What is a rubber chicken, a tesla coil, telescopes and school supplies all have in common?
They are all at American science and surplus6901 W. Oklahoma Ave. in Milwaukee. And this list scratches the surface.
This unique company has helped inspire the imagination of many for decades in Milwaukee and its two locations of Illinois.
Now, the owner of the company, Patrick Meyer, requests help in Launching a gofundme to help maintain operational stores.
Meyer bought the 88 -year -old company in 2012 after working in his store in the Chicago region in adolescence. The company already had a second store established for a long time in Milwaukee and a third in Geneva, Illinois.
Gofundme’s description quotes “the increase in operational costs, the increased pressure of online retail giants, software problems and the outbreak of shipping prices” such as the last and the biggest challenges to avoid closing.
The company must move / reduce its warehouse – a cost of $ 130,000 – update its software for $ 25,000 and reorganize.
The GoFundme collected more than $ 50,000 with more than 1,000 donations on May 24 with a target of $ 125,000.
While recognizing that there are concerns about the company, Lilly Ward, assistant director of the Milwaukee location, said that the staff was not too worried in his store, the largest of the three.
“I don’t think we’re going to go down without fighting,” she said, smiling.
The company as a whole employs around 50 people, Ward said, while Milwaukee’s location has 12 staff members.
Business Down from COVID-19, but some loyal customers still arrive
Ward, who was in the company 4 and a half years, said that if sales were decreasing from the Cavid-19 pandemic, it was not until last year that the store had experienced a sharp decline. It has awarded a large part to online purchases as well as the increase in shipping costs.
Despite a drop in sales, Ward said that the American Science & Ex surplus website “has generally” has a lot of traffic on it “.
The Milwaukee store has a lot of pedestrian traffic with Ward saying that they have a lot of loyal customers.
One of these customers is Herk Wanggaard of Racine and he said that most of the time, he visits the store that he is full of people.
Wanggaard said he had come to the store for many years to get everything, engine parts in electrical items.
“There are always weird stuff here,” he said, noting that the actions are always different and that prices are reasonable.
Missy Vanderwal travels the brown deer area each time she sees something that catches her eye on the store’s facebook page.
“I love all crafts and school supplies,” she said.
When asked why she chooses to shop in store compared to online retailers, she said that online was practical, but what to do with shopping at the store is more like a treasure hunt. She said that she often found things that she would not think of looking for because she did not know that it existed.
“Whenever it is something different,” she said.
What are some of the most popular and hidden gem articles?
The store has reduced a few products, including telescopes and microscopes, but Ward said it had worked to remember the entire store to keep the inventory fresh.
Ward and other staff members have said that classic toys such as rubber chicken and breaking birds that dip its beak in the water are still big sellers.
As for certain hidden jewels, Ward said that their “treasure driveway” is always good to verify unique offers in constant evolution. More specifically, she called Metal Earth models as a favorite.
Tim Kern has been working at American Science & Excess for almost a decade, and he said that one of the most useful items in the store is a 24 -volt CC engine that has been used in the store to create moving screens.
He said it was also perfect “if you make a scary Santa Claus jump to jump from a coffin on your lawn.”
Contact Erik S. Hanley to erik.hanley@jrn.com. Like its Facebook page, The redheadAnd follow him on x @REDHEADLINER.
Note from the publisher, May 25, 2025: This story has been updated to clarify the Meyer property calendar concerning the locations of Illinois.