FW: [Milsurplus] Re: Surplus stores, SF Bay Area

[Thekan, Paul]

  My foray into surplus stores came toward the end of the Golden Age of
surplus. In the late 60's down here on the Peninsula , San Carlos - Palo
Alto to be exact , there was Bay Bridge sales on the Bayshore frontage road
in Redwood city that had some of the saddest looking surplus
electronic/radio gear mixed in with tons of general military and government
surplus stuff much of it looked liked it was recovered from wherever at low
tide. The place was situated on a couple of acres with a huge warehouse and
equally large storage/office building. Me and my friends would ride our
bikes down there and poke around. I was 12 -13 at this time and could not
really appreciate all the neat stuff that was housed there. All I could
afford to buy where parts to peddle home with and heaven forbid I should buy
something big enough that I would have to ask my dad to haul home...forget
it!! I can vaguely recall seeing BIG Navy xmtrs , radar sets and all manner
of parts. The whole operation I think had 3 light bulbs to light up both
buildings. It was so dark that you had to bring a flashlight to see what
there was. The guys that ran the place where nice and never told us to
scram. Oh yeah and I can remember seeing a 20 yard dumpster there half
filled with what I now think where WWI French helmets...neat place.

 On 5th ave , next to a strip joint, in Redwood City was a great place
called Halted electronics. It was only there for a couple of years or so
before they moved down to the San Jose area. It had mil gear and older ham
gear there as well as lots of parts. It was a great place to go while it
lasted and was only a mile n' half bike ride to get there.

 In Palo there was Red Johnsons on Pepper St. When I met Red he was
recovering from brain surgery and was a little slow in responding. His store
was small compared to the operation Red ran in the 50's and early 60's so I
was told. His store dealt in parts that where new or salvaged from gear. All
neatly placed in small wooden boxes on wooden and metal shelves. He was a
very nice gentleman and was always helpful in answering questions about
whatever me and my friend where trying to build.

 In San Carlos there was J&H Outlet , across the street here from Eimac.
They where the last surplus place to go . I think it folded up in '93 or
there abouts. When I was there it was mostly parts and a few pieces of radio
gear , ARC5's, RBS rcvr a DAG DF rcvr and other similar stuff and radar
stuff too. I think they made most of their money selling metals and
plastics. John the fellow that ran it didn't like kids very much though.

 Up in the City on Market St. there was Marty's surplus and Abe's surplus
next door , though I do not know if these where the names of the respective
businesses but his is what I remember them as in 1970 - 72. When I would
take the SP train up to the City to take my tests at the FCC on 555 Battery,
I would always go to these two places after dealing with the ice water for
blood FCC officials. Martys I do not remember to much about , it had the
usual stuff, ARC 5's and the like but it is cigar chomping Abe's I remember
most. Not only because of Abe but the stacks and stacks of gear piled up to
the top of the 12 ft ceilings of this old Victorian store front. It was all
there WW2 to 60's mil radio surplus. I can even remember National SW-3's
piled in a back corner.In the basement Abe had men taking apart stacks upon
stacks of new looking BC 659 sets to get the silver plated parts and what
ever else was of any value gleaned from the 659 carcasses. A friend went
into Abes once looking for the power supply for a 659 set. Abe did not have
it but got up and went next door to Martys and pulled one from the shelf
there and brought it back to sell to George. The price was marked $15 but
Abe sold it to George for $10 explaining that Marty owed him 10
bucks...those where the days.

 These are my best recollections from 30+ years ago. Most all these places
had that great "surplus smell" to them, one thing for sure is you can never
forget that "surplus smell"

Paul
N6FEG