Anyone know a way to find stores in other areas with this kind of spirit? Weird Stuff in Sunnyvale used to feel a bit like this to me.
I hate how few responses there are to this.
Long live American Science and Surplus
111–118 of 118 posts
Re: Long live American Science and Surplus
#112I have spent many afternoons going to Lost World of Wonders, American Science and Surplus, and the thrift next door is decent too. Maybe cap it off with mediocre tacos at Taqueria Buenavista, or go to West Allis Cheese and Sausage. Fun times in west Allis.
However, tbh, ASS isn’t that great. I wish it was better. Weirder. Larger. People have been posting about other stores such as Weird Stuff Warehouse in Sunnyvale, and tbh, that was way more interesting on the tech side. I’ve got some milsurp bags there I like, and occasionally an electronics part or two, but it’s just ok. I bought a pretty nice vacuum there once too. So I’ll miss it if it goes, but I kinda get why.
Re: Long live American Science and Surplus
#113Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'm guessing the surplus ran out. I would go to the Chicago area stores a lot and could easily recognize which companies were dumping spare/reject assemblies and other shrapnel related to their work. Those companies all moved to Mexico or Asia, so there's nothing left to dump.
There's more competition and no real need for companies to do online or reserve sales of their surplus. They might have been able to place orders or holds previously.
The "surplus" at AS&S was more about manufacturing surplus. Spare parts and bulbs, loose switches and chips, wires, unpopulated PCBs with mystery origins, etc.
Re: Long live American Science and Surplus
#114Tangentially related: SCRAP in SF is looking for a new location.
Re: Long live American Science and Surplus
#115I went to one to help me with an idea for a 7th grade science fair when I was a child and the staff helped me figure out which items I needed, which included a bunch of electronics parts and motors I had no idea what I was doing with. They patiently and very enthusiastically explained to me how they worked, how to safely use them, and gave me encouragement on my ideas for the project. They thought it was a cool idea.…
The 1980s catalog equivalent to AS&S as a youngster was Edmund Scientific. Magnets, motors, solar panels, various electronic parts as well as science kits and telescopes. Really a fantastic resource for a budding scientist.
Re: Long live American Science and Surplus
#116We used to have the most amazing little electronics store a lot like this called "Ra-Elco" in SLC, Utah, but specifically devoted to every wild bit of electronics you could imagine, ranging from individual little components of every sort all the way up to weird esoteric devices nobody's ever heard of (at least there were a lot I'd never seen before). Totally love these kinda shoppes, and I truly wish they weren't suc…
We used to have Electronics Warehouse here in SoCal (Riverside) I miss them but admit I would rarely go. Selection was definitely better than Radio Shack, but catered to an electronics era my personal designs had grown away from.
I think this is another challenge for these kinds of stores. The market moves on and their inventory becomes obsolete. So you end up with a store full of BCD thumb wheels and tube sockets and wire wrap materials that very few people want to buy. They'll never recoup the investment in these things because they've become obsolete. Even more modern things have the same problem - if you bought a pile of Arduino Due-s or BASIC Stamps to sell good luck moving those today.
Re: Long live American Science and Surplus
#117Years ago, my spouse thought I had marked an item in a sciplus catalog and so bought it for me as a birthday gift. I unwrapped it to find a plain brown box with an L-shaped metal fitting of some sort with a single black insulated wire that’s terminated with a spade lug. I have never figured out what it is.
We need a photo!
Alas, I have long since misplaced or discarded the item.
Re: Long live American Science and Surplus
#118I understand lots of people have some pleasant memories....but.... While I didn't know what American Science and surplus are, based on looking at the website they are peddlers of various "store to landfill" junk. Like lots of nostalgic things I'm sure its sad to see it go but it doesn't appear to be the loss of anything significant and doesn't seem to be worth "saving".
A quick search shows lots of vintage/ex-military “surplus”/parts. Microscopes and optics abound. There are lots of collectors and nerds who’d be happy to buy a pump or an encoder or whatnot (Chris Boden from YouTube, maybe even Alex from Technology Conmections - would be delighted.) Plus, who doesn’t want a life size 6’4” terracotta warrior for their house to silently take guard? You call it landfill, I say it’s whim…
Yes I understand all that. There are countless places that provide that type of whimiscal fun for whatever you are willing to spend. Why does this one need special treatment and a gofundme?
Obviously I'm sorta biased in that I don't enjoy this type of thing myself but I get other people enjoy it. I've seen countless places I enjoy disappear over the years but I don't think any of them deserved to be begging for donations on the FP of HN.