Lorain Surplus Center Ad – March 1953

Today we're back in March 1953, seeing what sundry items are featured in this ad for Lorain Surplus Center. The ad ran in the Lorain Journal on March 25, 1953.

Unlike the previous two days here on the blog, there's no clothes suitable for the traditional Easter Parade. As the ad heading notes, it's a 'Spring Clean-Up' sale – and Lorain Surplus was hoping to clean up selling clothes you wouldn't mind getting dirty in, including various uniforms, fatigue pants and dungarees.

Dungarees? What in tunket are dungarees?

Well, as you can see from this 1953 Lee ad that ran in LIFE Magazine, they're pretty much, uh, jeans.

Otherwise, the basic items carried – including socks, jackets, and loafers – make it my kind of store.

The only non-clothing items in the ad are the various paints for sale. There's no well-known brands like Sherwin-Williams or Pittsburgh Paints listed (although 'New Dutch" sounds vaguely reminiscent of Dutch Boy), so the ad employs a friendly mascot.

He sort of reminds me of those 'dancing cigarette' packages with those long legs.

Anyway, back on this 2018 post, longtime blog contributor Rick Kurish wrote a nice history of surplus stores.