Could this be the era of the decline of the army surplus store?
- Thread starter Vulpes
- Start date
Johnsons of Leeds have been at all the bike rallies I have been to recently. Good range of genuine surplus plus some not so good stuff.
The surplus store in Dundee can't make up their mind if they are selling surplus, safety clothing, drug paraphernalia or tie-dye tat.
Last time I was in they weren't really sure where the stock was, they ended up scrabbling through boxes in the corner, it was so cluttered browsing was impossible. Got the impression the surplus was just bunged in a corner last time they switched things around.
My local one in Peterborough (Second Front) is pretty good, with decent grading, the slightly musty smell, friendly owners and reasonable prices (full 58 pattern webbing for £10!). I wish they would get on the web, and take payment other than cash, though! It would mean I would spend more, but its pretty much the only way to go. The other store in the city closed about 10 months ago. He was in a dodgy area, with poor parking, a frankly dingy shop and took only cash and cheques (he once told me that he didn't want people spending money they didn't have). He got an average of 5 customers a week in the last year he was open - and those 5 might be all in one day (he was open five days a week). He's now on Ebay - has few overheads, and can shift more stuff.
The big problem with surplus is that the price of a surplus shirt/trousers is pretty much what you'd expect to pay in Primark for the same thing, and if you want a 'cool' camo look, then its seldom much more. Why buy surplus (and look a bit strange in DPM) when you can buy just as cheap elsewhere? When I started buying surplus as a student (the slightly expensive surplus place near Euston), most of it was green, cheap, hardwearing (dutch army trousers were fantastic). Now its seldom the first two. I can see exactly why surplus shops have started stocking Rambo knives and the like - its one way to move trade and improve margins.
A lot of surplus is tatty. 'Used' often means hammered, and a heavily worn jumper for a fiver isn't much of a bargain when you can pick up a fleece in Tescos for less. Since a lot of military kit is relatively heavy and old fashioned, and hardly cheap, its often no longer worth buying it to go hiking with, like the 1953 mess tins I bought 30 years ago. Who wants a scatchy, cotten Norgie?
The net has been both a killer and a lifeline for surplus stores. The killer is because you can find more than just the usual local stuff by Google, and you can spot out of line prices very quickly. The good bit has been for shops who know what they are doing, have a great reputation and make their kit/shop/site attractive (Endicotts). By using ebay, etc, they can flog the specialised items which might sit around for years all over the globe.
If you have a store that knows its market, offers interesting kit with good grading, makes its shop attractive and easy to look round (most surplus shops do seem to be one step away from Steptoe - someone needs to do a Mary Portas on them), and makes it simple for us to shop 'multichannel', then they will do OK. If they have a small back street shop, stuffed to the rafters so you can't find anything, offering poor condition C95 jackets in odd sizes at prices that are just stupid, refusing to do anything more than sit there and expect people to turn up and buy stuff (no cheques, no cards and closed much of the time) then they are going to close.
A good example of a shop that has survived is Frontline near the Lansdowne in Bouremouth. I first bought stuff from them 20 years ago, and popped in when I was visiting my parents. Good kit (OK, they stock Webtex as well...), interesting stuff (68 Pattern jacket for a tenner) and well displayed. I could even pay by card. If they had a website, they'd do even better. Glad to see that they have survived, and hope that others like it do too.
I love surplus stores. Like second hand book shops you never know what might turn up. But they have think like any other retailer. I work in retail part time, for a company which is regularly voted the best, and when I see a bad surplus shop, I see a wasted chance. Vulpes could describing any number of surplus shops I've come across - I want my classic shop back. I just want one thats as good as the best on the High Street.
The big problem with surplus is that the price of a surplus shirt/trousers is pretty much what you'd expect to pay in Primark for the same thing, and if you want a 'cool' camo look, then its seldom much more. Why buy surplus (and look a bit strange in DPM) when you can buy just as cheap elsewhere? When I started buying surplus as a student (the slightly expensive surplus place near Euston), most of it was green, cheap, hardwearing (dutch army trousers were fantastic). Now its seldom the first two. I can see exactly why surplus shops have started stocking Rambo knives and the like - its one way to move trade and improve margins.
A lot of surplus is tatty. 'Used' often means hammered, and a heavily worn jumper for a fiver isn't much of a bargain when you can pick up a fleece in Tescos for less. Since a lot of military kit is relatively heavy and old fashioned, and hardly cheap, its often no longer worth buying it to go hiking with, like the 1953 mess tins I bought 30 years ago. Who wants a scatchy, cotten Norgie?
The net has been both a killer and a lifeline for surplus stores. The killer is because you can find more than just the usual local stuff by Google, and you can spot out of line prices very quickly. The good bit has been for shops who know what they are doing, have a great reputation and make their kit/shop/site attractive (Endicotts). By using ebay, etc, they can flog the specialised items which might sit around for years all over the globe.
If you have a store that knows its market, offers interesting kit with good grading, makes its shop attractive and easy to look round (most surplus shops do seem to be one step away from Steptoe - someone needs to do a Mary Portas on them), and makes it simple for us to shop 'multichannel', then they will do OK. If they have a small back street shop, stuffed to the rafters so you can't find anything, offering poor condition C95 jackets in odd sizes at prices that are just stupid, refusing to do anything more than sit there and expect people to turn up and buy stuff (no cheques, no cards and closed much of the time) then they are going to close.
A good example of a shop that has survived is Frontline near the Lansdowne in Bouremouth. I first bought stuff from them 20 years ago, and popped in when I was visiting my parents. Good kit (OK, they stock Webtex as well...), interesting stuff (68 Pattern jacket for a tenner) and well displayed. I could even pay by card. If they had a website, they'd do even better. Glad to see that they have survived, and hope that others like it do too.
I love surplus stores. Like second hand book shops you never know what might turn up. But they have think like any other retailer. I work in retail part time, for a company which is regularly voted the best, and when I see a bad surplus shop, I see a wasted chance. Vulpes could describing any number of surplus shops I've come across - I want my classic shop back. I just want one thats as good as the best on the High Street.
My local place is Denbigh Army Surplus. Rich is doing some really interesting stuff like:
http://www.denbigharmysurplus.co.uk/army-stores/DAS-Resilience.html
They always have a good range of interesting stuff!
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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=53.054918,-3.404679
http://www.denbigharmysurplus.co.uk/army-stores/DAS-Resilience.html
They always have a good range of interesting stuff!
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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=53.054918,-3.404679
Are there any left in south Wales? I've looked around but wll I can fine are the airsoft and knock-off vendors :-(
The only one in Aberdeen that comes close only sells new stuff like webtex and jackets. That is what I was told the last time I was in. Other than that I haven't found one up here so I have to use the internet and thats where Endicotts comes in. They have a good range of gear at good prices and Kev is great to deal with. I would love to visit his store but Exeter is a long way from Aberdeen.
I have been to the store just outside Queen St station in Glasgow and they are ok, got a mix of both new and surplus but a small selection.
I have been to the store just outside Queen St station in Glasgow and they are ok, got a mix of both new and surplus but a small selection.
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Fully agree that Endicotts is great to deal with - but I understand the shop itself is quite small with most of the stuff in a warehouse/second storage place that you can't actually visit - never been myself though so stand to be corrected
jimbo75
Settler
My local shop struggles to get good kit. He told me grade 2 is easy to get buy he won't sell tat. He's just been licensed to sell rifles and ammunition and he may do OK with that, the nearest other dealer is about fifteen miles away.
Online military surplus is thriving, & those sellers that don't have shop overheads to pay can place higher bids in the various military gear auctions. so get the best stuff. Nothing beats seeing & examining the things you're going to buy but buying on the net is the future & not just for army surplus.................
Problem for small independent shops is they don't have the buying power, can't buy gear by the pallet load. Back when I was a lad there was mountains of surplus kit, lots from WW2, things like Denison smocks for £1, down sleeping bags for about £2, happy days.
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the one's by me in the midlands have gone like to, there is more work were than army surplus. maybe they have has to go down this rout to stay a float.
Denison smocks :O Don't make my mouth water!
One would assume that what with the digital revolution coming into place and MTP swiftly replacing DPM completely within the next coming years, we should be swamped with the old stuff. Desert DPM is certainly alot easier to get now than it was 10 years ago for starters. The Americans seem to be faffing about with their patterns too, so perhaps we'll see more foreign kit like that on the market. Not to mention there's always bent quartermasters and squaddies on the fiddle!
I go to Quartermaster stores in Hanley, I think that's a great surplus shop, they do have their fair share of Jack Pyke, and Web Tex but they also have a great selection of genuine surplus. Some of the Jack Pyke stuff is good stuff anyway, I don't ALWAYS want surplus gear, it's nice to have the choice.
I was in there only yesterday and picked up one of those french MVP jackets with four pockets, brand new never issued, and I absolutely love it, that shop definitely has the real surplus store smell too. Mmmmm, music to my nose
I was in there only yesterday and picked up one of those french MVP jackets with four pockets, brand new never issued, and I absolutely love it, that shop definitely has the real surplus store smell too. Mmmmm, music to my nose
For me surplus stores cease to be surplus when they sell work wear, with the changing face of military attire, British/ US i don't think we will see an end
the surplus store.
But i do see more more jack Pike and military style garments on the racks than i used to,But as things in the military are prone to constant
change there will always be a supply. God bless the internet ! !
the surplus store.
But i do see more more jack Pike and military style garments on the racks than i used to,But as things in the military are prone to constant
change there will always be a supply. God bless the internet ! !
Mostly I think you're right (saddly) However I don't think the brick & mortar shops will completely disappear; I believe the big internet stockers will also need somewhere to sell their slower moving stock so maybe there's some hope.
Yep your right it is a small shop but a proper old shop, would be a long way to come just for it but there are others in Exeter, for new kit you have the Kit Store just up the road from Endicotts and Also Bakers yard about a five minute drive from the others bakers is a mixture of new and old and on the odd chance you find out nice little bargains. I used to go to the old woods store in crediton he used to get al-sorts of stuff, once bought a box of 50 44 pattern mugs and 100 GW1 shamags, we sold them to the cadets to raise some funds for other kit ! he's moved now and I don't think his son is that bothered about the surplus these days.
Goulds in Plymouth I popped in there a few weeks back having not been in there for about 20yrs not much had changed including the stock. Another one in Plymouth I used to go to was Boogey Knights think he has gone now ? used to have some good deals !
I used to think of getting a shop as I like the kit that much, but like others these days if I want something I can find it on e bay one way or another unless its a good shop they will find it hard to compete with the web
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