GREEN DRAGON FARMERS
MARKET
(Lancaster County)
955 N. State Street
Ephrata,  PA  17522
(717) 738-1498
Fri. 8 am -  9 pm
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ZERNS FARMERS
MARKET
1100 East Philadelphia Avenue,
Gilbertsville, PA 19525
1/2 mile east of the intersection of
Route 100 & Route 73
Fri 2 pm - 10 pm Sat 11 am - 10 pm
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Q.  Where do you get all this stuff?

A.  Often I’m asked this question, and usually I’ll ask the customer what particular item or items they are asking about.  Almost every item has a story behind it.  So, if they are not talking about a specific item, I’ll answer, that I have been in this business for over 25 years.  I have many contacts throughout the United States, but most often I obtain the merchandise within the local area.  I attend many auctions throughout the area looking for hardware items, industrial surplus, fasteners, G.I. surplus, general merchandise, and much more.  About 25% is from the general public or companies or corporations contacting us.  Many companies would rather sell their excess, surplus or obsolete goods rather than scrap or dispose of them.  If you have a quantity of goods, give us a call.  We would be interested to hear your story. 

Q.  Why should I shop at your store rather than other hardware
      stores

A.  Lou’s Surplus sells the same or similar items that you find in most hardware stores with one major difference.  In most cases we’ll sell it for much less.  We don’t have the fancy fixtures or higher overhead that the big chain stores have.  We also try to sell items in bulk form (not packages), like the big guys.  This way you can buy the quantity and amount you want at sometimes half the price of most other hardware stores.  We don’t carry a line of power tools but carry most accessories for them.  We have many hard to find, unique, unusual and scarce items that other stores don’t carry.  The ladies find our cabinet hardware (handles, knobs, etc.) section to be the cheapest prices around.  We often are more than ½ off the price of the other guys.  Come check it out for yourself, you won’t be disappointed. 
 

Q.  You are open only on the week-ends.  What do you do the
       rest of the week?

A.  During the week (Monday to Thursday) my time is used to accomplish many things besides my personal things I need to do.  I’m often out looking for deals to buy or sell.  The surplus business is very unique.  In this business, you often have to buy in large quantities and/or do so in short time because the surplus items won’t be around long.  They are often sold to the first buyer to inspect the deal.  On the other hand, I may attend a sealed bid or spot bid auction which requires one day for inspection before the auction, one day to attend the auction and another day to make pickups.  Also, having two stores and two warehouses, I’m often going back and forth to them to keep them stocked and filled.  As anyone who owns a business can tell you, there is always something going on that you have to accomplish, but sometimes during a slow week I take time for some R & R. 

Q.  Why don’t you like to be referred to as an Army-Navy Store?

A.  Now-a-days most Army-Navy Stores are more like clothing stores, carrying very little in real G.I. surplus.  Most of them are carrying jeans, sneakers, cowboy boots, hiking and camping goods.  Some may carry camo cloths and G.I. boots but usually they are copies.  Army-Navy stores that carry real G.I. stuff sell these items at inflated prices due to the fact that they have to buy from wholesale distributors and  not from the government in order to have all the sizes in stock, especially the larger sizes of clothing and boots.  Lou’s Surplus does not try to be like them.  I only buy from the government or companies or individuals that will sell at low prices!  The drawback is I don’t have the range of sizes or types of G.I. surplus, but what I do have, I sell at surplus store prices not Army-Navy Store prices.  Also, with the government downsizing the military bases, it’s getting much harder to obtain G.I. surplus.  My sources are dwindling down more and more every year.  Years ago, Lou’s carried a lot more G.I. clothing, boots, back packs, duffle bags etc. etc.  Now-a-days, our efforts and energy are geared toward the hardware end of the business.  Anyone who has been in one of our stores knows that we are more of a hardware store then an Army-Navy store and have always been that way!  But, many people passing by the store make comments like, “Let’s check out the Army-Navy store”.  Hopefully (and soon), they will say, “Let’s check out the hardware/surplus store”.  And that is why I don’t like to be called an Army-Navy store!!! 

Q.  Why was I your last hope?

A. "I've been every where, you're my last hope!"  This is becoming a very common phrase that I have been hearing more and more at Lou's Surplus.  I hear this from my customers about as much as I hear the question "Where do you get all this stuff?".  Often a customer will say " I've been every where you're my last hope!"  Very often I have the item they want or  something they could substitute to do the job.  Sometimes we suggest a different item or method to accomplish the same result.  Some things the customers need aren't hard for Lou's Surplus to come by, but my customers tell me they've been to many stores and finally came to Lou's.    Whether or not we have the item the customer is looking for I always ask - "Why didn't you come here first?"  I should be your first choice not your last hope.