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October 15, 2016
The Rise and Fall of the Army Surplus Store
It also issued a 350 page Sears-Roebuck-like catalog from which subscribers around the globe could mail-order horse saddles, swords, African spears, Civil War rifles, and even cannons if they fancied. | The Art of Manliness
Posted by gerardvanderleun at October 15, 2016 10:34 AM. This is an entry on the sideblog of American Digest: Check it out.
Your Say
I used to spend a lot of my youth in these stores. When I heard that they were opening an Old Navy store in Lancaster, I mistakenly thought at first it was one of these surplus stores. When I went in and saw what it really was, I was both embarrassed and disappointed.
Posted by: Jewel at October 15, 2016 9:31 PM
That's funny. My brother and I prowled the surplus stores in our youth also,it was like a treasure hunt.In the 70's & 80's they still had WWII & occasional WWI stuff. Once I found a full-length German Officer's overcoat,beautifully made,heavy gray wool in immaculate shape. The price tag was $45.00,waaay out of my range. Not like either of us could have worn it,even in winter in PHX wool will boil you in your own sweat.
Posted by: Nori at October 16, 2016 6:42 AM
I went in one recently, first time in at least 15 years.
Why are they always in old, run down buildings?
Why are they so disorganized?
Why are they SO expensive?
I went in to tentatively get a VN era battle rattle like the one I already have.
Looked through all the piles of mostly worn out filthy junk, spent an hour in there. Then I spotted whole rigs hanging on nails on a wall.
Some were mismatched junk, others were matched and in good shape, worth having.
But the price tags were unfathomable.
In the $175-300 range.
Web belt
H-Suspenders
Ammo pouches (2)
Canteen, cup, holder
First Aid Pouch
Butt Pack
All that for that kind of coin.
To complete the package, at additional cost:
Entrenching tool and cover
Poncho and Liner
M1911 Drop Holster
PRC77 Adapters
You could easily drop $500 for that mi-spec stuff at today's "surplus" store prices.
--- blatt --
Posted by: ghostsniper at October 16, 2016 7:45 AM
Yep,the internet with eBay,etc changed the surplus market,along with everything else. Not a complaint,just glad I got to experience the real deal.
Posted by: Nori at October 16, 2016 1:23 PM
Yep, got all the cannons I needed before the prices went up.
Posted by: Vermont Woodchuck at October 17, 2016 4:32 AM