I still think it's encouraging they have used the same breeder for 40 years, and a very useful tip for anyone looking for hamsters from a smaller pet store. Our last Syrian came from a local pet shop and they also had their own breeder who supplied hamsters for both their shops - he was huge and always healthy
I doubt they were as good as NHC breeders re genetics etc, but a big improvement from the type of breeding practices the suppliers to major pet stores use.