Army Navy Market/Camo Weekend

One day during spring break, my husband and I went to the Army Navy Surplus Market.  This shop has been in business since 1955 with only two owners.  The current owner, Nick Potamitis, has owned the store since 1983.  

We went to the store for the purpose of finding camo clothing for the Boy Scout camping trip that was held on the air force base.  The theme was camo and I wanted to be ready.  "The only thing that separates us from the animals is our ability to accessorize."  (Clairee Belcher) 

I couldn't help myself!  I had to take pictures of the "inventory".  This old bottle of insect spray caught my eye.  When I came home and "Googled" it, I found out that there was indeed a store called "Graham's Sanitary Supplies" that was located in downtown Tampa.  I can't figure out when that store went out of business, but the following photo is of the store at the corner of Zack and Nebraska.  I don't know when the picture was taken but Zack and Nebraska doesn't look like that any more.  (Look for a future blog about that location!) Click here to see that blog post.

Picture I took on Thursday

Archive photo from USF library

Digital ID: R05-z-00002057

Title: Graham's Sanitary Supplies Store.

Published: Tampa, Fla. : University of South Florida, Tampa Library n.d.

Physical description: 1 photograph : jpeg 21 x 26 cm.

Summary: Graham's Sanitary Supplies Store.

Other Contributers: Robertson and Fresh (Firm)

Other Contributers: University of South Florida -- Tampa Campus Library

Hierarchical place name: Florida--Hillsborough County--Tampa

Collection: Robertson and Fresh Photograph Collection

Subjects:

• Graham's Sanitary Supplies (614 Nebraska Avenue)
• Streets--Nebraska Avenue
• Streets--Zack Street
• United States

An old "foot locker" with "blood" on it.  Just kidding, but it does look very mysterious!

I can't read the rest of this foot locker, but it definitely says, "To Mrs..."  That's got to be a locker that was once full of her husband's belongings.  I wonder if he made it home, or if it was just his stuff?

Old and new shoes.

All of the AC vents had bars on them.

Used towels...in case you need a replacement woobie.

Aisles and aisles of new and used gear.

We were successfully decked out for our weekend with the Boy Scouts on the air force base.

Nicholas in full camo.

Me holding the line on the shore.  Note that my orange camo matches my orange visor.

The trip to the army navy store was "a trip".  My husband has been back three times already.  Walking through the shop is like walking into a Hoarders episode, but really cool at the same time.  Fifty seven years of interesting stuff!