The Health of Military Surplus Stores

[Dixie_Amazon]

How are the surplus store in your area doing? We went to the one here yesterday and it looks like it is waiting to go out of business. Very low stock in general and none of the heavy canvas packs they usually carry for back to school. More than half of the lights were out making it too dark to really shop. My son was extremely disappointed.

 

[Canadian]

We've got one. There used to be a very large one, but this new shop bought out the old one. It's smaller, but has some unique items. For example, you can get a complete set of E. German webbing for 45 dollars.

There is a lot less junk in this shop. The owner is ex-UK military, while the other shop, the owners just liked dressing up like soldiers and charging sixty bucks for Chinese made BDU shirts or trousers.

The nice thing about the new shop is, when I went in looking for a bag I could take on an airplane, the owners wife opened a bunch of packages and helped me find a nice one. The other shop would have told me to go to Walmart.

Tom

 

[Edward]

They're fast disappearing here, alas.... at least vhere in London. I think the web has killed off a lot of the traditional surplus places.

 

[MikePotts]

'Surplus', 'Survivalist', 'Prepper', Repro Military, equipment is in HIGH demand presently and folks will shop where it's cheapest.

MP

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

I know at the thrift store by my house camo BDUs get quickly snapped up the minute they turn up.

 

[LizzieMaine]

We had an excellent surplus store here up until about ten years ago, when it suddenly disappeared. They had the usual array of stuff, but I once got a 1917-dated Army blanket there, which I still use on my bed in the winter, and a 50-cal ammunition box I used to carry my lunch to work in. I miss having a place in town where one could find such stuff.

I think the closest one is about forty miles away -- it's on the same street as a former doctor of mine, and it always slightly unnerved me, being a tiny hole in the wall place which seemed to be frequented only by biker gangs and the occasional hunter/camper type. I never got up the nerve to peek inside, but I passed thru that town this week, and the store's still there.

 

[Rathdown]

Our local mall is on its last legs -- the 5 screen cinema closed two weeks ago, and nearly half the stores are vacant. But... a surplus store opened there two months ago, and this week end moved to a larger store in the mall. Go figure.

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

There are 2 here in town. The larger one downtown just recently moved into larger quarters. The other, though smaller carries some cool stuff. Bags for gear, ammo pouches, mess kits, and etc. All the usual stuff. Business is good for both due to the amount of outdoor activities out here.

 

[CLShaeffer]

There is a really good sized shop in Hilo (Big Island, Hawaii) and they are doing well. They are also the local go-to shop for good tents and sleeping bags and have been for years so the place is a community fixture that even Big Box Mart hasn't been able to shake loose. It also helps that we have lots of hunters on the island and pretty much every one of them wear surplus woodland gear.

 

[Edward]

Nice to hear they're still around in a lot of places. I spent many happy teenage years poking around in them - the smell is still something that brings back memories. Online stuff is all very well, but I miss being able to just drop in, see things in person, plus there was always the chance they'd have something different in you'd never seen before - and might not again. Online inventory seems to push towards more uniformity* of stock, and something is lost...



*The irony of using that word in this context is not lost on me, no.

 

[ButteMT61]

I don't think I wore clothing NOT purchased that way in Jr High school. ”Jim's Army/Navy" was the place. Most stuff was $3-10. That was the 70's. lord knows what was in there. But the only one o go to is a ways away now and nothing like the old ones were. The place of my youth was a huge place, with items on the floor, and stacked to the ceilings. But it was orderly.

 

[DNO]

We've got one. There used to be a very large one, but this new shop bought out the old one. It's smaller, but has some unique items. For example, you can get a complete set of E. German webbing for 45 dollars.

There is a lot less junk in this shop. The owner is ex-UK military, while the other shop, the owners just liked dressing up like soldiers and charging sixty bucks for Chinese made BDU shirts or trousers.

The nice thing about the new shop is, when I went in looking for a bag I could take on an airplane, the owners wife opened a bunch of packages and helped me find a nice one. The other shop would have told me to go to Walmart.

Tom

I was at a large army surplus store in Calgary about 12 years ago. I was amazed to find a bin of 1908 pattern web belts for $5 each. Quite a surprise!

There's still some in and around Toronto but they seem to be primarily catering to paint ball fans.

 

[CLShaeffer]

ButteMT61, you'd love the shop we have here in Hilo. Its exactly like the place of your youth. I avoid the place unless I have very little cash in my wallet...

 

[ButteMT61]

ButteMT61, you'd love the shop we have here in Hilo. Its exactly like the place of your youth. I avoid the place unless I have very little cash in my wallet...

Boat trip! lol

 

[green papaya]

there is one surplus store that I know of thats not bad, but most of the stuff is not US surplus, it's mostly modern european surplus, the same stuff you can order from Sportsmans Guide

lots of used desert combat boots & modern camo, ammo cans, camping supplies

 

[JennieWren]

I used to work in one when I was a teenager. It was along a street that had several army surplus stores in a row - as well as a Harley Davidson shop and a couple of strip clubs (I was glad that I wasn't working in the strip clubs)! Now there is only one left, and it doesn't have the really old musty genuine surplus anymore, just the modern replicas.
BTW the one I worked in was raided by the police after I stopped working there for illegal weapons sales. And yes, when I was working there I knew about them. I practiced opening a butterfly knife with an impressive flick of my wrist for hours until I go it just right.

 

[CONELRAD]

I've been to surplus stores across the state of Texas, Omaha's and The Army Store (I think that's what it's called), The Army-Navy Store in Austin, and Col. Bubbie's "Strand Surplus Senter" in Galveston. Of those, Omaha's and Col. Bubbies are the best. The Army-Navy Store is good too. The Army Store is good, but it didn't seem to be doing too well last time I was there.

Omaha's is stacked to the ceiling with all things military related, surplus and old, they have giant training guns hanging from the ceiling. Most of the people I've seen in there were hunters and camper, but there was a Texas Ranger in there one time. I haven't been there in months, but they seemed to be doing well then.

Col. Bubbies is also really good, they've got just about as much stuff as Omaha's, plus a stockroom with who knows what else, they seem to have a lot of East German Stuff, and I bought a Civil Defense Geiger counter there. They claim to be the free world's only surviving authentic military surplus store. Again, I haven't been there since May of 2011, but they were doing great then.

The Army Store is a different story, I haven't been there in years, and they didn't seem to have any customers but myself then, it's run by a really nice guy, and I'd hate to see it go, but I think he owns the building and and apparently doesn't plan to shut down. He really only sell new surplus clothing.

The Army-Navy Store in Austin is a little yellow place that has an old Army ambulance in the front. It looks tiny from the front, but it goes way back. It's a good store, and it seemed to be doing well last time I was there. They have all the usual.

 

[1961MJS]

Hi

Thanks to Barre Surplus on the web, I don't actually go by the surplus stores much anymore. The boots I purchased 15 years ago are still functional etc. I think the place I used to shop in Hartselle Alabama is probably out of business. The guy's wife actually washed and ironed all of the used surplus stuff, it was all tagged and sorted by size. This was in opposition to the one in Wichita KS, where the old boy would buy a duffel bag off a retiring airman from McConnell and just dump it on the table.

Later

 

[MissMittens]

Got one here, with a slew of WW2 vintage gear on the 3rd floor which isn't one of the floors accessible to customers. Most of it is uncatalogued...

 

[Dixie_Amazon]

There are 2 here in town. The larger one downtown just recently moved into larger quarters. The other, though smaller carries some cool stuff. Bags for gear, ammo pouches, mess kits, and etc. All the usual stuff. Business is good for both due to the amount of outdoor activities out here.

I would have thought that would help the one here, but I guess the big box sporting goods stores have hurt it.