[Milsurplus] Re: surplus stores, memories

[BOEING377 at aol.com]

Paul's memories of surplus stores near and in SF were right in line with 
mine. Bay Bridge Sales in Redwood City was, in the early 1960s, full of new BC 604 
tank xmtrs for $20 and had lots of poor condition ARC 5 modulators outside 
for a couple of bucks each. A nearby establishment on Bayshore (some metals 
company, Allan Metals?) didn't have much electronics, but did have what appeared 
to be a B 24 ball turret complete in a stand and we used to play in it as kids 
pretending we were shooting down German fighters over Europe.  It was pretty 
cramped even for a kid. I don't see how full grown men could operate them for 
very long. Someone had stuck a couple of broomsticks in the gun slots and it 
looked, at least to kids, pretty realistic.

What Paul referred to as Abe's Surplus (next to Martys Surplus Mart on Market 
St in SF) was actually named  Standard Surplus, but everyone knew it as Abe's 
place. The basement was not generally open to the public, but Abe used to let 
me in because I almost always bought something.  I recall APN 9 Loran A sets 
(all minus the CRT magnifying lenses) stacked to the ceiling, hundreds of ARN 
7 radio compass rcvrs and lots of big Navy rcvrs. One time I was there with my 
Dad (a commercial fisherman). We were buying a Mallory Vibrapack stripped out 
of a USCG MF transceiver to replace one that had blown up on my Dad's Apelco 
18 MF xcvr.  Some Navy guys from Treasure Island were in there on official 
business buying modules for some set they had still in Navy service, might have 
been R 1051s).  My dad chatted them up and I remember them joking about 
government stupidity in selling all the spare modules surplus when they still had the 
sets in service.

Even in the mid 1970s Standard Surplus still had a lot of Command Set xmtrs 
(the ones with bare aluminum cases, not black wrinkle finish) new in the box 
and were giving one away free with any $20 purchase. They also had lots of neat 
stuff like waxed linen waterproof life raft maps of the South Pacific ($1), 
solar stills ($3), radar reflectors ($5), and some sort of shrapnel from Viet 
Nam weapons (looked like mini bombs with tailfins and pointed front ends) 25 
cents each. Some stuff Abe wanted a fortune for (eg the four band tuners CV ??? 
for the APR 4 receivers). Some stuff was just dirt cheap, depending on Abe's 
mood which varied wildly. 

The surplus smell is still around, but you'll have to go to an airshow or air 
museum to get a whiff. Most restored WW 2 acft still have that smell inside 
although its mixed with some hydraulic fluid smells as well. Was it the MFP 
varnish that was the primary ingredient? The B 52 nose section at the Chanute AFB 
Museum in Rantoul Ill. has the smell for sure, but it should as its still 
crammed with vintage black boxes. The 99.999% complete (lacks only an ARC 58 
xcvr) KC 97L at Castle AFB Museum in Merced CA smells just like an old radio 
surplus store in the huge cockpit area. 

There was one other surplus guy that wasn't too well known, George Belling in 
Oakland.  He used to be at the old Oakland Airport North Field in a Quonset 
Hut, then moved into another part of Oakland. He rarely had more than one of 
anything, but he had really good quality stuff. In 1972 he had a like new ARC 65 
xcvr for $100, a like new CRT 3 Gibson Girl with all accessories for $75, a 
yellow tagged LP 21 LM Radio Compass loop for $25, a 618S1 modified for SSB for 
$50 with all xtals, etc. His prices were high but he had really nice stuff, 
very clean. He also had some HUGE new Navy VLF receiving setup that he wanted 
thousands of dollars for. It occupied a number of rack cabinets and looked 
pretty modern. 

There was also a CB store in South San Francisco that had surplus stuff.  I 
will forever regret not buying their ART 13 that looked NEW. I have never seen 
another new ART 13 and I have seen hundreds. There wasn't a scratch on it, the 
insides were spotless and shiny and they said it was unused. It wasn't an OH 
respray job, it was all original.  I thought $50 was too high.

73,
Mark