Army-Navy Stores

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bookslover

Puritan Board Doctor
Do they still exist? There was one in my hometown for many years, but it disappeared some years ago. Interesting places to shop for ex-military stuff (camping tents, etc.).

Perhaps they've all gone away by now.
 
Per Google, there are still a couple of them around Dallas. One I used to drive by in Richardson closed a good while back.
 
I passed one yesterday in Indiana. Honestly, you can get much better gear much cheaper other places.
 
A lot of these stores use to sell actual military surplus items that they bought at auction and sold for a profit. I suspect the business model only works if you can get the stuff at auction for almost nothing. Otherwise, you're forced into a losing battle with retail outlets and you eventually have to close. And it would seem that's what's happened. Sad though. I always really enjoyed Army-Navy stores. Where else could you buy a pin made from a bullet?!
 
A lot of these stores use to sell actual military surplus items that they bought at auction and sold for a profit. I suspect the business model only works if you can get the stuff at auction for almost nothing. Otherwise, you're forced into a losing battle with retail outlets and you eventually have to close. And it would seem that's what's happened. Sad though. I always really enjoyed Army-Navy stores. Where else could you buy a pin made from a bullet?!

Yeah, sounds like they're a dying breed. You could see some fairly bizarre stuff in those surplus stores.
 
The ones in the Pittsburgh area differ greatly from one to the next. I've been to a few of them. Some sell ammo, guns, and seem to turn over a lot of military surplus inventory. The one closest to me has a bunch of military T-shirts, boots, and other swag. Not nearly as busy as the others, it's a wonder it's still open.
 
When I was growing up, there were tons of WWII/Korea surplus items on the market. I don't know how much surplus the military is generating these days. I'd guess most of it ends up in landfills.
 
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