20+ Surplus Stores Reviewed!

[faustgeist]

Alright! This post is a significant revision from my review series a year ago. Enjoy!

Greetings all,

In a way airsoft equipment is easy to shop for. Walk-in stores and the retail giants of Hong Kong can deliver almost everything you and I seek in guns, upgrades, and parts. Our gear (our kit), on the other hand, can involve questing for months.

I have been trying to visit all the Army/Navy supply stores I can... attempting to finish-out different military looks. Here are some stores which may help you find the gear you're after. I'll start with a concentration of shops around Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, NC, and move out from there. Good hunting !

There may be a great store in your home town… please let us know about good shops & what they carry near you! I realize this post is a bit farther a field for the Canadian player base, but hey.. if you ever drive down I-95 to Florida... Fayetteville is an *easy* stop.

~Robin

I will begin this list with my favorite shop in Fayettevile, Old Sarge’s Surplus. A gargantuan metal warehouse opens up to isle after isle of well priced used gear + a wide variety of well priced new clothing & accessories.

After visiting over eight stores in Fayett-nam, it is clear that old Sarge’s used clothing bins are a great value. Shirts, pants, boots, and hats in all US camo types sell between $4-$12 an item… often time with nice patches and ranks attached. If you can visit only one surplus shop, make it this one.

A view of Old Sarge’s #1


A view of Old Sarge’s #2

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The next stop was Airborn One, a tailoring store with some pleasant surprises. Upon entering this shop it is clear the majority of their business is uniform patches. And if you are seeking *anything* to sew on your uniforms.. this is a great inventory to look through. Naturally they specialize in the units stationed at Ft. Bragg. So their collection of Navy Seal medals way be low, lol.

Nice surprises in their small used collection. Boots, heavy winter coats, a few molle vests, $65 real steel helmets, $20 practice rubber berettas & knives. A box of foreign flag patches, and some well priced Surefire flashlights. One in Tan color for $25 !

It’s a small shop, but nice folks.

Inside View of Airborn one

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Time now for a mega store. General Jacksons is a large, well stocked gear store. Their inventory is new and hosts a thorough collection of Blackhawk, Surefire & Spec-Ops gear. They are also well knows for a large knife collection and a huge assortment of uniforms, mostly Proper. One of the best stops if you are looking for grey, blue, black, and tan BDUs.

Their prices? Well, no real deals to be found. The same as on-line (with shipping). However, there if something to be said for holding that SERPA holster before you drop $119 on it.

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This was a new store to me and a pleasant surprise. A great real-steel gun store with a growing airsoft store in the back! Guns Plus is a well stocked shop, hosting mostly Blackhawk tactical gear along side a mouth watering collection of real firearms. Oooo, nice!

In the back of the store is a growing area of Tokyo Marui guns and gear for sale. No crazy deals, but hell, it is a local shop and they are trying!  If you are not seeking a gun, they sell ammo, magazines, a few scopes, and basic add-ons.


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Now we move to the middle of the road. There is a plethora of stores in the Fayetteville area which sell used gear. The majority of them, and Military Pawn falls into this category, are no better than average. Their prices are *just* a few dollars over what used gear should sell for.. and if you happen to visit Old Sarge’s first… you will laugh and walk out of these shops. On the other hand (!) they may have some hard to find gear… so it’s worth a stop for the patient shopper.

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A second new store for me what this gem. Rob’s Surplus. My friend Chris and I were met by a jovial and generous store owner who gave us the grand tour of his wares and was more than attentive when we had questions & requests. I truly recommend this store, not because it has the lowest price (though they were good!), but because I believe in supporting stores operated by good people.

The majority of Rob’s wares is clothing, with a healthy amount of tactical gear, and many well priced odd & ends. One thing in particular I should mention. Rob said that he offers a no-charge searching service if there is anything his clients have been looking for. That alone is a pleasant surprise. Been searching for something?... drop him a line!

Definitely recommended.


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Oh yeah! A knowledgeable store owner coupled with a formidable collection of true WWII artifacts = a happy shopper. If you have been trying to build out you German, American, Japanese or British look from Dubbya-Dubbya Two.. look no farther.

Being real items don’t expect to pay reproduction prices. This stuff has history! A wide selection of real steel guns to a huge assortment of medals. From suspenders & belts to ceremonial flags and combat helmets. I spent $400 and walked out with a bag the size of my hand, yeowch. Yet you wont be crying after you take a close look at what you have purchased. Real deal.

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Airborn One ACU HQ is the same group that owns the small tailoring shop at the top of this post. However this large venue offers a ton more in clothing and gear. The prices did not blow me away. But the selection is strong. Lots of Surplus from the 1991 Gulf War. A few nice containers, and good low priced on a wide selection of ACU molle gear. They also have a large portion of the store devoted to helmet repair & coverings.

If you're in town, check 'em out.

Inside image.

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Time for us to leave the Ft. Bragg area and go farther a-field. First stop on our tour is an army surplus store in Gastonia, NC. The ‘Army Navy Superstore!’.

Well… not exactly super. If it is local to you.. okay. But not worth a long drive. They do have a few piles of used army camo for reasonable prices.. and a decent collection of proper BDU uniforms & underarmor. But for such a large building… the inventory is a little thin.

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This little shop continues to impress me. Located in the booming metropolis (lol) of Kannapolis. Kannapolis Surplus is a smoky, perhaps inbred, odd sort of operation. They have a strong selection of foreign camo, particularly the sought after German flektarn. They also get British, US Vietnam era, and some Russian patterns in. I have found a compete Alpentarn uniform set there as well as some Australian, Austrian, and Belgium patterns. Pretty good for the middle of no where. Ha!

Their prices? Exactly what you and I seek. Low, cheap, great deals! This place is no secret and I honestly see other airsoft players every time I drop in… but with diligence you can find some real gems here.

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Okay! If you have made it to Kannapolis then you are close enough to hit Ashboro, NC. And the formidable Delks!

Whoa, where to start? This place is awesome. My #1, favorite - out of all the stores I have visited in the South East. Their inventory is massive, with a wide variety of used US camos, boots & gear… paired with thousands of square feet of true military surplus. Want a helicopter frame, a cold weather generator, how about a Vietnam Jeep? It’s all there! Huge selection of props for airsoft games mixed with European camo and *lots* of tactical items. Modern hunting stuff as well.

Visit!

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Located near Shaw Air Force base in SC, this surplus store has seen better days. The prices are average, but the inventory a little shabby. Like your used clothing to smell like mold? Me neither! Only worth a visit if you are driving to the beach or absolutely bored as hell. On the other hand, across the street is a fine little gun store with an impressive selection of HK MP5s and SL8s for sale... full auto on those MP5s!

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Not good. This shop, located in Durham, NC simply sucks! A razor thin collection of current camos mixed with the sort of paintball crap we have come to loath. Purple “urban” camo? No thanks.

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Also located in Durham, NC. Quartermasters is an average Supply sore - leaning more toward police supply. If you have nothing and need some 3-color green, drop in… if you are looking for EOtech scopes, molle gear, webbing, or something singular... that will be a little more rare in this shop. Good place for your first kit.

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Located in downtown Columbia SC, this store is a shadow of its previous glory. And glory it was… with a magnificent collection of WWII and VN ear gear.

Presently it is a decent collection: a little of everything but nothing of something. Drop in if you are local… you can definitely get a first uniforms together - other wise have a good lunch at Ruby Tuesdays.

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US patriot, located in Columbia SC, is one of the primary retailers for Fort Jackson. Their inventory of current issue clothing and gear is complete – read ACU. Their prices are modern retail, no used items here. They carry and can order all Blackhawk and SpecOps gear and are genuinely nice folks to work with. They also sell a wide selection of 5.11 clothing and gear, with some decent knives and a very large selection of backpacks and underarmour clothing. Worth a visit.


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C&E army Navy. Located just off of HYW 17 in Myrtle Beach, SC. This surplus store is alright, falling into the average category. They have a predictable collection of clothing and gear. Nothing unique, but worth a casual visit. I saw a decent assortment of ropes and repelling gear there…

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Located in Georgetown, SC this is one of those surplus stores which time has forgotten. A good & bad thing. Their clothing and gear comes form the 1960s, 70s and early 80s... then stops! If you are looking for OD patterns, this is the place. I bought a nice flight suit with parachute webbing for $30. Too much hunting patterns fro my taste.

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Located in Burlington, NC.. close to I-85. Very similar to the Myrtle Beach store, this shop has a ‘standard’ army/navy inventory. New Proper clothing, a nice knife case, and a few odd British pouches.. nothing exotic… but solid for a person’s first airsoft kit.

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Ready to go to Florida?

This is for the big spenders in the crowd. Located on Palm Beach Island, Fl. The Grande Armee specializes in selling Napoleonic uniforms, Authentic 16th Century suits of armor, Canons from Wellington’s forces and prize swords from famous commanders in the British Empire. No joking around here.. this is super real.

No… you don’t want to look at the prices. Highlighted in the picture below are three uniforms who averaged $20,000 each. They also have a stupendous collection of military dioramas. A personal favorite of mine. I will be there in April ‘07 to scope out some Japanese infantry swords from WWII…

[img width=494 height=650]http://www.sublimeserpent.com/air/arme1.jpg[/img]

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Bah, still no image of good ‘old Surplus Sids! I will fix that soon.

Well, picture or no… this store rocks! Located in Chapel Hill, NC, the owner Barry has been a friend of mine for 15 years. His store is an interesting mixture of military surplus and costume rental. If you like digging through piles and piles of odd clothing, boxes & boxes of medals, and discovering some really (!) nice stuff.. this is the place for you. PS: I love that shit!

Worth a drive!


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Ok, that wraps up this issue of Surplus, Surplus, Where the Fuck Can I Find Surplus. I will be going much farther a-field soon, and invite anyone to let us all know about stores in your area… it’s strengths and if you recommend it to us.

But before I go, here are two stores in Fayetteville I thought deserved special note :

The Hobbit Hobbies is a gaming store which sells all the standard items, D&D books, MTG cards, but… this one has something else going on! I was particularly impressed with their build-your-own model selection. They have a seriously large collection of diorama accessories, paints, and professionally made local consignment pieces. They also sell a large array of war posters for WWII. Stop in.


Last but not least :

Yeah, you know you want it!!!



Good shopping!
~Robin Dial

[*shadow*]

You have a good address, close to Vermont or new-york ?

[H-G]

I fucking HATE you.... That Fayetteville tour must have been awesome!