Loved these stores back then, canteens, backpacks, shovels, cool tools. And back then the prices were very reasonable unlike now. Later in life I got into going to the bulk military auctions and did pretty well reselling for awhile.
Then they started loading and banding up pallets hiding 3/4 of garbage under a 1/4 usable that had to go right in the trash after cutting the bands. They ruined it for most of us by doing this, very few pallets were worth what the bidding was getting up to anymore.
Sounds like a scam by the auctioneers: put out a bunch of garbage pallets first, then put out good pallets which only their buddies know are good.