Photo via Visit Milwaukee
American Science and Surplus - Exterior
American Science and Surplus in Milwaukee
For generations of nerdy kids (and adults), American Science & Surplus is a wonderland. You never know what you might walk out of the store with– a telescope? A rubber chicken? Weird surplus mittens? Some new pet Sea Monkeys? Those are just a few of the store’s thousands of items in stock, ranging from military surplus to science kits to oddball novelties. Although some of their stock is just wacky, a lot of their products are meant to hook an interest in science and art, and in a country with a bad case of the stupids, anyone trying to foster intellectual curiosity is a godsend.
American Science & Surplus was founded in 1937 and has three locations—one in the Chicago area, another in Geneva, IL, and their Milwaukee store, which opened in 1981. They also fulfill orders from their warehouse via their print catalog and website. The business is owned by Pat Meyer, who started working for the company in 1984, when he was 16 years old. He bought the company in 2012.
In all those years, American Science & Surplus has developed a loyal following of “Surpies” as their fans are called, who love to visit and browse through the shelves and bins of odd and sometimes useful things. Where else could you hope to find a giant suction cup or some reasonably priced lab equipment? Hand-drawn and humorous price signs and a fun and helpful staff add value to the shopping experience.
Box Stores, Online Behemoths
Photo via American Science and Surplus - sciplus.com
American Science and Surplus - Interior
Displays at the American Science and Surplus Milwaukee location
Times have changed for a business like American Science & Surplus in the almost nine decades they’ve been around, with the rise of box stores and online behemoths bulldozing everything in their path.
“Rising operational costs, the increased pressure from online retail giants, software issues, and soaring shipping rates have pushed our small business (and many others) to the brink of closure,” Meyer writes on an online fundraiser page, “Keep American Science & Surplus Alive.”
To survive, Meyer says the company needs to downsize and move their warehouse, update their software programs, and reorganize the business. The online fundraiser was set up to meet these costs to get back on track. As of this writing, about 59% of their $125,000 goal (and counting) has been funded.
“After nearly nine decades, the possibility of American Science & Surplus disappearing is a heartbreak we can’t imagine, and we hope many of you feel the same,” Meyer says on the fundraiser page, adding, “over these 88 years, we’ve shared in your passion for discovery, your ingenious inventions that have blown us away, and the electric energy of out in-store science nights.”
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Someday stores like American Science & Surplus might not be able to survive at all—there will just be Wal-Marts, Amazon delivery vans and fast-food joints as far as the eye can see, a landscape of total corporate sterility. What a sad, boring world that will be.
You can read more about American Science & Surplus’s goals and donate at the fundraiser page here: gofundme.com/f/keep-american-science-surplus-alive
