Defunct UK Electrotechnical Surplus Dealers
The original version of this page in 2012 started as a
result of a discussion on a theatre technical forum that I frequent, the Blue
Room, remembering the wide range of surplus dealers that used to exist. In the
1950’s & 60’s, which are seen by many as the heyday of government surplus,
there were well over 50 such dealers around the country, and whilst many lasted
into the 1980s, only a small handful are left now.
I aim to collate as comprehensive a list as possible here of
defunct electrotechnical surplus dealers. It will include any that I can trace
that sold either government or industrial surplus, either electrical or
mechanical. This will include, tools, fasteners, aircraft instrument,
materials, hardware, electronic components & test equipment etc and include
shops that carried surplus in addition to other ranges. I will include details
on a few where they are still trading in some form, but are no longer actively
dealing in surplus.
I won’t include dealers that only sold clothes or field
equipment- tents, cooking eqpt- this would be another huge list!
What constitutes a dedicated surplus dealer and what is a
radio or component supplier is sometimes hard to discern. I have included radio
and component suppliers if they include clearly identifiable surplus items in
their adverts, even if their main trade is not surplus and in a couple of cases
have erred on the side of inclusion where I have doubts as I can always update
if more information comes to light. Likewise it is sometimes difficult to
determine if surplus is industrial or ex govt. in nature and it is likely that
many shops carried a mix.
The heyday was in the post-war period when vast quantities
of equipment produced for the war effort was no-longer found to be needed and
started being sold off. The UK alone produced 130,000 aircraft during WW2, and
3 million people served in the UK Army over the same period, explaining the
large volumes of material that became available. Consequently as the stocks
depleted the numbers of dealers slowly reduced. The reduction in number also
seems to follow the trends in the electronics world, where radios and TVs
changed from valve to semiconductor operation with improved reliability, and
there was an reduction in the need to service them or obtain spare parts.
Changes in 1994 in the way the
government, and in particular the MOD, disposes of material altered the market
significantly again. It meant that most surplus was no longer disposed of or
scrapped by the individual bases or stores locations at local auctions,
effectively sounding the death knell for real bargains. Central disposal was
set up with a few main contractors, meaning the government gets the best price
it can for its assets- There is still government surplus out there, in lower
volumes and at higher prices. Disposal is managed by the Defence
Equipment Sales Authority (DESA) who will try and sell complete packages of
assets- Aircraft with their spares for example as a primary disposal route, and
only if these sales are not able to be made do they find their way into wider
circulation.
The information here has been collated from a number of
sources. Wherever possible I have used original adverts, but am indebted to a
number of other sources linked at the bottom of the page- particularly on a
number of forums where members have reminisced about visits to the dealers in
question. Other sources include Companies House and the London Gazette.
Dates for companies that have lasted until relatively recently
can be accurate as the companies house online system can give those details at
no charge, although the first trading date may precede what is listed as some
of these businesses may have been sole traders, at least through part of their
existence, and therefore won’t show up in publicly available records. For older
companies I am reliant on other sources, and whilst with sufficient copies of
magazines and a lot of time it might be able to trace companies through their
adverts, this would be an enormous amount of effort!
A similar story emerges in the history of Surplus dealers in
other countries- the story of Bannerman’s in New York is particularly
fascinating.
Note addresses are given are those that the company traded
from- I have tried to list all known addresses.
This list is still a work in progress, so will get updated
periodically as new information comes in.
Listed in alphabetical order, by surname or business name:
A.C. Electronic Services
General electrical Govt Surplus
17, Appleton Grove, Leeds, LS9 9EN
Mail order only
Source: Sales List 1993
Aero-Spares Co
General electrical & mechanical Govt Surplus
70-71 high Holborn, London
Source: Newnes Practical Mechanics. May 1951
Practical Mechanics 1951
Practical Mechanics 1951
Practical Mechanics 1961
Elektor Electronics 1980
Model Mechanics 1979
Wireless World 1955
UK Official Government Disposal Contractors
Note, most are trade only sales
Defence Equipment Sales Authority Central
agency for disposal
Ramco
General and clothing surplus
Brightwells
Vehicles and spares
Agility
Military spares from Air and Land
Leafield
Logistics
Naval
Spares
Currently Active Electrotechnical Surplus Dealers
Silicon Ark Electronics
surplus & some mechanical, Chatteris,Cambridgeshire
DSM Components Electronics Surplus, Czech Republic (EU Shipping)
Sinequanon Surplus
electronic components (Formerly Taurus), Loughborough,
Leicestershire
L
Jackson & Co Surplus
MOD equipment, Doncaster,
South Yorkshire
Solent Plastics Used
storage containers, Hoddesdon,
Herts
D&V
Fuels Tanks
and Drums, Wrexham,
North Wales
Everett
Aero Aircraft
Parts and complete planes, Ipswich,
Suffolk
Knight
Surplus Wide
variety of surplus, including marine, Plymouth,
Devon
Trinity Marine Salvaged
marine parts, Nr
Exeter, Devon
Junktion Technical
Junk & Antiques, Nr
Boston, Lincolnshire
Stewart
of Reading Used
test equipment, Reading,
Berkshire
Anchor
Supplies Electronics
parts & equipment, tools, but mostly military, Nottingham
and Ripley, Derbyshire
Gillings
of Diss Great
place, loads of very random kit, Diss,
Norfolk
Information Sources
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/nostalgia-time-who-remembers-lisle-st-tottenham-ct-rd-in-their-prime-(uk)/
https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/showthread.php?t=77910
https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/showthread.php?t=93489
https://www2.theiet.org/forums/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=205&threadid=105265&enterthread=y&STARTPAGE=2
https://www.key.aero/forum/historic-aviation/121621-methodical-engineering-ltd
https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/showthread.php?t=121814&page=2
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(c)
M.Pantrey 2012-2024
