Gadgets Galore at Surplus Store

Just a bus ride away from the hustle and bustle of campus is the IU Surplus Store. \nThe store is located inside the IU Warehouse at 2931 E. 10th St. and has been around for about 10 years. It offers used IU furniture such as tables, desks and couches for less than $100.\nJoe Goss, director of the University Printing Services and Materials Management, said computers are the store’s most popular items. The store offers computers such as the iMac GT for only $475 and a Dell computer for $325.\nAll of the store’s merchandise comes from various IU departments, Goss said. Money made on merchandise is given back to the department from which it came.\n“The purpose (of the IU Surplus Store) was to provide a way for the University to get rid of its surplus merchandise,” Goss said. \nMerchandise also comes from departments from other IU regional campuses such as IU-Kokomo and IU-Southeast.\nGoss said he would like to see the rest of the regional campuses use the Surplus Store as a means to get rid of some of their old merchandise. The only other regional campus that currently has its own surplus store is IU-Purdue University Indianapolis. \nYet, few IU students even know about the store.\nSophomore Jake Merten and graduate student Michael Lewis did not even know the store existed. Both students said they believe the lack of advertisement around campus is the reason students do not know about it.\nGoss said the store does a good deal of advertising. Still, only 10 percent of the store’s customers are IU faculty members and students, Goss said. \nJim McAuley, store manager, said the average Surplus Store customer is usually looking for a bargain.\n“For the most part, the public is looking for new versus used stuff,” McAuley said. “Our used office merchandise is better than Wal-Mart.” \nDespite having low prices year round, the Surplus Store annually has one back-to-school sale, where all of the merchandise is marked down, Goss said.\nCurrently, the merchandise is only available in the store. However, a few items are occasionally sold on eBay, Goss said. \nThe IU Surplus Store is open from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.