AHH....the aroma of damp canvass!
I loved that smell. I could not wait to see what new thing I would discover:
Canteens - 25 cents
Wire recorder that worked - $2
Waterproof Flashlights - 25 cents
Practice hand grenades - 50 cents
5 lb. bucket of grease - $1 (don't ask me why)
Box of chemicals - $1 (mostly for the potassium chlorate to make explosives)
4 ft. high practice bomb - $3
Leather flight jacket (with zippered pocket on shoulder, soooo cool) - $4
Great days growing up.
Yes, a surplus shop has a smell all its own.
I once bought an old piece of electronic equipment from a dealer. I took a deep whiff of the interior, and remarked that it smelled just like a surplus shop.
The guy knew exactly what I meant!
“AHH....the aroma of damp canvass!”
Yes!
“.the aroma of damp canvass!”
The price of canvas today is insane.
This thread made me think of the Patrick F. McManus stories about kids and the Army-Navy surplus store.