Yep one could. Problem was the "real" surplus stores of my youth (no matter how neat the stuff was, or how reasonable the price) were still MOSTLY out of my budget. Typical remuneration for mowing a lawn (and plenty of competition for the job...) was maybe a buck. A Lee-Enfield was $10-15, a Mauser $20-30, might see ma Krag for $25 or so, etc.. 03s were running $30 and more, and Garands weren't appearing on the surplus market that mi recall, not were ,carbines.

Remember paying $7.50 for a jungle hammock.

 

Yep one could. Problem was the "real" surplus stores of my youth (no matter how neat the stuff was, or how reasonable the price) were still MOSTLY out of my budget. Typical remuneration for mowing a lawn (and plenty of competition for the job...) was maybe a buck. A Lee-Enfield was $10-15, a Mauser $20-30, might see ma Krag for $25 or so, etc.. 03s were running $30 and more, and Garands weren't appearing on the surplus market that mi recall, not were ,carbines.

Remember paying $7.50 for a jungle hammock.

that was my price too! all are gone now!

 

Army Navy Reproduction Surplus and Outdoor Store would be much more correct. Real surplus from WW2 is 75 years old, WW1 surplus is 100 years old, Span Am War is 120 years old, all of which is extremely collectible if in good unissued condition, read expensive, and no longer just outdated US military gear. Growing up my buds and I would hit Sonny’s Surplus and find belts, knapsacks, helmets or just the liners to play war with. Nowadays with all the military reenactors and cas there are a bunch of reproduction equipment manufacturers. What Price Glory is just one retailer that builds fairly nice repros. I have a mix of original and repro for my impressions.

 

'Give’em hell, Pike’

"Who the hell is they?"

 

The railroad, Deke Thornton and these guys.

 

The railroad, Deke Thornton and these guys. View attachment 3750307

Great movie. I was just posting another quote like your sig.

Went to the WPG site and saw a few things I liked. Lots of sold out stuff of course.

 

You've come to the right place for Military Surplus!

Enjoy!

John P. Sheehan WWI Collection - Full Mannequin Uniform...

 

Knew a few back in the mid 60's. WWI British Enfields, Mausers,plus a few Springfields. Ammo was about $10 a hundred. Helmets, clothing,bayonets stuck in barrels. Canteens with the covers along with their drinking cups. And on top of it all the oder of cosmoline. Haven't been a true Army surplus store in years.Lotta chinese made crap in them now.
Had a bunch in NYC back in the late 60's Hudsons was one but even then they were changing. Kaufmans on 42nd st in NYC. Frank

 

Yet another example of social history that has vanished into the dust in our rear view mirrors.

While I have no doubt that somewhere out there in America there are still a few that actually sell genuine "surplus" items, the majority are full of poorly made, ratty Chinese/Indian made "repros".

Got a bunch of US GI web gear in the bins that are marked with black magic marker, how about $.95 for a carbine magazine pouch?
Sacrilege by today's standards, SOP, back then.
Got an M6 bayonet that my dad paid 2 bucks for, with scabbards, was his "boat" knife, beat to hell and back.
He figured that if it went over the side, no great loss.
Simpler times? Maybe but I doubt those who lived it see it that way.

 

When I was a wee lad,there was a place down the road called Surplus World, I believe. It was housed in old concrete grain silos next to the canal and was filled with all kinds of stuff but I was to young to know what it all was other than it was cool. As a young teenager, I remember a group of us finding a hole in the fence of their yard and in we went. Piles of what I think were machine gun tripods or maybe mortar bipods and we got chased out before any of us "found" any souvenirs. I remember my dad telling me the owner got in a lot of trouble for running guns to Cuba.

 

its much more online now

liquidityservices.com, used to go under the name of Uncle Sams Retail Outlet

 

I vividly remember small wood crates of loose .30 cal for super cheap. Like pennies a round. By the time I could afford an M1 carbine it had doubled.

 

I remember them well, we had a Eagle Army-Navy Store in the mall about a mile from my house in Hialeah, Florida.
Back in the late 50's and 60's, they were a Boy Scout's dream come true.
Camping stuff really cheap; tents, backpacks, canteens, mess kits, camp stoves, knifes, hatchets, boots and so much more.
As I grew older, in the mid 60's I did buy Spanish 7mm Mauser rifles for $15, 7mm ammo was $2 per 100; those we the days, before the 1968 Gun Control Act.
Even during the 70's, surplus field gear was cheap, and plentiful.
But by the 80's and 90's, the stuff was not exactly cheap any longer.
Today, as stated above, they are no longer surplus stores; as they are selling newly made imported stuff, at not bargain prices.

 

I remember in the mid 50's my dad would take my brother and me to the army/navy store, greasy rifles stuck muzzle down in barrels and of course canteens and other gear 5 year old kids needed to go on hikes...

 

I still have a few assorted packs, canteens and belts I used for backpacking and desert survival I bought in the 70's. Pretty much Vietnam war era stuff. That stuff never wears out!

 

Back in 1968 I bought a 1917 enfield for $19 that was in a wooden cracker barrel with others in the surplus store.

 

I remember the pickle barrels full of rifles too. That store owner told me in the early 21st century, that there was still a decent surplus supply, but that the Jews have been buying up entire warehouse lots for decades. He'd been at it for so long, the surplus guys would let him early to pluck out his meager purchase. Then they'd clear out the place for the Israeli's cargo containers. PAX.

 

Most of the clothing items were used as work clothes, cheap and expendable.

 

Oh Cool! Look down at recommended reading. Went to Idaho and Stopped at Army Surplus Store posted by Black Blade in 2017.

There's actual army vehicles in there. Not that they were for sale, who knows!

Went to Idaho and Stopped at a Army Surplus Store

Like a kid in a candy store ... I could have spent all day looking around and poking my nose into every crook and cranny. I have bought several items at this place over the years (and before when they were at another location). This place is just south of Idaho Falls on I-15. You don't see...

www.gunboards.com

I like reading old posts. A great plus for the new board!

 

The old fella I was talking about above, Jack, has been gone about 15 years or so, and his daughter just rifled through all the good stuff. mortars, MG. Garand, & carbine cut aways. He kinda represented the typical milsurp guy of the day. He had been a "merchant seaman" in the late '30s and all through the Pacific during WWII. I think he was a privateer/smuggler. His place had all manner of stuffed critters and shrunken heads, weird stuff from the Polynesians. He was cool and had some great tales. When I was in video production I should have interviewed him. PAX

 

Sad, I like hearing the stories from guys like that. I'm certain there is a few hiding out with barns full of goodies.

Seems not much made today is collectable, it's all plastic.

 

My first experience with an Army surplus store was in the very early 1980s, it was one of those been-around-for-decades places and still had a lot of WWII and Cold War stuff; but as a kid mostly all I could afford was patches and shirts. I also remember they used to have free samples of those "survival biscuits" that used to come in huge tins. Loved the flavor of them, wish they would have sold them.

By the time I could drive in the mid-late 1980s, I found a surplus store closer to me, but it was kind of in the transition phase of the industry: They had USGI watches made by Hamilton but also had the then-new urban camo pattern; plus some odds and ends they picked up as surplus from the local Navy base.

With the fall of the Berlin Wall and then the collapse of socialism, a lot of foreign surplus revitalized the inventories of surplus stores. Of particular note was the Sunny's Surplus chain Sunny's Surplus - Wikipedia in the DC area. They were less of a traditional surplus place and had a little of everything, more like a mashup of a militaria thrift shop and low-budget camping goods. The went out of business around 2007.

Hands-down the best Surplus store I had ever been to was Full Metal Jacket Surplus in Old Town Alexandria VA. The building itself was on the river and had been a restaurant at one point; with gun shop Potomac Arms on the top floor and FMJ on the first. They also sat catty-corner from Interarms when it was still around, so they probably got a lot of good stuff from there. I recall they used to have light foreign artillery in their parking lot for years. Developers eventually bought the land and the 01 FFL gave up Potomac Arms, so FMJ moved to a commercial park, but it was never quite the same.

 

My first experience with an Army surplus store was in the very early 1980s, it was one of those been-around-for-decades places and still had a lot of WWII and Cold War stuff; but as a kid mostly all I could afford was patches and shirts. I also remember they used to have free samples of those "survival biscuits" that used to come in huge tins. Loved the flavor of them, wish they would have sold them.

By the time I could drive in the mid-late 1980s, I found a surplus store closer to me, but it was kind of in the transition phase of the industry: They had USGI watches made by Hamilton but also had the then-new urban camo pattern; plus some odds and ends they picked up as surplus from the local Navy base.

With the fall of the Berlin Wall and then the collapse of socialism, a lot of foreign surplus revitalized the inventories of surplus stores. Of particular note was the Sunny's Surplus chain Sunny's Surplus - Wikipedia in the DC area. They were less of a traditional surplus place and had a little of everything, more like a mashup of a militaria thrift shop and low-budget camping goods. The went out of business around 2007.

Hands-down the best Surplus store I had ever been to was Full Metal Jacket Surplus in Old Town Alexandria VA. The building itself was on the river and had been a restaurant at one point; with gun shop Potomac Arms on the top floor and FMJ on the first. They also sat catty-corner from Interarms when it was still around, so they probably got a lot of good stuff from there. I recall they used to have light foreign artillery in their parking lot for years. Developers eventually bought the land and the 01 FFL gave up Potomac Arms, so FMJ moved to a commercial park, but it was never quite the same.

I remember that building as Yee Old Hunter. Dad took me there every once in a while in the 1960's. The front yard was filled with artillery and rocket launchers for years. I got my first Argentine Mauser from there. Dad used to go across the street and visit with Sam Cummings. That is where he got the Martini Henrys and Ulan lances.

 

Most of the stuff seems to be coming out of Europe at present, mainly clothing.

 

I forgot to mention another fell from more recent times, couple years ago. He was 20 years younger than Jack, a Nam vet GI, Lebanese I think. Best real surplus store for 500 miles. He said when the Soviets fell, you could get ANY commie stuff, and if you had an 07, you were fat. But eventually, the internet was his demise. He still had Jap & NAZI crap, a lot of Nam era militaria and gear. PAX

 

Had a decent surplus store in Texas City, used to ride my bike down and drool over the stuff in the display racks and cases. But - most of it was out of reach when I was in early teens. Oh well.

One of the best was in Galveston, down on either Post Office or the Strand if memory serves. Everybody called it "The Colonel's", and it had a LOT of stuff. Including a bunch of MGs, mostly water-cooled Maxim's and Vickers. MAY have been live or Dewats, I didn't know to ask then. A lot of WWII and some WWI stuff, wish could go back to then with current knowledge and a fist-full of money. Oh well. Still have the memories, eh?

 

Had a decent surplus store in Texas City, used to ride my bike down and drool over the stuff in the display racks and cases. But - most of it was out of reach when I was in early teens. Oh well.

One of the best was in Galveston, down on either Post Office or the Strand if memory serves. Everybody called it "The Colonel's", and it had a LOT of stuff. Including a bunch of MGs, mostly water-cooled Maxim's and Vickers. MAY have been live or Dewats, I didn't know to ask then. A lot of WWII and some WWI stuff, wish could go back to then with current knowledge and a fist-full of money. Oh well. Still have the memories, eh?

Never visited the store, but I remember seeing the ads for "Colonel Bubbie" for many years. Strand Surplus Senter, wasn't it?

 

Pretty fair surplus store in Oroville, CA., the thriving metropolis of...
Surplus City it is innovatively called.
Have visited several times. Real old style Army Navy store.
I used to buy my Jeep parts from them. They had a great stock of new and NOS stuff not found here

 

The guys on the "G" often lament who the places with old Jeep parts simply aren't around anymore.

As an aside, Sportsmans Guide always has amazing stuff. Just got an unissued Romanian pouch, USGI underwear, some Sewdish pajama bottoms, and Italian Navy jeans that actually fit me.

Sent from my SM-T820 using Tapatalk

 

The guys on the "G" often lament who the places with old Jeep parts simply aren't around anymore.

As an aside, Sportsmans Guide always has amazing stuff. Just got an unissued Romanian pouch, USGI underwear, some Sewdish pajama bottoms, and Italian Navy jeans that actually fit me.

Sent from my SM-T820 using Tapatalk

is White Al or White All motors still in business?
they were down in NC, not far across the state line as you go to OBX from Va Beach

they were loaded with old military vehicles,



there used to be a few places around town (RVA) back in the day, Hull Street Outlets being the biggest,
they eventually dwindled down to one location, that made it only by selling cheap imported stuff and foam,
foam like for sofa cushions etc,


DGSC, now DSC-R used to sell surplus everything by the pallet lot, but I think that has stopped or moved to another location,

I knew a handful of gunshow dealers that bough the stuff and flipped it at shows in the 80's and 90's

 

I remember Euster's Army-Navy store in Yuma, Az back in the early 60's. A typical surplus outfit.

My dad bought some .303 Br for his Enfield there (I still have that box), and I got stuff handy for my Boy Scout campouts.

The old boy got busted selling guns to Mexican citizens after the '68 GCA.

The other thing I remember was at the county fair, the coin toss booth had a bushel basket of beat up Nambu pistols as prizes...take yer pick!

Conelrad