With 3 sons serving in our military it's nice to stop into a surplus store for a bit of memorabilia, Americans and a peek into history. This place had a little bit of everything military and tactical. The staff was friendly , helpful and things were easy to find which isn't typical for a surplus store. I didn't get too many photos of the inside as I wasn't sure what was allowed but the outside antiques and statues were worthy of posting. Cool stop. read more

Neat place. Great knife selection just great selection all around. Old surplus new surplus and friendly well spoken employees that know their stuff and have worked there since I was a kid. I remember visiting this place in 98 and the same wonderful woman worked there. If you look around you can find anything from fairly priced rare knives (WE knife company benchmade ) to super inexpensive surplus goods ! Definitely worth the visit and it's super easy to find! read more

Not true surplus, very few surplus items, many new surplus knock offs, it used to be good a long time ago with dusty true surplus...

Small building in the middle of nowhere. Passed by and was amazed at the wall to wall products. Good selection of air soft; paint ball; practice knives; real knives; military wear; tactical gear; backpacks; jackets; and military medals/patches. Even saw some British police hats and traffic control jackets. Great place read more

Passing this store several times but we had no regret to stop this time. We were quite brave to stop as Thanksgiving traffic going home on highway 1 was horrendous. We needed a small folding shovel for our outdoor outings and we were so glad to find one that was reasonably priced. It's super cool that you can find products made in USA! However, we did not want to invest more money in the shovel made in USA, we were very happy to find one that will do the job fine. Everyone working here is very nice and pleasantly helpful. There are lots of cool stuffs. Next time, I will definitely spend more time to browse. The place is full of merchandises but neat and well organized. The salesperson will know exactly where things are. So, if you need anything, stop by and you will not regret it. Tip: Make sure you will go to the back and look for stuffs in the 4-5 large containers outside. read more

See all

This is such a fun shop to visit. So many unique items not found anywhere else. Lots of old military surplus to choose from Lots of clothing and many other military items. I used to spend half a day just browsing at the many curios found in this store. You will surely find something unique here too. read more

The staff was extremely helpful. You can tell that they value their customers. Great selection. Great decor. read more

Horrible customer service. I was on my way to my nephew's birthday celebration in Marina, had $400 in my wallet to buy him a present. I had planned to go to Walmart, but decided to stop by at J & S Surplus thinking I might find something for him there. I remembered buying a really nice SOG knife a couple of years ago. I walked in and asked one of the workers if they had any archery related items as I'm also building a compound bow for the kids and need several parts. He pointed at a dark corner saying "any archery stuff is going to be over there ". I go to where he pointed but didn't see anything. They had other customers so I started looking at their wide selection of knives while I waited. I was seriously thinking about buying a $180 Benchmade as a gift for my nephew because he's growing up and deserves a quality everyday carry knife. The other people left so I asked that same guy, "where did you say the archery stuff was?" He kept walking and flat out ignored me so I just walked out. You guys lost a customer right then and there. Needless to say, I'm not coming back. read more

Went for a drill instructor hat for my uncle's funeral. Left with the hat, a butcher knife with a sleeve, a knife attachment for my AR15, some patches, and some other stuff. They also have containers full of military uniforms in the back. Your service is impeccable, your stock is immaculate. Thank you for everything. read more

This is in some ways an all too typical example of an ye olde army surplus store but not in good way. Parking is unlimited. Even though that semi paved semi gravel lot is shared with two other businesses-a pottery/garden thingy and a biker shop-the acres and acres of it means there will always be space to park in. More problematical will be attempting to make a left against traffic to get in or out as that can be quite the challenge on a peak traffic day. This is large ish store with an even larger outside lot for used surplus vehicles and whatnot. On my visit this was mostly non functioning aviation ground support equipment and the usual collection of or more or less functioning jeeps and trucks. Most of what the casual buyer would be interested is inside. Just a ton of airsoft/paintball stuff-if that's your thing this is a good spot to check out, along with the expected miscellaneous collection of uniform items. Again, if militaria or re-enactment is your thing this can be a resource worth looking at with the caveat that ninety percent or more is reproductions. That is especially true of the helmets. The camping equipment is low value junk although some of the cold weather gear may be useful. Don't come here for useable sleeping or camping items. If you have a handgun you might be interested in some of the accessories. The carry bags are particularly well made, and they do have speed strips behind the counter. So far this is all pretty typical for a surplus store yet there are some things about this place that are ....odd. There is a large and alarming stock of Nazi décor. If you were wanting full size wall posters of the third reich good news for you. A lot of it appears to be modern. Again good news if you were looking for some swell hitler youth swag set in modern times. Perhaps not surprisingly this fondness for America's enemies does not extend to the empire of Japan. They have some WW2 Japanese posters it's true, but um...well...they kinda fit into a pattern so to speak. While there are some women's items (the confederate swimsuit is still in stock.) this place is masculine in the extreme. While there is a book section it's not any too deep or exceptional. Good but not great is how I'd rate it. Given all the deutschland uber alles propaganda I'd have expected prominent copies of mein kampf but there is hardly a single copy which is good. Lots of choices for realistic uniforms for toddlers as well, which while still unsettling to see are not significant compared to the other stuff. So in summary while there are some things here of interest the overall vibe is creepy. read more

They've got a huge variety of pins and badges (which are very affordable too) and the owner is very nice. read more

J & S Surplus - Outdoor Gear Near Me - Moss Landing, California

Feeling kind of Rambo-ish I decided to go into the surplus store. The emphasis on surplus of stuff. What caught my attention is the diversity of items. Samurai swords intermixed with every variety of knife one could think of. None of it high quality of course but a great selection. The booty-call panties next to the Confederate Flag one-piece bathing suit with the matching thongs, a die for combination. There is even a Confederate flag that they can wrap themselves in when getting out of the swimming hole. The place is packed from floor to ceiling with stuff. I'm not making that up. Stuff is actually hanging from the ceiling. It is an ADD dream or nightmare depending if one is on medication or not. Once in the clothing section I was amazed to find Selma, Alabama segregation memorabilia (from July, 1931) in front of it was an intreating Sambo collection of metal Americana art work. The "Irish, need not apply" sign leading into the clothing section was eye catching. Like I said this place is packed full of diversity. J&S is a quantity over quality place. It is a prime example of what the market will bare. Being that the items are over priced for the quality. Surplus items should be more expensive and lower quality than what one can get at a high end sporting goods store. Really, $100 for a shovel that normally costs $25? Just because it say Gerber on it doesn't mean it's worth 4 times as much a surplus store. There is an entire back section of the store that is in containers that if one didn't know was there you'd never see. The items back there are of equal quality as within the store. My Rambo-ish mood slowly feel into Rambo 4 instead of Rambo 1 movie theme. Pointless with no plot. Like the last movie I stayed wishing and hoping something would come of it. At last only so much stereotyping and low quality could keep my attention. Unlike the Rambo movies I didn't pay a cent to browse through the store. It's worth the stop if one is into diversity or not. There is something for everyone. read more

My teenage son wrote the following review: When I first pulled up in the empty lot, I expected to find many cool army surplus items. My shopping experience started going downhill when my brother noticed two confederate flags flying outside the store. We'd driven for over an hour to get here, though, so we went inside, hoping for the best. We were greeted at the door by a small, old cast iron sign reading: "water fountains; white / colored" with arrows indicating which way for each. Then we saw a similar sign over the restrooms that stopped my mom in her tracks. On our way to the exit, we saw something that made us leave at an even faster pace; we passed by a sliding glass container with red nazi armbands inside. If this sort of thing doesn't bother you, you could probably find cool army surplus items, but we just got the hell out of there. read more

Total guy store! I came here with my husband after our trip to Carmel. A quick stop to see what this place is all about. You walk in and you get that smell of old military metal (if you know what I'm referring to) It reminded me of my dads old military stash. This place was full of everything you can think of from old scuba gear to kids toys to survival gear and way more. What I thought was really cool is that it had all the old equipment that was used 30-40 years ago. If your a prepper or like collecting military memoriabilia this is a must see spot. Remember to go outside and into the storage containers! Theres lots of neat things in there. read more

I've Been to J & S about a dozen times since I was a kid and i can honestly say I've NEVER come here and not be in total awe of this store. I've since left California and moved to all over the US and i can say I've never seen another place like it. I plan to visit again when I come back to cali to visit family they're just that amazing! read more

This place is worth a stop in just to see how much inventory can be crammed into such a small space. If you're looking for something in camoflage this is the place for you. They even have camo swimwear for the ladies. Great place if you're into camo (Yeah, I'm not either). They do have a lot of cool stuff here. Really practical military surplus gear for camping or just having something you can toss around without it falling apart. If you want a nice bag to for bumping around the city you're way better off buying one here than one of those faux military designer bags that you'll find at the high end chain places. read more

Interesting place with some military surplus and even military antiques for sale. I noticed some women's East German military nurses uniforms, for instance, and other old military items I couldn't name. There were other outdoor survival supplies as well, and items for children. I didn't see the racist plaques people mentioned in other reviews, but I wasn't looking for them, either, so they may have been there still--not sure. read more

Place has an excellent selection of just about everything for an outdoor enthusiast. Knives, pellet guns, backpacks, clothing ... lots and lots of military equipment. Great stuff. The not so great stuff: knives are 45% overpriced over what you can expect to pay for the EXACT same model ordering it online. Other items are a little overpriced as well. But at least they have them in stock! read more

You know whats disappointing? Driving by and seeing a sign that says AMMO and walking inside to not find any. Mostly seems to be geared towards airsoft/paintball. A mess of Rothco merch thats priced a bit high. 5 or 6 shipping containers outside full of surplus, ammo cans, parachute silk.. If you have the time, start digging. Also, a random assortment of 3rd Reich paraphernalia (surprise). When Im driving by, yes. Out of my way? Not so much. read more

I've been coming here since I was little on the drive in to Monterey and Carmel. It became a sort of family tradition to check out all the fun stuff. I remember seeing swords everywhere and a bazooka hanging from the rafters. That's just cool to see when you're a kid. I came by not long ago and was surprised to see little has changed. If anything, they have more stuff now out back in cargo containers, and odd stuff like horseshoe sculptures and a giant welded motorcycle sculpture with license plates all over it. Service was helpful, though I had the sense that things seemed overpriced. I was torn on buying a mace or a medieval style chest plate.. I wonder what weird stuff I'll see next time I visit.. read more

They had everything. There are 4 shipping containers outside of the store that also has stuff for sale. The guy that helped me out was very informative and helpful. Their jackets were really cheap. Made me regret buying mine somewhere else. They had a big variety of hiking and camping good, which is cool. Good service and very helpful people. read more

This is what you would expect from a surplus store. Tight spaces with loads of stuff to look through. The staff is nice and know a majority of their stuff. Only downside is because they are not near an active military base most of their stuff is old and really outdated Vietnam era than the surplus stores near active bases that constantly get the newer issued equipment and uniforms from today's generation. The prices are really fair but I hope they got more newer equipment other items rather than old clothes and uniforms. It is nice seeing all the old vehicles and flags outside to show your relatives and children cool military stuff from the movies up close. read more

Thinking of buying ANYTHING at J&S Surplus PLEASE READ FIRST! I had thought this was a great store... the staff was eager to help me find the ideal pocket knife for me, telling me about a number of knives ...I settled on the Kershaw Wild Turkey, for the J&S price of $98. A couple days later I went online to see if I could find one for my friend... $28.95!!! Direct from the Kershaw knife store. That is the sale price (they are always on sale there), but their regular price is $39.95! Still less than half what I paid! I do NOT live in the area so it is not at all convenient to return the knife. I am always in support of going to the store and supporting physical (non-virtual) businesses, but this is unacceptable! J&S Surplus marked up the price triple the price from what I could get on the internet, giving a bad name to mom and pop business. SAVE YOURSELF THE TROUBLE, find another store where they don't practice highway robbery. I do NOT live in the area so it is not at all convenient to return the knife. read more

I found out about this unique shop while I was attending York. A nice number of students were commuting from La Selva Beach, Aptos and Santa Cruz to attend the small private high school located on the sunbelt atop a little hill. These commuters educated me about this "army" shop. Camo print baby-tees were a hot commodity at one time and this place was you were one stop shop for all your "army"-like needs. read more

Worth a stop if you're passing by. Bought some mace for my adult daughter. The very nice woman working at the register encouraged us to look around so we buzzed through a quick look at the military memorabilia, flags, knive holsters, shirts, hats, boot and shoe care, survival gear etc contained in this place. I'd bring my middle school and up kids here for a look see - it might scare little kids though. Kind of nifty and will stop back in. read more

So I went in today. The lady at the front counter was really cool. A great first impression. I went to the back and was looking at a box of old swords and knives and stuff like that. I thought a sword might be a cool gift to get my son because he and his friends like that kind of stuff. He can hang it up on his wall. Keep in mind this is cheap stuff. Like most of the stuff they sell, they get from Mexico. So I pulled out one of those swords looked at the guy behind the counter and ask him how much he wanted for it? He looked at it... and said well the handle is kinda messed up how about $19.99. I said that sounds good and gave him my credit card. He rang up the sword. In the meantime I saw another one just like it but it had a case. So I was thinking hey cool maybe this case would fit my sword because it did not have a case ...and I could buy the case. So I pulled the case off of that sword and then me and the person behind the counter was seeing if it would fit my sword. And it would not. But at that time the guy behind the counter noticed that there was a price tag on the case that said $119.00. At that point he looked at me and said wow man you got a really good deal! I said yeah. So I left and when I got to my truck I thought well the kids might have fun clanking both swords together so I might go ask him how much he might want for the other sword. It was just like the other one also with the handle all messed up. I remember the guy making a comment about they had them forever because of the handles that were messed up.. I decided to go back in and ask how much for the other sword? So I went back in and said " I would be interested in buying the other sword but I don't really need the case".. Then I said how much do you want for just the sword? At this point i could tell the person behind the counter just created his own illusion of reality ... He immediately assumed that I came back thinking I would get the 2nd sword for the same price as the 1st sword... This truly was not the case. At all. I knew i had gotten a good deal for the first sword and I was very willing to pay more for the second. I was thinking around $50. So his assumption (instead of communication) turned him into ... well .. not a very nice person. This is the point where everything went all wrong. And the only reason why is because the guy behind the counter was upset now...with himself because now he's thinking he sold the other sword to cheaply. .... But that was absolutely and completely his own fault. I had nothing to do with it. I asked the price... he said the price... AND there was no haggling... I payed for it. period. So now he says... The price is what's marked on it! With a really adolescent attitude. I said nope. I'm not going to pay $19 for the first sword and $119 for the second sword ..that was exactly the same? That doesn't make any sense? He knows what the cheap made in Mexico swords are worth. You can buy them on ebay for $19 or less all day long. He knew that when he gave me the first sword price. But... At this point he was trying to make up for his mistake ..and wanted me to pay waaay to much for the second sword to make up for it. Honestly I dont get caught up in silly drama and I really didn't care about any of it. So I said nope and left. Didn't think anything else about it. But... what this person doesn't understand is I have a friend that works at that store.. Later my friend tells me after I left the guy just sat around and talked crap about me for about half an hour... In front of other customers. Saying stuff like "I was greedy! and I wanted to get something for nothing!"... And all kinds of other mean and hateful things. About a person he doesnt even know... at all. My friend said it was pretty embarrassing for everybody. Well I have this to say to him... My friend tells me everyone working there feels your not really very good at your job. Shocker right? For you to price something to a customer to low and then to be unjustly accusatory and resentful about it later,.. and go on and on about it in front of all the other customers is typical behavior for you. So... maybe I'm not a such a bad person thats greedy and out to get you.. . Maybe you're just a silly little man that's never learned how to take responsibility for your own actions. You set the price. Not me. Maybe...your ego is just in controll and its hard for you NOT to play the victim. Maybe ... your always looking for something else or someone else to blame instead of taking responsibility for your own actions and growing up as a person? Just something to think about next time before making a fool of yourself in front of employees and other customers. Remember everybody knows ..... If you're the type of person that will talk crap about anybody... you will talk crap about everybody. Next time be a man. If you think you got something you need to say... just say it... to their face. read more

Meh. They get three stars just because they have such a huge selection. If you're looking for something specific, I'd be surprised if you couldn't find it here. That's the only thing about this place that's impressive, though. read more

Awesome store for all you tactical/airsoft/paintball/prepper people out there!

I came in to the store and was surprised to see that the store has completely changed. All of the employees that worked there are all gone and all the new faces there now really aren't very knowledgeable. I feel like this store has become a over priced trap. The knife selection is poor (not like it used to be), and there's absolutely no help in the paintball department (why I come in). There's a manager there who has no idea about the stock. When I asked her if there was anything she could do on a pair of used pants for $40 after buying a Kershaw I later found out I paid way too much for, she marked the pants down 5%. Sorry lady, poor customer skills! Don't shop here, total tourist trap and very rude and extremely over priced. Last time Ill ever stop again. read more

Called these guys seeing if they have Multicam. They said they did, so I went down. Whoa. They had it from both Propper and Truspec. What blew me away was how much they carried. Mag pouches, holsters, backpacks, BOOTS! All in Multicam. They even showed me the new Army camo that's coming out. They had whole sets! Spent a couple hours inside before I made it out back. Man, I couldn't believe how much stuff they had. This is definitely a place you have to come back to. No way you can see everything the first time. read more

The bdu's there are awesome and affordable. You can use them for military or airsoft.

Guess what? J& S has a GIRL working there NOW!!! I was so glad to see a girl there on my last visit. She was so helpful, I needed stuff for my costume and she had some really cool I ideas. I found everything I needed. As always everyone was helpful, but I felt allot better talking to a girl about my costume. I also noticed she must have cleaned up the girls clothes, it looks allot better now. I also found out that they are doing a haunted house for Halloween.. I found a fly-er on their website.. I'm so going there more now knowing a girl works there now... read more

First off, let me tell you that if you are planning on coming to this store for the first time, plan at least an hour to look around! I am quite surprised at how many negative reviews this store gets. It is an amazing place, the only store of its kind in central California, possibly all of California. Right when I walked in, I saw a case that was full of super cool WW2 dated knick knacks and materials, era dated mess kits, entrenching tools, and the like. Take a left turn and there are 4 cases of knives! I can't say I have ever seen so many in one place. I had a few questions about different kinds of knives, values, and whatnot, and the staff was incredibly knowledgeable. The guy who knew the most about the knives was Nate. I swear, he has a masters degree in cutlery, he knew not only about the companies that make the knives, but the steel they use, what knives are best for what applications, and what knives give you the best value. In addition to the knives, they have LOADS of REAL SWORDS!!! Trainers, display swords, yeah, but they have actual battle ready swords too! I checked out a few of them, and I was impressed with how much care they take of their swords. I felt a little silly because i put fingerprints all over the swords i looked at, but nate wiped it off with oil and put it back for me. After i oogled at the knives for awhile (i had him set a benchmade tanto griptillian combination blade behind the counter for me) i started to examine the rest of the store. They really do have everything there, from MREs, to blowguns, a full set of chainmail, a police spike strip, body armor, LOADS of paintball and airsoft stuff, and every size and style of camo you could want! They also have loads of military pins, emblems, and patches too- I decided to get a few patches and a 1st airborne pin for my grandpa (he was in the army.) I had a few questions about pins and other military insignia stuff, so i went to the counter. The girl at the counter referred me to Clint, who was super courteous and answered all of my questions. I was about to buy my things and leave, when they mentioned that they had a entire other section to the store out back that i didn't know about! I stepped outside and there is 5 more shipping containers full of surplus and camping stuff too! they also have a tent full of ammo cans, this badass tent that you can mount to the roof of your car, and a few old jeeps and other military trucks for sale. I ended up getting a Czechoslovakian winter coat and a pair of used boots too! All in all, this place is like disneyland for the military/outdoor/collector kind of person. I never once felt like anyone in the store was racist or sexist or any other of the bad things that some of the other folks are saying. Everyone in the store acted like they wanted to help, and everyone was polite and knowledgeable. 5 stars for sure, will be returning with more money and time. read more

Typical surplus store with lots of interesting gadgets you are tempted to work into use in everyday life. Bonus was these vintage trunks they had for sale in front of the store at really reasonable prices. read more

I love J&S, though I rarely buy anything. It's a fun place to just go and look at stuff. It's also a great place to get your paintball stuff handled. They have a HUGE selection, but probably more importantly is the fact that the staff is just plain awesome. They're really friendly and always willing to help out. One time they even LENT us a product so that we didn't have to buy it for a fundraiser we were doing for the homeless in Santa Cruz. Pure class. Check them out. They've got lots of parking and are easy to get to. read more

What a fun place to go just shopping around and looking at all the interesting merchandise is amusing and educational. The staff is knowledgeable and friendly a great place to find outdoors items at a bargin and to hang out read more

Wow ..talk about a surplus store 1.Staff was amazing ( you can tell they love what they do ) 2.Hours of looking ( that's inside the store not counting these huge bins outside ) 3.Best place to hold air soft guns and paintball markers ( they also do repairs ) 4.Swords/Knives/Spears ( the !st time i came into the store w/o a knife and left with two ) 5.If i couldn't get an item there they told me where to find it (even the bad place the internet) My list can go and on,very few places have i gone and ever welcome like i do there. I even got a free cd when i asked what music they were playing ( the black keys if don't believe me,they play them all time and now i am a huge fan ) read more

Okay, I would like to comment on what a few other people have said about the store. First of all, I see a few people blasting J&S for being racist and sexist. Just because they sell third reich memorabilia does not make the store racist, have you any idea the money that authentic WWII merchandise is worth? Sexist too? Really? The manager is a woman named Windy; awesome lady, really friendly and helpful. Just because a store sells an artifact of a different time does not make them a believer of those ideas. They also sell peace sign flags, patches and posters, anti-war merch, and all kinds of stuff for all walks of life. It's not fair to give them a bad rating just because you got offended by old stuff thats worth a lot of money. read more

Their Eagle Iron and Leather store next door was awesome! They had the coolest stuff. I'm not from the area, was just passing through and wish I had more time to spend there. I bought a candy skull sticker for my Jeep, and a sexy little American Freedom tank top that I love! Apparently only the surplus store is on Facebook, but would love to see Eagle Iron start up a page too. Also asked about online ordering and that's not available either. they need to make this happen so I can buy more stuff and tell my friends! They also have the coolest giant motorcycle art statues out front. We had fun taking pics on those :) read more

So I just got back from J&R surplus in moss landing on the way to Monterey, and was trying to sell or get store credit for some of my military gear. The man looking at my stuff Asked if I had anything cool and combat related like 30 round mags knives or multi cam, I said we live in California and it's illegal to sell or use those 30 round magazines. He asked if all I had was ACU stuff and if so that stuff is fazed out and coming in like crazy and know one is buying it because they all want the multi can. I said I don't want to contribute to someone wearing new uniforms that I earned the right to wear and they would use them for stolen valor and that's wrong. He offered 70$ for my stuff and I said months ago I came in and sold a full brand new ASU uniform and he looked at and said ASU's what are those? I said how can you work and sell military stuff and not know the proper The vernacular for military gear or uniforms? He said "you know what fuck you I don't have to take your shit I'm not buying it get the fuck out no sell!! Wow so I bit the bullet and without another word I grabbed my gear threw it in the back of my truck and left. Was I wrong? read more