Thread: Houston Surplus and Supply

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I know there are alot of Houston-area folks on this board, any good 'surplus' type places yall shop at? Consignment places, resale, etc.

I like Electronic Parts Outlet on Fondern/Westpark (although they too have gone to more commerical inventories).

I would like to find a place for materials (wood, foam, metal, hardware, broken furniture, etc), like a Freight Surplus place or junk shop. But while we have 'antique' shops that charge $100 for a mirror frame, and we have 'junk yards' that you feel you need a bodyguard for....is there a good place in between that spectrum?

Not just surplus, but other Houston-area places you can get good prop supplies, materials, ideas...We used to have some good Hobby shops, but I think Larrys on 45/1960 is one of the few left.

We have HarborFreight and NorthernTool, not bad for some items. Not much has shown up in Craigslist/Free in a few weeks. CyFair FreeCycle is just too hard to read/search if you ask me.

We have Arnies and that other Party place on Taylor. I got a decent gorilla mask/shirt there a few weeks back. Arnies said they would go full stock on Halloween after Labor Day. PartyCity on Hwy6/529 has expanded and is planning a larger Halloween section.

CheapLights seems to be all DJ focus now, but sometimes if you go in person, they have a decent scratchndent lighting item for a fair price.

I have not been to Traders Village in several years, any good things to be had there?



But those choices are just the usual commerical plastic stuff. I still want a good surplus joint to buy raw components for homemade endeavors.

What else am I missing for some September shopping sprees? Gas is too high to just drive around randomly...

Do you have a habitat for humanity resale shop near you, you might be able to find some of what you are looking for there

there is a habitat store at 13572 Highway 249. It's a bit of a drive from the Cyfair area but worth it.

Trader's Village is hit or miss depending on what is out there - they have space in the back that is more yard sale type and I've picked up some interesting things over the years. You could definitely fine SOMETHING worthwhile there if you look hard enough - it has grown quite a bit over the last 3-4 years. I don't leave there empty handed. It is now $3 to get in, but it is still worth it and really close to where I live, so I check it out about once a month.

There is a Goodwill at Jones road/1960 that has had some stuff, but recently not much worth anything for Halloween props. Right up the road (on Jones) from there where an Eckards used to be is a new resale shop, but I was unimpressed (I think the cross street was Fallbrook?).

I can't remember what the name of the place was (lot of help) but there was a really cool antique/flea market either on the way to or just past Willowbrook Mall on 1960. I'll see if I can find the name of the place. I found the coolest black cat iron doorstop there for like $12! It is a two story building with those big metal stars and such on it, set back behind a wood furniture place.

AVOID the Armadillo flea market over on N45 - it is soooo ghetto.

I think I know the 1960 antique store you mention, it is further east like by Veterans Memorial or so...I have not stopped in there this year.

I have gotten a few jumpsuits at the Goodwills (290/34 and 1960/kurkendyl), but never found any good prop-making stuff.



Any experience with any of the following? I bet they are too industrial and expensive for typical haunt prop materials...?

Houston General Salvage
PortCity
Stockton Surplus & Salvage
Sand Dollar Thrift