Back in May, citing slumping sales since the COVID-19 pandemic, beloved offbeat retail store American Science & Surplus launched a GoFundMe to relocate its warehouse. But despite raising nearly $200,000 in the past three months, its seems American Science & Surplus will close its warehouse—and with it, its mail and web order business. Owner Patrick Meyer made the announcement on GoFundMe on Wednesday.
“In my 41 years here, I have done every job there is to do at American Science & Surplus from scraping gum off floors to buying bails of shredded money,” Meyer wrote. “Now I have the toughest job I have ever had. It is with great sadness I have to announce the closing of American Science & Surplus mail order warehouse/website. As you know over the past several months, we have been trying to re-negotiate and relocate our warehouse so our business can continue running and keep our incredible people working. Unfortunately, our efforts to relocate the warehouse have been unsuccessful.”
The Milwaukee American Science & Surplus is located at 6901 W. Oklahoma Ave. The business also has two locations in Illinois.
Despite the warehouse closure, there’s good news. Meyer writes he’s been “working to sell our Milwaukee and Geneva [Illinois] stores to our incredible employees, and have asked our Park Ridge [Illinois] community if they would have interest in buying that store.” He adds: “It is my goal that the American Science & Surplus experience can continue through our employees. The outpouring of support from our community has been incredible and the donations were the only reason we could stay in business as long as we did, allowing us to keep our folks employed, try to pay some vendors, landlords and keep the lights on. We just couldn’t get over the hump.”
The last day to place online orders or to use gift cards is September 5. “The stores will remain open deeper into September and hopefully years to come, just under new management,” Meyer writes.
Back in May, DJ Hostettler paid tribute to American Science & Surplus. He wrote:
As I wandered the aisles, I noticed a guy maybe eight years my junior exploring with two kids that looked to be around 7 or 8. I kept hearing them exclaim “that’s so cool!” every time some new curiosity caught their eyes. […] I trust those kids and I are going to continue to be wowed by cool, wacky shit from the Cool Wacky Shit Store for years to come.
Bless you, American Science & Surplus. You’ll always be the best. [h/t DJ]
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