That stuff is switched back and forth and is interchangeable for the most part these days. Companies (names really) are bought and sold. No one makes stuff here anymore.
My experience with a national chain auto parts company includes a brand name change for it's engine management and electronics line. We didn't change parts. We changed boxes and part #s on everything. Got the interchange list and a big pile of new boxes. Pulled the part out the old box, stuck in in the new one, back on the shelf.
Best you can do is look at the parts, try to get US made stuff if you can, and don't buy the cheapest that they have. Price still makes a difference, usually.
Made in Taiwan is typically better stuff than made in China (Mainland) and you don't see it much these days..
NAPA typically has better stuff available than the big chains, as long as you stick with top shelf.
A lot of that stuff for older applications - > 15 years old - is being ditched by the big chains anyway. Companies buy up that oid inventory for pennies on the dollar and it ends up in places like ebay.
Agreed, I'll only comment the box looks quite old and the seller likely repacked a new POS in it.
On your other comment(s), Several years back I went through 7-10 different suppliers/ brand names for a stock replacement pump. they were all identical in everyway except price. Even the ink stampings were the same. IIRC even both of napa's pumps again were the same again except price.
I believe the issue we were fighting was excess pressure blowing by the needle and seat.
I'll also add the following
Most major manufacturer's have Final test procedures of some type. There are normally also different specifications supplied by the end user (say comp cams)
During the manufacturing two identical parts made at the same time on the same machine may perform differently for a number of reasons to numerous to list. So we have Final Test. This is where the completed parts are subjected to a variety of tests under different conditions and then sorted according to their performance. For example:
A "Bin1" part is the highest quality and consequently is priced at a premium.
"Bin 2" is slightly lower on performance and priced cheaper.
"Bin 3" is middle of the road on performance and priced cheaper yet.
"Bin 4" is still functional but may fail if exposed to Bin 1 spec's
'Bin 5" is a reject and gets recycled of scrapped
In addition, The end user say Ford, may require their own set of test parameters: In the case of hydraulic lifters it might be x amount of spring pressure with different viscosity's of oil under extremely hot and cold temps.
Blueprint engines may be buying Bin1's
Comp Cams may be buying a bin 1, 2 or 3 part.
the local parts house will likely be selling bin 4's as their house brand, TRW may be Bin 3's, Bin 2's and the
Joe Blows engine kit supply company is going to go for the bin 4's and probably other stock crate engine rebuilders.
One also has to keep in mind the current supply chain problems may have caused some deviation in acceptable quality as well
In closing I will also say we have 3 rethreading kits. 1 Snap on 185.00?, 1 Mac tools 125.00, and 1 Craftsman 59.00.
They are ABSOLUTELY identical in every way except for the label on the outside. Even the inside label is the same as is the box and its grain patter. Are these Bin 1, 2, 3 tools or are they exactly the same? only the Manufacturer and the buyer at the 3 companies know for sure