FSD does bring up a valid point. The "hand tool elite" will tell you to avoid those planes in the box stores. Truth is, the quality is not nearly as good as an old vintage Stanley, but you'll get a usable plane... as long as you make sure you get the right one.
I think they may stock the 12-904 (or one that looks similar) - a reasonable plane for sure:
They also stock this style block plane (low angle - 21*, with adjustable mouth), which is also a good user:
IMHO, you'll want to avoid the planes that look like these - I've seen some of these in some Lowe's stores:
Regarding obtaining an old vintage Stanley, it really depends on the individual whether or not it seems like a good deal. Is the quality better? Definitely. With the older planes you get heavier castings, better design in the frog area, hardwood/rosewood totes & knobs instead of plastic, etc...
Are you guaranteed a good usable plane if you buy an old one off eBay or an auction? Not really, and even then only if you know what to look out for. But if you're careful, watch out for scams, and bid conservatively, you can get some awesome deals on eBay. The old Stanleys I have were all about the same price (or much less) as the Borg planes, but the quality is light years ahead!
Edit: I just realized I referenced the wrong two planes on the Stanley site - I didn't look past the first couple of pages... sorry!!! I changed the links so they show the ones I would pick.