Feed: Slashdot
Feed Link: https://slashdot.org/
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Title: American Science & Surplus Is Fighting For Its Life

Link: https://news.slashdot.org/story/25/06/04/2154...

"One of the few major independent science-surplus/DIY outlets left is
American Science & Surplus," writes longtime Slashdot reader Tyler Too.
"They've recently launched a GoFundMe campaign to ensure their survival." Ars
Technica reports: Now, nearly 90 years after its launch selling "reject
lenses" as American Lens & Photo, American Science & Surplus is
facing an existential threat. The COVID-19 pandemic and increased costs hit
the business hard, so the store has launched a GoFundMe campaign looking to
raise $200,000 from customers and fans alike. What's happening in suburban
Chicago is a microcosm of the challenges facing local retail, with big-box
retailers and online behemoths overwhelming beloved local institutions. It's
a story that has played out countless times in the last two-plus decades, and
owner Pat Meyer is hoping this tale has a different ending. Ars reports on
American Science & Surplus' long history, noting that it was founded in
1937 and has grown from a modest surplus shop into a beloved, quirky
institution for makers, science enthusiasts, and curiosity seekers. Over the
decades, it evolved far beyond its original niche of lenses and lab
equipment. As Meyer, a 41-year veteran of the company, put it: "I've done
everything in the company that there is to do... it's been my life for 41
years." Once known for its robust telescope section and deep inventory of
scientific odds and ends, the store has adapted to shifting consumer habits --
 some changes bittersweet. True to its DIY spirit, American Science &
Surplus is described as a "physical manifestation of the maker ethos,"
stocked with everything from motors to military gas masks to mule-branding
kits. It also carries a rare sense of humor, with quirky signage like a
warning that a "Deluxe Walking Cane" is "not the edible kind of cane." Today,
American Science & Surplus faces modern challenges like relocating a
costly warehouse and overhauling outdated software and web infrastructure.
But Meyer is optimistic, noting that contributions to their GoFundMe campaign
represent more than financial help: "It's about supporting local retail
during a very challenging time. Who wants to buy everything at Amazon,
Walmart, Temu, and Target?"

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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