Issue: Friday, February 14, 2003
by DOUG HELBIG
campus correspondent
Photos courtesy of www.stores.uconn.edu
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Public surplus store, located at depot campus.
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Inside the public surplus store.
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One day a month the UConn Surplus Store opens its doors, allowing the general public to purchase used equipment from the different departments around the university at inexpensive prices.
The event will take place today from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the UConn Depot Campus, located off of Route 44. All sales are cash only and items are sold "as is" with no guarantees.
Merchandise ranging from used computers and office equipment to athletic apparel and used diesel engines are a few of some of the many items being sold.
"In the surplus store we sell used computers, computer parts, desks, shelving units, copiers as well some athletic clothing," said Wayne Landry, manager of the University Central Stores.
Some of the most abundant products are used computers. Computers of all styles and makes ranging in price from $40 to $500 are for sale. In addition to complete computer systems, individual mouses, keyboards, printers and monitors are all for sale.
Another popular product at the Surplus Store is the athletic apparel.
T-shirts, warm-up suits, sweatshirts and more are all offered for as little as $5.
The Surplus Store also has a large stock of filing cabinets, desk and shelving units starting at $7 for shelves and $10 for filing cabinets.
"In addition to some of the more normal products sold, we also sell some stranger products," Landry said. "This month there is a diesel engine taken from one of the busses, a drill press and even a hospital gurney."
The Surplus Store, which is a mystery to many UConn students, is an alternative to the higher priced competitor, the UConn Co-op.
"I had no idea the store even existed," said A.J. Cardini, a 6th-semester engineer major. "I would definitely buy T-shirts and sweatshirts at the Surplus Store. As for computer parts, I don't think I would trust the quality."
With the inception of "UConn 2000" departments around campus are upgrading all of their office equipment and donating the old to the Surplus Store.
The store, which opened in August of 2001, was established by Landry to "help get rid of the excess equipment while making cash rather then just throwing it all in a dumpster," Landry said.
All of the proceeds from sales are returned to the university for various causes.
"A portion of the money made is devoted to help pay the cost of recycling
the equipment that never sells," Landry said.