Browsing the SF Historical Photo Collection, I saw this cerca 1975 picture of the Giant Value building on 22nd and Mission.
First, I noticed the cool pinstripe paint job on the façade. Then something else occurred to me: the word “GIANT” is actually in a different place than it is today. At some point, whoever took over the building moved it over to the left and added the word “VALUE” after it.
Here is a picture of the building as it stands today:
So the question remains, what was it before it was “GIANT VALUE”? “VALUE GIANT”? “MOVIE GIANT”? “THE GIANT”? Surely, someone who was here before 1975 can provide the answer. Ha! Yeah right… most of you weren’t even BORN in 1975.
In any case, it will probably be CONDO GIANT in a couple of years.
Update: Burrito Justice Johnny0 to the rescue again (there’s a shocker):
It had changed to its current incantation by 1982 when it was “Giant Value Pharmacy”.
A bit more judicious googling shows us that PayLess bought out the “Value Giant” store chain in 1976. I bet that PayLess didn’t take keep our Mission store, and in order to keep lawyers happy, that particular pharmacy flipped the sign around to read “Giant Value” — pretty damn clever.
Mission Mission 
Nice detective work, Mr. Wong.
It had changed to its current incantation by 1982 when it was “Giant Value Pharmacy”.
A bit more judicious googling shows us that PayLess bought out the “Value Giant” store chain in 1976. I bet that PayLess didn’t take keep our Mission store, and in order to keep lawyers happy, that particular pharmacy flipped the sign around to read “Giant Value” — pretty damn clever.
Also some very cool photos of that block from 1920 and 1930 on the American Classic Images site.
And you might want to check out my Mission theater history article from a while back.
worst… post… ever…
Actually I was thinking this is an especially good and funny post. CONDO GIANT, relevancy!
I think the “sad” comment was actually a meta-comment — a comment by someone named “sad” that comments on a comment (itself) by someone named “sad” which is “sad” because it contains nothing but “sad” words by a “sad” person. Nicely done, “sad”! Very meta!
So sorry, but you’ve got NOTHING on Soledad Dolores.
I think it’s pretty well documented that Bart Boner was simultaneously the best and worst post on Mission Mission ever.
Agreed. But Soledad gets the award for best commenter.
it’s ‘circa’ not ‘cerca’ aiight?
It’s “incarnation” not “incantation” right?
this place would make a GREAT DATE SPOT.
Other good choices for the next time they rearrange the letters:
Vagina Lute
A Gaunt Evil
Guava Inlet
Evaluating
Oh damn. Good choices.
Remind me to never play scrabble with you
GIANT WORD VALUE
Giant Value is dead. Long live Giant Value!
http://www.giantvalue.net/
Before 1975, it was part of a west coast discount chain store called USE. They used to serve soft serve ice cream in the lobby.
Waaaay back in the day it was a Hale’s department store. Their TV/appliance shop was across the street next to Cine Latino.