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Thread: The last "military surplus store" in the area is closing down.....

  1. #1
    Boolit Master
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    The last "military surplus store" in the area is closing down.....

    Actually, it started out in 1946 as a real military surplus store. I remember going there (and a few other surplus stores) and buying stuff (or asking my father to buy me something). Some of my early toys were rubber ID models that were made to train our soldiers what airplanes, tanks, and ships looked like. I have a really early picture of me playing with a toy sized replica of a US landing craft. How I ended up with that, I don't remember. However, I do remember that it did not float.

    In later years, when I joined the Boy Scouts, pretty much all my camping supplies were US surplus. Mess kit, shovel, sleeping bag or heavy blanket. I still have the shovels (I got more than one because they were really useful) and a jack from an original Jeep (still also useful). The actual surplus stuff started petering out in the late-1950's to mid-1960's. All the other surplus stores closed down back then. Canfield's moved into hunting/fishing/outdoor stuff. Naturally, it was higher priced. Since then, Scheel's, Cabelas, and Bass Pro Shop have moved into the area. It was too much for them to stay in business. Too bad.

  2. #2
    Boolit Master Thumbcocker's Avatar
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    Ahh the smell of musty canvas and cosmoline. Good times.
    Paper targets aren't your friends. They won't lie for you and they don't care if your feelings get hurt.

  3. #3
    Boolit Buddy
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    Quote Originally Posted by Thumbcocker View Post
    Ahh the smell of musty canvas and cosmoline. Good times.

  4. #4
    Boolit Master
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    My favorite surplus store was Surplus City in Colorado Springs during the early 60's.

  5. #5
    Boolit Buddy Uncle Jimbo's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Harry O View Post
    Actually, it started out in 1946 as a real military surplus store. I remember going there (and a few other surplus stores) and buying stuff (or asking my father to buy me something). Some of my early toys were rubber ID models that were made to train our soldiers what airplanes, tanks, and ships looked like. I have a really early picture of me playing with a toy sized replica of a US landing craft. How I ended up with that, I don't remember. However, I do remember that it did not float.

    In later years, when I joined the Boy Scouts, pretty much all my camping supplies were US surplus. Mess kit, shovel, sleeping bag or heavy blanket. I still have the shovels (I got more than one because they were really useful) and a jack from an original Jeep (still also useful). The actual surplus stuff started petering out in the late-1950's to mid-1960's. All the other surplus stores closed down back then. Canfield's moved into hunting/fishing/outdoor stuff. Naturally, it was higher priced. Since then, Scheel's, Cabelas, and Bass Pro Shop have moved into the area. It was too much for them to stay in business. Too bad.
    Sunset Army Navy surplus store. Everything I bought for hunting or outdoor use came from there. It eventually changed to Sunset Sporting goods. And it has been gone for some 40+ years now.

  6. #6
    Boolit Grand Master Artful's Avatar
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    Sorry for your lose, I used to haunt the Surplus store also the jungle hammock that took 30 years to get over - the C rations with that brown bread/nut loaf we survived - lots of memories that the kids today will never get a chance at having.
    je suis charlie

    It is better to live one day as a LION than a dozen days as a Sheep.

    Thomas Jefferson Quotations:
    "The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government."

  7. #7
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    GOPHER SLAYER's Avatar
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    I remember those surplus stores very well. You could buy a wooden Springfield drill rifle for a few bucks. I used to play with one. You could buy all manner of leather goods including McClellan saddles, I think they were 18 bucks.
    A GUN THAT'S COCKED AND UNLOADED AIN'T GOOD FOR NUTHIN'........... ROOSTER COGBURN

  8. #8
    Boolit Master
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    my scout troop in the early 60's got a lot of surplus stuff like the canvas buckets, folding shovels and tents.

  9. #9
    Boolit Master
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    We are lucky in my area, we still have Major Surplus, they still sell a lot of real surplus items. They don't have that much U.S. surplus but a lot of other countries military surplus.
    jim

  10. #10
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    Remember when you could actually buy great surplus at a reasonable price? The last Army Navy Surplus I went in had golf clubs for sale. I miss the old stores.
    I Am Descended From Men Who Would Not Be Ruled

    Fiat Justitia, Ruat Caelum

  11. #11
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    Oh yeah.Those were the days.A friend of mine was a surplus-a-holic.Bought a whole bundle of the wool blankets.His wife turned them into long sleeved shirts and vests,including pockets.Another friend bought two PRC 2 radios,and got them working.It helped that he was a radio tech in the Marines.We sure had fun with those when we went hunting.Sure do miss those stores a lot.That particular store even had a Higgens boat in the parking lot for sale.Was sold within a week of arriving.
    Good luck.have fun.Be safe.
    Leo
    People never lie so much as after a hunt,during a war,or before an election.
    Otto von Bismarck

  12. #12
    Boolit Master Thumbcocker's Avatar
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    There are still out there. After watching a youtube video about it I got a Swiss M70 field jacket for $20 to my door. Liked it so well I got another for a spare and one for Mrs. Thumbcocker. Superb quality and lots of pockets ( I am a pocket junky). Midway had them in stock.
    Paper targets aren't your friends. They won't lie for you and they don't care if your feelings get hurt.

  13. #13
    Boolit Master
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    We had a good store called Huron Surplus & Guns, they used to run two full page ads in the Shotgun News , a good friend of mine helped them to close it down. They called in some dealers to buy the guns and ammo and a few other things, then the rest was hauled out to the parking lot and picked up by the garbage trucks. Huge piles of wool clothing, canvas goods leather stuff there for the taking. By the time I found out about it , was pretty much picked over. Now all that stuff would be worth a fortune.

  14. #14
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Woodville Surplus here went to more retail store than military surplus as did the one in Bowling Green, not sure that one is even open now. Our biggest surpluss store is CMP North at Camp Perry now. And their prices selection isn't that good anymore, the Days of the $100.00 springfields and 17s and $169.00 Garands are long past

  15. #15
    Boolit Buddy
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    Millers Surplus in Riverside California in the late 50s had racks of military rifles.
    SVT40 Russian semi-auto for $20- Enfields for $10.00, 1891 Argentine mausers
    for $15.00. And the little Australian cadet rifles in original .310 cal,or converted
    to 32/20 or 32 win. $20.00. the good old days. Wish I had saved the case of
    Argentine 1891's that I bought for $50.00 for 10 rifles still in cosmoline.

  16. #16
    Boolit Grand Master bedbugbilly's Avatar
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    Sadly, they seem to be disappearing. There was a good one in the city where my wife and I went to college. Bargains galore. I can remember buying her a great Air Force parka that had the fur trim on the hood - super warm for her when walking not he cold and blowy campus during winter - it lasted for yeqrw. Great bargains for such things as ftigue pants, etc. - a big help with affordable things when we were first starting out and didn't have a pot to **** in. Lot's of good camping gear too. That was 50 years ago and I'm pretty sure it closed long ago.
    Last edited by ShooterAZ; 12-08-2017 at 09:52 AM. Reason: language

  17. #17
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Yeah, I miss the smell of old canvas and cosmoline. We had a guy here that went to government auctions during the early 90's that sold the stuff out of a small store. Theres nothing like that left around here anymore.

  18. #18
    In Remembrance
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    I don't even remember the name of it, but when I was a kid we would go to one in Pasadena Texas. I couldn't tell you what they were, but they always had rifles in barrels for 19.95 back then.

  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by KenT7021 View Post
    My favorite surplus store was Surplus City in Colorado Springs during the early 60's.
    There was a big one in Lawton, Oklahoma which close a few years ago. It was my favorite store there. They had a smaller one in Altus for a while and I think there was one in New Mexico someplace. Hated to see it go.

  20. #20
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    Ah, Hills Surplus in Grants Pass, Oregon the 50s.
    $50 M1 Carbines and 1911s.....dale

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