagine there was a market plaza with Blockbuster, Circut City, Ames,Zellers ,and Sports Authority X3

[@cameronf8294]

MangoReptiles with a Pontiac dealership across the street.

[@k.c.slawncare6046]

Or Oldsmobile, Plymouth, the list goes on.

[@thisisabadchannel.stopsubs2952]

dangeredwolf blockbuster comfirmed

[@donut5818]

Ankle Bre8ker+ LMFAO XD

[@kamX-rz4uy]

Ames bought out Hills and changed them over to the Ames format. They should have done the opposite as Hills was better but in the end it didn't matter. Each new Walmart was another nail in the coffin. Ames closed some of the stores right after the nearby WM opened, not even waiting for the eventual drop in business. Actually, I type this while sitting in a chair purchased from Ames while using one of their "30% off your entire purchase" coupons which was a desperate attempt to lure in shoppers toward the end. They were good for a specific day and that was the only time the store had decent traffic.

[@johnharris7751]

Some Walmarts built thier stores right against the Ames buildings then eventually would open the walls between them after they drove them out of town.

[@Jake_Bars]

Dude, you seriously are the best! Thank you for what you do.

[@kaykepop4084]

This is now my favorite abandoned series youtube channel❤I love the history you share along with old pics and videos! Amazing, thank you🤗

[@BrightSunFilms]

+Kimberly Simpson Thank you Kimberly!

[@ThatGuy1001000]

Update on Ames here in maine, the one in Ellsworth Maine got turned into a TJ Maxx, and the one in Orono Maine got turned into a trampoline park.

[@Tiffmidon]

The one in Bangor, Maine was turned into an Ocean State Job Lot/Dollar Tree. I was 6 in 2002 when they all closed, but I still remember going into Ames and getting Barbie dolls.

[@musicaudio3683]

ThatGuy1001000 The one is Dover-Foxcroft Turned into a Shaws

[@kol6547]

ThatGuy1001000 the Ames store in Saco ME is now Shaws some how my school still has Ames cups that are used for marker holders

[@hunterlengrand9045]

Music Audio are u talking about Delaware?

[@anthonydwyer1783]

Music Audio so did the one in Berlin Delaware

[@keybyss7671]

Nobody: The Zayres “Going out of Business” Commercial: ↩️↪️↔️↕️🔄🔀🔁🔃

[@Sammy_The_Cat]

I used to have an abandoned Ames near my house, you could see the outline of where the name used to be. But, a few years ago it was changed into a Thrifty Shopper.

[@dariusemmanueltherumblegro7240]

Next: Sears, Macy's, K Mart and eventually Kohls

[@MsTinkerbelle87]

Nah now Kohl’s will never leave, they work with Amazon now lol

[@roseackackack8547]

But the macys thanksgiving parade thoo i dont think macys or kohls will go that soon

[@JoseOlalde]

Welcome to the present, Kmart and Sears are closing stores, Macy's on chapter 11 Bankruptcy, Khols still doing fine

[@WispGirl]

@@JoseOlalde khols is trucking on HARD for some reason

[@JoseOlalde]

@@WispGirl There doing alright...There not struggling as Kmart and sears

[@ColeWalker]

Can you do KB Toys next ?

[@BfDelano]

Cole Walker That could be interesting. My wife worked there for a time, as did my sister. It's also where I got the Virtual Boy for $20

[@burnout10567]

Cole Walker yes please that would be spectacular

[@nealmoore2215]

Cole Walker omg yes

[@svetlanarodriguez7429]

Yes, good one. I forgot about that.

[@chayden153]

Cole Walker I remember buying a giant pikachu from there.

[@BmoreShawty]

I miss Ames, Woolworth, McCrory's (five and dime store) and Caldor. 😞

[@bumpadumpa125]

Ames filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy on the EXACT day of my birth, August 20, 2001. Spoopy.

[@thelessimportantajmichel287]

The world wasn’t big enough for both of you

[@gameguy_]

You killed Ames my dude

[@bigdogone916]

You're a regular grim reaper

[@mykilllawrence5664]

Brohio bitches!! SPOOPY!!

[@user-it8tb6el1k]

ames died and you were born in its place. you are the resurrected spirit of the ames department stores

[@thesaexplorer]

Do a video about the old department store Montgomery Ward...if you ever get a chance

[@pocket83]

When we moved in to our first apartment (without much money), we didn't have a local Wal-Mart, so everything came from Ames. Now I'm in my late 30's, and we still have lots of the stuff we bought from there floating around the house! I miss that store. Discount didn't always mean junk. Oh, and believe it or not, the internet was better 15 years ago, too. Now it's just all noise and ads.

[@MultiCool55]

pocket83 To be honest, the internet hasn't changed much.

[@pocket83]

Not much- it's just become slower and more packed with advertisements. And the content has become less trustworthy and the sites less topic-specific. And it's now mostly populated by bored, under-supervised prepubescent males, who have turned it into an offensive cesspool of intolerance... but not much.

[@MultiCool55]

pocket83 Last time I checked, the internet was always packed with ads and was untrustworthy. Oh, and less topic specific sites? Google exists for a reason.

[@JohnDoe-ox9hl]

Internet is not slower than it was bedore

[@stepaasegura9192]

pocket83 I Miss Circuit City Block Buster Video And AMES

[@itzJuztThomas]

The arrogance of senior management with the Hills acquisition after escaping bankruptcy is mindblowing.

[@LadyJay114]

Not only that... Ames used up almost all their existing cash to acquire Hills. What the hell were they thinking??

[@josecontreras2997]

Management wanted this to happen may they burn in hell.

[@lianna5213]

You should do: waldenbook, borders, kb toys, or toys r us-(close to being abandoned) for you abandoned series.

[@macdaddyjill]

I had no idea Ames was still around in the 2000s, I thought they all closed in the early 90's. Thank you for the video, nicely done!

[@JamesLawner]

Do an Abandoned video for Borders

[@Dtuba15]

borders would be epic! I know in my area it became BAM (which is so much better the borders or barns and Noble now) anyone have the same thing happen?

[@mgeiger2341]

+David Thomas Yep. Also the Ames where I lived got turned into Big Lots.

[@skimad1236]

David Thomas yep same thing happened to my town

[@HYPNOPOSSUM]

Mine became an Ulta Beauty. My borders was super awesome and huge too. Not the same!

[@MC04002]

Luna my borders that was in Arlington highlands became A Ultra too!

[@Dr-Random]

One day at goodwill I found some Ames carts. I wanted to get one but couldn’t.

[@marcellocalbesi]

Windows Vista how much were they

[@Dr-Random]

Mr. Charmander I dunno I couldn’t see one. It’s probably better we don’t know.

[@xZEHRBEHRx]

Rip August Ames

[@nickm4478]

Definitely my new favourite series!!! First new video since subbing, so hyped!

[@BrightSunFilms]

Ayyyyy thanks!

[@S7sparrows]

Bright Sun Films hi im an Australian and our masters stores are closing and as you say, liquidating all their assets, things up to 75% off please do this :)

[@diamond972000]

Bright Sun Films do u do schools????

[@diamond972000]

RiceInUrLice CRAAAAAAP!!!!!!!!! Lmao. Editing now

[@cameronf8294]

RiceInUrLice well the Kmart near me In Elizabethtown of Kentucky closed this July.

[@JacknifeCreations]

10:52 Thats the Ames store down the road from my dad's in Collins NY that I grew up going to! Still sits there empty.

[@2022irons]

2002: Walmart: (exists) Ames: (screaming in horror)

[@lwsadventures5128]

I worked at one of those as a stocker when i was in High school. My manager was cool as F. Great after school job. I remember Ames taking over Zayres and Bradlees stores. The Ames I used to work at is now an Ocean state job lot.

[@FirstnameLastname-xq4rp]

Did you work in Sturbridge?

[@The2Trolles]

If you want another defunct store, Dominick's was a HUGE Chicagoland grocery store chain. Most locations were converted into other stores(mostly Jewel-Osco and Mariano's), so I doubt that many places are still abandoned, but who knows? Still a nice story to look into. I have quite a few fond memories from my local store.

[@pilotgrrl1]

Guy_With_A_Stick The Dominick's at Main and Geneva in Carol Stream is abandoned.

[@skandarc2810]

Excellent excellent video :) Plus I love your cheeky humor in response to Ames making a that fatal second acquisition "Yeah because the other one went so well for them" heh heh. I love these videos a lot.

[@upthinker]

I was working at one of the stores when they announced the closure. We started getting tons of Christmas stuff in the shipments (think June, or so). One day, they told us to pull all the prepaid phones and accessories and send them back. Soon after, we all got called up front and there was a pre-recorded message that we'd be liquidating within days. I had to call about 400 layaway customers and tell them to come pick up their stuff or it would be liquidated. You can imagine how well people took that.

[@120108john]

Me too. I love abandoned retail stores. It makes you think how our own business could fail as well.

[@MarthaMedicare]

That Zayre's shown @ 3:45 looks like the one in south Orlando, complete with neon ZAYRE sign missing part of the Y. I bought my first computer there in 1982: a Commodore 64. It was part of the acquisition in '89 (90?) and changed to Ames. It lasted about a year before it closed.😞

[@hazleslife2296]

Professor Severus Snape I thought wizards didn't bother with muggle appliances

[@MarthaMedicare]

Long b4 her or Pettigrew...

[@jackhutchinson1182]

look at 8:30 it is Ames and Blockbuster Video right next to each other. Both of those stores are abandoned and were on your Abandoned series. OMG what a coincidence!!!

[@whatwasnixie]

*Ames looks at blockbuster* Ames: Are we gonna die? BB: Idk, your doing worse than k- *Ames dies* BB: At least I still have Australia and oregon 8:29

[@thenewmisterwehrmacht893]

NixieAndWestern BB: (looks at their deceased friends) Well, I’m alone now.

[@razorflower8724]

At 7:31 I thought I recognized that place. That is from my hometown State College, PA and that place is called "Hill's Plaza" which now makes complete sense. I remember that place being abandoned for my whole life until recently when it became a Giant.

[@TheSameYellowToy]

I used to work at Hancock Fabrics, which closed this year. Older customers would tell me the history of the store sometimes. It's probably not that interesting to anyone who's not a sewist/crafter, but it would be nice to see a video on it.

[@slinkybones]

TheSameYellowToy there was one in my town! I was so sad that it closed and would love to hear the history of the place too. it's nice to know I wasn't​ the only one that shopped there.

[@LadyJay114]

Trust me, fabrics stores are dearly missed - even for people that aren't into the craft. Main reason: buttons. I was able to restore so many clothing items because I could buy new buttons. No longer. Also fabric stores were a very low cost alternative for window treatments. Now you have to pay through the roof for a decent set of curtains at some specialty shop.

[@Flip86x]

Kmart will be going the way of Ames soon.

[@IAmAnEvilTaco]

There's one a bit away from my house, and yeah. Ghost town. Even the employees seem to know it's about to go away, the place looks like a tornado hit it.

[@noobkiller463]

+Evil Taco here on Australia, Kmart is full of middle aged mums and their kids

[@homelesshannah50]

There are a few where I live I might go there with sticky fingers. The employees don't even give a shit

[@samanthadorn6893]

Flip86 I think you might be right about that. The one near me closed down back in July. It's an At Home store now. But the Kmart was pretty sketchy and ratchet when it was there lol.

[@Flip86x]

Samantha Dorn I am right. They just closed 150 Sears and Kmart stores around the US. Kmart and Sears are the same company.

[@tybproductions]

I found this series about two weeks ago and have been watching it whenever I get the chance. And of course, I've already subscribed! As someone who was very pestered by some of your earlier videos with the tangents, careless word mispronunciation, and often times the excuses of being in a hurry, I really appreciate how much this series has grown and wanted to express that. Most of all, I thank you for taking the criticisms of your fan base and surpassing expectation with every new video. Very well done - your work, research, and growth have not gone unnoticed. Thank you!!

[@Sugerloadedgirl789]

So my parents used to live in Maine and they would shop at Ames quite a lot during its hayday. I've since located 2 abandoned Ames since your video. I'm quite a fan of abandoned places as well as shipwrecks of old. It feels surreal to look back at what life used to be like through these places don't you think? :)

[@donutvampyre4603]

I used to go to the Baltimore AMES store with my grandmother when I was young. She still wear clothes and has some appliances from there

[@loganknowsnoneofyourbusine263]

Do sports authority

[@flipppy83]

Hey 10:06 that's the pasadena, md location, I grew up going to that store with my grandparents. In an ironic twist after sitting vacant for over a decade it was converted into a super walmart a few years back

[@m.g.540]

Brockport NY had two Ames stores in separate plazas within 1/2 mile of each other, one was a Zayres previously, which later became a Walmart for a while after the demise of Ames. The original older Ames closed and now is occupied by a Harbor Freight, Big Lots and a Restaurant.

[@ShortFingeredShreder]

Ah, Ames. I remember that store; there was one 5 minutes from my house. That's where I got my first Furby. Now, it's a Tractor Supply.

[@7JANEWAY]

Hi Jake! Just to tell you--I'm one of your older fans (older than your parents but not TOO old!), and I love your Abandoned videos!!! Could you do Montgomery Ward, or even K-Mart (which is slowly dying, as is Sears that bought it)? Keep up the good work, man!!!

[@julosx]

I first saw the Dan Bell video before yours : he filmed it with a personal point of view : with this one I've just learnt the history behind it. Thank you (well, both of you).

[@BluetheRaccoon]

Ames was such a staple in my life as a child, I never even heard of Wal-Mart until I was an older teenager. I still remember buying my first work clothes from Ames as they went out of business. I'd never heard of Zayres until this video though/ Edited to add: OMG the 'Bargains by the Bagful' brings such nostalgia!

[@dylanpeffley254]

do sports authority next!

[@shadowpersonguy2484]

they died recently (@TBSam)

[@soups1]

shadowperson guy wow

[@darkeyce02]

I just saw one a couple days ago. still kicking as of right now.

[@gabemiller9817]

Dylan The Hacker Oh my god! I was just about to say that!!

[@robbielopez6047]

we still have some in mn

[@skyhazel6205]

Wow, this was pretty interesting! Nice idea for a series. RIP in peace in peace, Ames.

[@theanalogkid3763]

Excellent editing and narration. Your videos have improved so much since I began watching you a couple years back. Keep up the good work man and keep making releasing excellent content.

[@SenileOtaku]

The Ames here in town had become pretty dismal by 2001, but it was close by, so worth the trip when you needed basic items. There was an abandoned Grand Union next to it. After it closed it briefly became an Agway (until that franchise decided to consolidate their stores into a large single location). After it sat a few years (and the neighbouring GU was refurbished into Hannafords) it was gutted and turned into a group of stores, only half or less are occupied at any given time.

[@SGNRyan]

8:31 and there's a Blockbuster

[@Deadlikenny]

SomeguynamedRyan OMG IM NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO NOTICED

[@ogre6729]

SomeguynamedRyan I found that picture so sad. I mean two chains who were once huge players in their respective fields that are now completely abandoned. Kinda puts stuff into perspective.

[@Titanic19127]

Sigui Tim There still are various abandoned stores

[@xipodkidx]

Not to mention there's also a Pontiac, Saturn and I'm pretty sure theres a Saab in the back as well. so much fail in one picture

[@Kumi12341]

My mom bought me a ton of clothes from them when I was a kid.

[@michaelcarter-williamsisth6518]

Kumi12341 were they good

[@Kumi12341]

Jt The music critic I didn't mind them, but then again I was a kid. Can't complain if your mom buys you clothes you don't like lol.

[@scottkrafft6830]

4:59 I live near one of those! The W. 111th St. in Oak Lawn one. Though it closed long before I was born.

[@CameronM1138]

The vintage storefronts were so cool looking. I especially love the neon Zayre signs... big stores like Target and Wal-Mart look so boring these days.

[@UmutPotato]

I commented on yours after 5 years. Happy?

[@TrustsLiars]

There used to be an Ames across the street from Rolling Acres.

[@spoosh7751]

Trusts Liars that was the first and only Ames I have ever been to! That entire area is so sad :(

[@TrustsLiars]

Jt The music critic more then 2

[@michaelcarter-williamsisth6518]

***** fair enough

[@DailyDoseOfMigue]

Now there both gone . Aw dang lol

[@mylps9]

the one Ames next to the BlockBuster made me laugh

[@Aelvir114]

8:30 love how an Ames is right next to blockbuster xD

[@id10cyy]

Ikr lmao

[@BIGBADWOOD]

Sad another one bites the dust ! Thank you for all the time it took you to research Ames Department Store and to create this wonderful video !

[@skandarc2810]

I'm bummed about Jake's last explore video getting taken down. Why do they mess with quality content? There is so much horrible stuff on youtube, go bug those people, quit messin' with our beloved BSF. Lol

[@joemancini327]

@Craig Colby some video about a wipe out course that was abandoned

[@Angie2343]

I loved that video!

[@30AndHatingIt]

My friends and I started a series on here back in 2006, barely a year after KZbin came into existence. We were one of the "OG's" on here and pretty proud of it. Well, last year we were relaunching the channel with a new series and everyone was really excited about it, but all of a sudden KZbin started deleting our videos from over 10 goddamn years ago and assessing channel strikes. 1 out of every 5000 people who view a video are video-flagging Nazis... doesn't do much damage at first, but you can see how eventually 10 or so years later you'll have enough flags to make KZbin review your shit for deletion. Then they don't actually REVIEW it... they just fucking delete it. You can "appeal" it, but they limit you to 2 sentences while defending yourself and completely ignore and reject it. So, our new series was cancelled on principal alone. What's the point of moving forward if 10 years from now they'll just delete our videos eventually? Fucking assholes. Not surprised they deleted one of these Abandoned videos... meanwhile, beheadings, porn and racist shit is allowed to stay on the site. Fuck KZbin. Bitchute and others will eventually take over.

[@DaiNoShoujoNoYami]

@@30AndHatingIt We should all move to Pornhub. Better ad revenue, and pretty much anything goes - no butt hurt snowflakes to get triggered when they hear the word Pineapple.

[@jaxking904]

DaiNoShoujoNoYami To Hell With Keemstar And Paul Bros

[@zingyzanger]

Montgomery Wards, Sports Authority, Weiner's Store, Radio Shack, Discovery Zone.. Just some ideas!!

[@MultiBlueblanket]

Kids R Us, Paramount Parks, Kmart....

[@SodaSiren]

zingyzanger RadioShack is still open. There's one next to where I work

[@MultiBlueblanket]

Emigdiosback But it's a shell of its former self. They just closed 35 stores a couple weeks ago.

[@joegainey292]

zingyzanger Sports Authority closed? I didn't know that XD. I used to pass one when I went to Fort Lauderdale

[@chayden153]

zingyzanger Barns and Noble

[@BFagan]

Great work, Jake. I had forgotten about Zayre until now, wow; how time flies by.

[@jscountrygirl85_326]

I have great memories of going to Ames with my parents from the early 90's when I was very young, to the early 2000's when I was a teenager. We especially visited our local Ames quite often around 1999, 2000, and 2001, not long before they closed. Still really miss that place today, along with K-Mart.

[@ixyzyxi]

160k + subs already, going strong

[@edgarfield7303]

Hands down, best series on KZbin.

[@BrightSunFilms]

You're awesome.

[@DxAxMxD]

I'm a Marylander, born in 2001. I have heard many legends of Ames from my parents/older siblings.

[@mattwalters6834]

Aesthetic Deluxe spooky stories WOOOOOOOO... sad history ABOOGA BOOGA BOOGA!!! Depressing shell of a building OOOHHH!!! To be honest I barely remember Ames myself.

[@mattwalters6834]

SublimeHawk6 well you did say “legends”, aren’t legends generally spooky?

[@Rock-With-Rick]

I worked at Ames from 97 to 2001 in New Hampshire, do have some find memories, I remember when they bought the Hills chain. Now I read they are reopening some stores in 2023. That is what prompted my research down memory lane and led me here. Nice video.

[@joemancini327]

Your Channel never gets old and its worth watching i love these videos GREAT VIDEO

[@dmitristrelec9271]

Nice! I saw a lot of these around Syracuse, NY, where I live, and at Destiny USA

[@dmitristrelec9271]

It is really creepy seeing abandoned shells of the store around Upstate NY

[@TheHSIHP]

Dmitri Strelec I actually remember those Zayres stores in Utica.

[@calverse1920]

There was an abandoned Ames nearby my house when I was younger (it was converted into a Walmart a few years ago) and I actually didn't know anything about it until now. This video was really cool!