kammo-man Posted March 8, 2019 Share #1 Posted March 8, 2019 I don’t know how to post the link but look this up It’s a great read Owen Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kammo-man Posted March 8, 2019 Author Share #2 Posted March 8, 2019 Here’s some images from the article Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stony Posted March 8, 2019 Share #3 Posted March 8, 2019 Our local surplus store was called the Duffle Bag. We got our boy scout stuff from there. Tents, mess kits, canteens, etc. It eventually ended up selling fishing gear and new guns. They closed down several years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicolas75 Posted March 8, 2019 Share #4 Posted March 8, 2019 Hello to all I'm just back from Florida and use to travel in the USA several times a year in variuous states (NY, PA, IL, AZ, UT, CA, NV, ...) and i also feel there is now VERY FEW surplus strores ... I'm 38 yo and always told myself when i was young that stuff would always pops up in the US ... i have to admit that even in items own soil it has been hard to find good shops Even Nam or later are hard to find and expensive I think the reason why is ... Ebay and Criglist ... ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vintageproductions Posted March 8, 2019 Share #5 Posted March 8, 2019 Here is a link to the article: https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/rise-fall-army-surplus-store/?fbclid=IwAR2XF8aDx7M8DsLDl97fHJrUtTqqXvUCikuXJL-i2N_7s8WUyFywYLM7a8g Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sundance Posted March 8, 2019 Share #6 Posted March 8, 2019 Oh, just to go back in time and have an hour in an Army Surplus store with a few bucks in your pocket. Maybe that's what Heaven is like (not to sound blasphemous). I remember picking up a full length (18"?) Garand bayo in a scabbard for (I think) $5. I didn't have a Garand but that big knife sure was neat.That would have been around '67. I think the last one left my area around 2000 but at that point they didn't have a lot of Army surplus left anyways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kammo-man Posted March 8, 2019 Author Share #7 Posted March 8, 2019 Thanks for posting the link Bob. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1canpara Posted March 8, 2019 Share #8 Posted March 8, 2019 I recall there being a cool army surplus store in Santa Monica that my Dad used to take me to when we were vacationing down there every spring. I was in SM a few years ago but couldn't find it, likely long gone I suspect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catfishcraig Posted March 8, 2019 Share #9 Posted March 8, 2019 Great article. Growing up this was my favorite Amy surplus store in Mesa Az. Its been closed for years but as a kid I remember going with my dad for camping supplies. The owner had a collection of Militaria displayed around the store. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
normaninvasion Posted March 8, 2019 Share #10 Posted March 8, 2019 I remember reading this a couple years back. Seems like, when I was a kid in the early 80s, there was a surplus store in every town. In my own small town, we had two. Filled with ww2/nam surplus. The limited German/Japanese stuff were the collectibles and nothing I could afford, just drool. Seems like any family trip I took, looked up were the Army/Navy store was and hit it up. Sadly my 7 yr old son, thinks the hunting section in Dicks is the modern equivalent to the surplus store. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BILL THE PATCH Posted March 8, 2019 Share #11 Posted March 8, 2019 I don’t know how to post the link but look this up It’s a great read Owen Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Kauffman's is still there I often stop in while down in Manhattan. Once in awhile he's brings stuff in. Has a warehouse in Jersey still packed with old stuff. His parents use to own it during war. Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blacksmith Posted March 8, 2019 Share #12 Posted March 8, 2019 Generally, as long as there is sustainable demand, the outlets survive. I do think there is an element of commerce model at play though; so, yes, Internet probably not helping. And, maybe different means of government handling of end-of-life military items. I.e. - the taxpayers are not allowed to have our stuff back. When I was in elementary school, I used to ride my BMX bike (Huffy Mono-Shock) to a surplus store run by a fresh-back Vietnam vet. What a menagerie that place was. No exaggeration to say I was in awe everytime I walked in there. There are VERY few of these places left. Maybe we should start a crowd-funding initiative to open some old-skool “Army / Navy” stores... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
917601 Posted March 8, 2019 Share #13 Posted March 8, 2019 I still frequent a " real" surplus store and know the owner...alittle ordnance, Vietnam stuff, some WW2 stuff, medals, ammo crates, etc.. But no made in China stuff. Only a matter of time before he closes. Reasons: .gov does not surplus stuff out anymore, sure, clothing, tents, sleeping bags , boots but the collectible good stuff is shredded,destroyed, recycled. He survives today by traveling the US buying out old stores, bankrupt stores etc...The ones around today carry made in China stuff, knock offs, etc. and sell guns and ammo to keep the lights on. His rent is $2,000 a month, plus electricity, staff, etc...like he said, there is just no more older USGI inventory to be found. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonT Posted March 8, 2019 Share #14 Posted March 8, 2019 Great article, thanks for sharing! There is one in my hometown that I think actually opened within the last 15-20 years. I've only been there once though because it was mainly what the article describes- mostly imports and hunting gear and gift shop type items. They have a few ww2 items but priced at retail or higher. When I was a kid in the 90's I remember stopping in one with my family right as you cross over onto Cape Cod. Not sure if it's still open but I do remember it was always crowded inside and seemed to have more actual US military surplus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwb123 Posted March 8, 2019 Share #15 Posted March 8, 2019 Owen... I remember pulling a Tiger Stripe uniform right off the rack at a surplus store in Dallas about 22 years ago. Over in Fort Worth found a local tailored shirt with hand embroidered insignia for a full colonel in US Army Thailand. Even then the old stuff was disappearing. Back when I was a kid, we kinda took the stuff for granted... like such places would always be there. I remember helmets in stacks for $5 a piece... nobody knew what to do with them (ie. no practical civilian use), and there were certainly no reference books on them for collectors. Over in Fort Worth found a local tailored shirt for a full colonel in US Army Thailand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salvage Sailor Posted March 9, 2019 Share #16 Posted March 9, 2019 Both of my hometown surplus stores circa 1962 Van Nuys Boulevard, City of the Angels They were both regular stops for us to buy tools, tarps, camping gear and stuff to 'play army' with in the 1960's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwb123 Posted March 9, 2019 Share #17 Posted March 9, 2019 Fallen angel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vintageproductions Posted March 9, 2019 Share #18 Posted March 9, 2019 I recall there being a cool army surplus store in Santa Monica that my Dad used to take me to when we were vacationing down there every spring. I was in SM a few years ago but couldn't find it, likely long gone I suspect. That was Supply Sergeant's, and they had two locations in Santa Monica, one on Lincoln and one on the Promenade ( before it was the promenade and was just where the homeless slept). Amazing stuff came out of both those stores in the 80's. Not unusual to go in and pick Vietnamese camo off the shelves and they had a huge cardboard box behind the counter full of patches removed from uniforms ( theatre mades, bullions, leather, etc). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kammo-man Posted March 9, 2019 Author Share #19 Posted March 9, 2019 Today I am sad I am in Atlanta doing stuff and went to one of my old haunts Uuuuuuugh Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RememberThe5thESB Posted March 9, 2019 Share #20 Posted March 9, 2019 Theres still a good one in my neck of the woods, owned by an old timer and another younger guy. Full of modern and old surplus. Behind the counter is WW1 to Nam at reasonable prices! (Picked up some minty WW2 wool trousers at 15 bucks a pair!)along the rafters are racks of ike jackets and 4 pockets, the place is like a treasure grove. The owner and the employee both knowledgeable on their stuff, heck sometimes I go in their just to discuss militaria and not buy anything! Not to mention they've been very helpful to younger collectors like myself. Sent from my SM-J327V using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burning Hazard Posted March 9, 2019 Share #21 Posted March 9, 2019 One of my local surplus shops used to sell awesome WWII items but were forced to drop it and sell modern surplus because of the constant complaining by SJW's that they carry Confederate flags and Naaaaatsiii items Place was great, bought so many WWII M1's and liners from their bargain bin, now it's just airsoft, modern and hipster stuff... Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RememberThe5thESB Posted March 9, 2019 Share #22 Posted March 9, 2019 One of my local surplus shops used to sell awesome WWII items but were forced to drop it and sell modern surplus because of the constant complaining by SJW's that they carry Confederate flags and Naaaaatsiii items Place was great, bought so many WWII M1's and liners from their bargain bin, now it's just airsoft, modern and hipster stuff... Pat I can say I'm happy that hasn't happened to the place I go to, they get some nice items like that time and time again. Not afraid to put it up for sale either! Sent from my SM-J327V using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USARV72 Posted March 9, 2019 Share #23 Posted March 9, 2019 Been to countless surplus stores from Pa., Ill., Mi., Md.,Va., N.C., S.C. Ky., Tenn., TEXAS, Ga. and Fl. IIRC. Most memorable one Was in downtown JAX. 13 stories full from basement to top floor, Veterans Surplus. Visited there for 20 years, even took grandson when he was about 8, went on roof, nice view. Owned by widow of WWII Veteran, two older ladies ran business, had this old cat that “ owned” the place. By chance one was nice to the cat the ladies would let you go in the basement and upstairs. There were 1000s of 1910 and 1928 packs packed in wooden wire bound crates in basement. pOne floor had 100s of “Kelly Helmets” in various states of falling apart. Side room had 100’s of WWII GI Jerry cans, water and fuel. Sadly city took building for parking garage for the library. Most stock went to the dump? Sad, sad. Looked online for pic, no luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Government Issue Posted March 10, 2019 Share #24 Posted March 10, 2019 Looking back at old photos of surplus stores is always very interesting. Some of the earliest pictures I've come across were just after WWI. While there may not be that many in number that are operating today and have the old stock a lot of us collectors are looking for, I encourage everyone to go in a surplus store and search around. You never know what you'll find, or who you'll meet. I've had quite a few good pick ups from places that people would pass by because one might not believe the place has the old stuff we're looking for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Apathy Posted March 10, 2019 Share #25 Posted March 10, 2019 Today I am sad I am in Atlanta doing stuff and went to one of my old haunts Uuuuuuugh Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk . Hi Owen, that looks and sounds like one of the places I used to drop into when I flew in and out of Atlanta, it was Peachtree if I recall. There was an old abandoned hotel further up the the road, which was in full swing in the forties according to the adverts and photographs I have seen of it., I think some of the photos feature 82nd Airborne or another US Division parading past it. In there I remember seeing hanging from the ceiling a US Navy tow target kite in the image of a German Messerschmitt. there was also a extremely large surplus wholesalers in Atlanta run by a ' Mr Jack ' a real southern gentleman. lewis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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