State Line Potato Chips

First a Memory
Did you ever buy something that you always loved when you were younger, have great memories of, but find out it's not nearly as good as you remember it. That happened to me today. I stopped at a local market and found on the shelf State Line Potato Chips. Woo Hoo!! They were always my family's favorite!!!!

(movie memory/flashback squiggles)
Dad making balony sandwiches with Heinz kechup and a layer of State Line Potato Chips in that tiny little kitchen on Hellstrom Road..... mmmm .... invariably a Giants game is on the B&W Zenith. They're losing again, but boy isn't that little Tarkenton guy fun to watch.

..... Ok I'm back now.
I'd thought they went out of business. I bought a bag and brought it back to work, opened it up .... hmmmm .... good, but .... well just not the same. So my co-worker friend asks: "Why do they call them State Line?" "Dunno" says I. "Except I always thought they were made on or near the border of New Hampshire and Mass." So we turn the bag over to the back and find that they're made in .... Quebec!?!?!? Not only are my favorite chips in the whole world not as good as I remember, they're not even made in New England anymore!! Blasphemy!!

Now the Rant: I'd heard the reason State Line was not in Stop and Shop Super Markets was that S&S charges in some way for shelf space. State Line being a small company, I guess chose for whatever reason not to pay, so no State Line in S&S, hence I think they're out of business. Is this true?? Stop and Shop Charges us for potato chips AND charges the potato chip manufacturers to use their shelf. Don't purchasing agents at large companies get fired for getting kickbacks like this?? Just wondering.

It's a moot point in this particular case since State Line apparently isn't even a small local company anymore, but you get the idea.

Well, my first rant! I'm sure I'll have many more.
until next time ...