From a little chart research, it looks like the DS was regarded by Americans as very similar to the GBA until the DS Lite was released. Nintendo of America failed to convince Americans that the DS was a clearly better device than GBA until the iPod-inspired redesign.
Don't forget that the GBA has sold around 16 million units in America since the DS launch. Compare that to Japan, where fewer than 3 million GBAs have sold since the DS launch. Remember that America's total handheld sales are not that disproportionate to Japan's, given their respective populations (estimated PSP + DS + GBA since Holiday '04: Japan = 26 mil, US = 34 mil).
Indeed, until the DS Lite, the DS tended to sell similarly to the GBA. After the redesign, sales diverged, mostly due to increased Lite sales. Note that the ratio of Nintendo handhelds to Sony handhelds sold in the past 30 months is similar in both Japan and America (about 78-22% and 75-25%, respectively).
So, short answer: America thought GBA and DS were roughly equivalent until the DS Lite hit the scene.
Rumor is that Target plans to quit stocking GBA consoles and games soon, and other big-box retailers are likely considering it. It would be a good idea, particularly before fall. If retailers quit carrying the GBA, look for a decisive boost to DS sales vs. PSP, perhaps enough to push it close to the 2:1 installed base in Europe if not quite to the 3:1 installed base in Japan.
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