How A Redditor Found A Piece Of Costco History

In a world of monopolies and endless big-box stores, we can sometimes forget the history of those places. We can forget that, at one time, at one point long ago, these enormous billion-dollar companies were just tiny, almost obscure names in a world that didn't even recognize their value. Walmart's history, for example, begins in 1962 as a Bentonville, Arkansas, department store that resembled any other mid-60s department store than the sprawling big-box machine we know it today. Amazon, HISTORY tells us, began life as a humble online bookstore back in the 1990s, selling everything from computer science books and Princess Diana biographies on a primitive and untamed internet. Love them or hate them, it's astounding to see how some of the biggest names in both local and global marketing grew from such tiny concepts. 

Perhaps it is why some people feel a wave of sudden nostalgia for trinkets and relics from the long by-gone years of these enormous companies. In someone's long-unused drawer may be a Walmart "smiley face" pin tucked behind a beeper and mothballed socks. Someone, somewhere, probably has a VHS tape containing grainy commercials of Walmart, K-Mart, and other bib-box stores that either rose to glory or collapsed in the 2000s. It's almost like discovering the ancient artifacts of Rome or Greece in their infancy. 

For one Reddit user, a discovery of a simple plastic card brought to mind the long history and growth of another big-name store with even bigger products: Costco.

On the subreddit r/Costco, where Redditors gather to proclaim their love for the buy-in-bulk store, user u/peejayemm posted a photo of a rather noticeable artifact. A vintage Costco card, decorated in faded navy blue and dark gold, fitting for the "Gold Card Membership" that this card offers — or at least, used to offer. The poster didn't elaborate on how the card was found, only noting that it was "found in a box." Users were impressed by the sudden find, with some wondering if the card still worked. One user, who supposedly worked for Costco, even noted that the card may still be good.

"We still take any card at the door including Price Club membership cards. Occasionally I'll see some really ancient-looking ones," the user explained, noting that they had never seen a card this old before.

Costco's history, according to Costco itself, began under the name "Price Club" in San Diego back in 1976. The first official "warehouse" opened in Seattle in 1983. The membership fee at the time was $25, according to Business Insider — a small price to pay for the literal pallets of merchandise people could purchase.

From the late 70s to the modern day, Costco has always billed itself as convenient, asserting that its principles still remain the same even today. It's not just the stores that are focused on becoming more convenient, but the website too.