[Milsurplus] Re: [The WS No19] Surplus stores, then and now

[Reed Park]

Hi Group

While living in Toronto (a very long time ago) I bought the first of my
# 19 sets from a place on Yonge Street, called Hercules Sales. They
had more stuff than I have seen in one place. Wall to wall and floor
to ceiling BC-221 units (bought one of those also) as well as surplus
clothes, tents, rafts etc. They also had more than one floor full of this
stuff. Yonge Street had many Surplus Stores during the 50's and 60's
but Hercules is the one that comes to my old mind.

Around Spadina and Nassau (spelling error) there was another Surplus Store
that I spent a lot of time (and money) in while attending Technical School
in the early 1960's in Toronto.

On Weston Road (also in Toronto) was an unlikely place for radios,
it was Levy's Auto Parts. Some of the military vehicles still had radio
gear in them. As a kid, I used to brave the dogs and play in the green
machines playing war. War doesn't seem so glamorous 40 or 50
years later.

Tannery Street in Moncton NB also used to have a pretty good Surplus
Store for radio gear. It closed years ago but it's parent store in Memramcook
is still there. Radio gear is few and far between and the prices are no longer
prices charged for scrap. To many collectors ?  Very little radio gear now.
I stop by just to say hello to Rick and see if he put anything aside for me
that I might be interested in. Alas, no, but I keep trying.

Junky Jim's also comes to mind down in the Halifax or Peggy's Cove area
of Nova Scotia. Now, "THAT" was a place for military radio gear. Sadly, it
was closed down a few years back. Something to do with environmental
problems. They used to have some pretty darned good test equipment also
and at prices that us hams could afford. Scopes, signal generators etc.

Here is one that is still in business in Smith's Falls, Ontario.

http://www.falls.igs.net/~testequipment/

Another place that unfortunately knows the original value of stuff. Prices are
not cheap.  It's W.J. Ford Surplus

It's going to be one heck of a long list you are going to come up
with J. Forster, but it will be an interesting list I am sure. It should
bring back many happy memories for all us old coots as we remember
long forgotten things we may have purchased from the various places.

7 3
Reed

--


Looking for information on

     Marconi SMR-3
     Marconi MSL-5 and
     Northern Electric R8119A receivers of WW 2.

     ARROW Research (Avro CF-105)
     Reed Park
     252 Gauvin Road
     Dieppe, New Brunswick
     Canada E1A1M1

     Amateur Radio V E 1 N U
     WW II, # 19 SET user
     Paraset replica builder and owner of a real one.