Apples

Washington is the leading apple-growing state, producing over half of the domestically grown apples.  So when I buy them from the supermarket, why do they suck?  They don't taste great, and they don't seem to last long.  I'm probably buying them from the wrong place - I should try to find the nearest fruit stand.  Even the Cosmic Crisp variety of apple - developed after 20 years of study and research by Washington State University to supposedly come up with the perfect balance of flavo(u)r and texture - is nothing special.