Army Navy Sales

Before commencing my review, I want to express my dissatisfaction on how this store is categorized under: costumes. I understand from a fashion perspective that many costume ideas can be found in «Army Navy Sales,» yet it’s a less frisky store for those who have served our country, with bravery, determination, and perseverance.
However, in order to have a fun appeal to general public, their window displays, especially with the mannequin wearing the Chicago-​flag t-​shirt with a pair of Vietnam-​War combat boots, were quite fashion-​forward. This store is limited with space, but the amount of merchandise will blow you away! Daddy J. spent a good, quality hour at the store, trying on lots of parkas, puffer coats, and heavy-​weight leather jackets. Those weren’t cheap at all. Nevertheless, I could guarantee that those outerwear items would last you a life time, unless your body undergoes an extreme change.
Daddy J. and I met Gerald, who was friendly and engaged an intellectual conversation on a slight touch of politics. Everyone else in the store was helpful, which made customers shop with ease.
Unilocal has a check-​in offer: 10% off on a purchase of a minimum $ 20. We didn’t make the purchase requirement so didn’t bother to inquire if this deal was still valid. I just wanted to share this piece of information.
«Army Navy Sales» is located on Lincoln Ave. in Lakeview neighborhood, near the corner of Barry and Greenview. The nearest accessible buses are #9 (Ashland) and #77 (Belmont).

Wow, I have always wanted to come in since I was a kid. Going backpacking and camping soon so finally had a reason to venture in and what a great decision that was! Our sales rep, Dave, was extremely helpful and definitely knew his stuff. He gave great recommendations and advice. The prices are definitely reasonable and worth it. It’s smaller than I thought but it’s pack with everything you might need. I walked out well equipped to start my backpacking experience!

Exactly what you want from an army surplus shop. Lots of old stuff for your «Falling Down» moment, and all at n affordable price. I bought a bomber there, and couldn’t be happier. Also. Bullet key chains. End communication.

This Army Navy store is the best in Chicago ! They have a large variety of gear — everything from boots to jackets, to hunting and camping equipment. Everyone working here is polite and helpful, but ask for Dave in particular if you need advice on particular aspects of items. He is very knowledgable and explains everything to the average layman who is clueless about army equipment (like me). He will even throw in some common street safety advice (legal of course).
Not just military stuff but lots of articles of clothing for those freezing Chicago winters !

Great store, but for whatever odd reason (lol), I always had this weird feeling from whenever I passed by here over the years that it’d be a 2 story store. Sadly my long held guess was proven wrong, and it’s just 1 story inside. Had wanted to visit this store for a million and one years, so it was nice to finally stop here a few weeks back. And despite the #11 Lincoln Ave.‘s bus elimination between Fullerton and Lawrence (RIP to that bus), it’s only a short 1 block walk away from both the Ashland (#9) and Belmont (#77) buses.
That said, it was a really fun store to browse, and the prices are actually decent as far as the things they carry go. No opinion on whoever the main owner is (didn’t encounter him), but the employees I did encounter were friendly enough to me when I asked some random questions. I think one of these days when I finally save up enough money to get a camouflage jacket, my destination will definitely be here!

I am a huge fan of Army Navy Sales. This place has outdoor, law enforcement, military surplus, footwear, military clothing, knives, tactical, field gear, survival/​first aid, camping/​recreational, and collectibles. They have an online store as well, and they specialize in mostly US military items, but also surplus products from other countries. The place may seem overwhelming at first, but just ask for assistance — they are friendly and ready to help you out. I was able to find an awesome flight suit and great combat boots that were on sale. They carry authentic high-​quality items, and they even have resale items as well at a competitive price. I especially like the iron-​on patches, because I have a fixation with those. :P It’s a great place to check out their goods as well as well as see what specials they have — check them out!
+flight suits
+combat boots

Nothing says impulsive spending like a trip down Memory Lane. Reflecting on my better years from the Marine Corps, I browsed the packed and musky shop looking for those «little things» and I found much, much more. Of course I found the canteen cup I was looking for (which Belmont Army didn’t have), a great selection of tactical packs, sleeping bags, bivvy sacks, and a lot of stuff that is useful to the avid outdoorsman. Camping gear, hammocks, waterproofing bags, 550 chord, and the like.
When I walked in, I was greeted by a man wearing a USMC hat; I instinctively gave him a «Semper Fi» and began the pillaging of my wallet that didn’t sting so bad because nostalgia numbs the pain. The service was good, they’ll answer your questions, look up items for you, and even grab a piece of gear for you to see if it’s not on display.
Give this place a look. I believe it’s veteran owned so that’s good enough for me!

The other reviews are from people who actually visited the store and had good results. Based on this, and the fact that I live 2500 miles away and unable to visit the physical store, I decided to order something using their mail order system.
The process was actually good with no FUBAR stuff during the transaction. The problem came after the order. I received an email stating that the shipping charges were incorrect and I would need to submit an extra $ 12.95 IN ADDITION TO the $ 8.95 on the checkout page. This is classic bait and switch. Maybe they’re used to dealing with morons who just say «Huh Huh welllllllllll, ok, I’ll just pay the twenty-​two dollars shipping for my $ 29.00 product THAT I CAN GET ELSEWHERE for reasonable shipping charges.» Fool me once… not gonna’ happen.
They might be OK in person but be prepared to get the extra shipping fee email. So in other words, just skip buying mail order from this place.
They did cancel the order when I emailed my refusal to pay the extra shipping. Probably the only good thing.

Big place… staff was helpful and this store carries some things the other ones don’t. Was fairly organized and I wish I had some more time to do more looking around there. I want to check out some more stuff… but I also waant to compare it to the other store in South Elgin. cause the prices and the saving may vary a bit. But it IS a huge store and a big store front.

Probably the best Army Navy store I’ve found. The only thing that keeps this from being a 5-​star review is that I have to have a day off t o get there. They close at 5 most days.
Walked away with a (n Indian Made) Swiss army blanket for 15 and a teardrop camo bag for $ 10. Their prices on duffles are outstanding. This is the place for me for surplus since they closed that place in Plano.

These guys are the real McCoy, period.
I have a rather large bruise for the durability, raw functionality, and price of military surplus and military style clothing. If it’s built for a battlefield, lord knows it’s gonna eat for breakfast whatever I put in front of it.
Does that make me unfashionable? Guilty as charged, show me the noose.
They’ve got everything you can think of in the way of military surplus… clothes, bags, boots, shoes, mollee pockets, bivy sacks, the gargantuan temperate sleeping system, tents, knives, patches, medals, mickey mouse boots, goggles, netting, etc. And they’ve got real live surplus… Korean war era buttpacks, the original OD NYCO Vietnam jungle pants, German WWII era greatcoats and trenchcoats, in addition to tons of lightly used modern stuff.
And best of all… the people who run the store are the real deal. My review of Belmont Surplus says it all, that place has a few things, but it’s a joke. These guys will happily talk to you about how the gov’t has no business regulating firearms or the civilian purchase of precursor components of C4. They’ll tell you all their stories about being in the bush. They’re surly as hell in general, but will open right up when you’ve got a legit question about one style of BDU vs another.
When the Chris Nolan Batman movies were being filmed in Chicago, they came to Army Navy Sales to get costume pieces. Last time Green Day played Lollapalooza, they apparently showed up here, wanting BDU pants b/​c they lasted so long on the road.
This place is the real deal, people.

It’s a pretty big store with a pretty big selection. If you need something that is likely to be sold at a military supply store, chances are these guys will have it.
The layout looks kind of like a battlefield. Things just seem to be strewn everywhere. If you’re looking for, say, a garrison cap and you find where they are, your next step will be to forage through the piles and find the correct size and/​or color. There is absolutely no rhyme or reason to their layout, but that sort of comes with the territory of being a military surplus store.
The prices are pretty fair. Mind you, I’ve been to military supply shops where you might as well surrender your wallet as you walk in. To give you some perspective, I bought a decent pair of combat boots the last time I was there. You could pay over $ 100 for those at some places; these guys had them for fifty five bucks. That’s not a bad deal at all, but then I’ve also seen items like tactical gloves for $ 20 when several other places sell them for half that price. So just like anywhere else, it goes both ways. I think the reason some of these reviewers are saying it’s expensive here is because this place tends to sell one kind of whatever you’re looking for; and what they’ve chosen to stock is likely the upmarket version of an otherwise inexpensive item. They’re not necessarily ripping you off, they’re just not giving you an option.
If you live fairly close to Army Navy Sales and you need something from them, great. Shop here. If you’re a long drive away, I’d recommend you check out some military surplus stores closer to you before marching all the way over here.

I been here twice. Some things they have pretty cheap. A pair of Gold-​Brite Sergeant Rank can run you 5 – 8 $. Here $ 1.99 a piece. Problem is they don’t carry more then one of too many things. I was looking for Sergeant rank and Oak Leaf Clusters and they didn’t really have anything. They don’t have unit crest’s at all. I called and asked for my unit, and right away he said they don’t have it. Rather than ask or check but when I went I realized he should have said we don’t carry unit crests.
ALSO THEY ARE RUDE! Like everyone else says here. You can just tell they hate being there and don’t give a crap if you’re in the military.
I been to Flying Tigers Army Navy Surplus on Cicero and 148^th and they have tons of patches, ranks, badges and uniforms. Only thing is they are 35miles from me. Their prices are so so also. You can also order online from them. Check my profile in a couple days for a review on them. I’m waiting for my ASU’s to get squared away. Flying Tiger also gives a 10% discount if you have a military ID, which this place of course can care less.
Check out
, I came across it today and it seems pretty decent.

I came in to sell some old USMC gear. I am a Veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom– USMC. They were very rude to me and offered me $ 20 for a lot of gear. Even if they didn’t want the items… they could have been nicer to a veteran. They are rude people– the owner is a mean person.
Don’t buy from them… they sell military items and don’t treat Veteran’s properly.
PS: I sold the gear to another Marine for $ 200!

You can buy a grenade for 12.99. That’s all you need to know.

This is what happens when the dbag hipsters get there hands on something actually valueable. They unnecessarilty run up the price, lower the quality, and make you think about ways to dodge their «irony».
Go to the suburbs or farther out to actually experience real Army/​Navy surplus and reasonable prices.

Great old-​school place: the real deal, unlike that place on Belmont. I had a bad zipper on a hat, and got an exchange no problem. So friendly staff, obviously. I’ll be back for more camping gear.

I needed some supplies for an upcoming trip, supplies that are capable of handling the great outdoors and all that other stuff. Army equipment and surplus always holds up.
ANS has everything you need, reasonable, although somewhat higher than others, prices. Selection is huge. Owners are friendly. Bike parking easily accessible outside. Great with questions. I even was informed 2 for $ 10 on the webbing belts I needed.
All around a pleasant experience.

This is a big improvement over the other «surplus» stores that are just some dumbass hipster clothing facades. Here you have real military merchandise for sale.
That doesn’t mean it’s a bargain, though. Don’t assume anything is a steal just because you’re buying it here. I think the funniest item for sale is the pair of used wool socks for 8 bucks a pair. They may be wool and official Army issue, but they’re used socks. How fucking desperate are you?
If you are in the market for a badass letter opener, this is your spot. Plenty of KA-​BAR knives here to peruse. My letter opener may or may not be the Marine Corp’s preferred combat knife for the last sixty years. Serves a slightly different purpose now in Chicago than it did on Iwo Jima.
Throw in the MREs and this is basically your starting point for defense against zombies or preparation for the end of the world. No ammo or guns here, but it’s Chicago. Gotta start somewhere.

Oh yeah, this is the real deal. Whether you’re a survivalist or an urban terrorist, ANS is the place for you. Their selection is huge, and goes beyond what’s available in their somewhat cramped store. If you don’t see what you’re looking for, ask. They may have it squirreled away in the back.
The cramped nature of the store is, for me, one of the selling points. I always feel like I’m finding hidden treasures here. Sure, they have some goony stuff, like t-​shirts, flak jackets for the kiddies, and flash drives in the shape of a bullet. But they also have any kind of battle wear you can imagine, goggles and gas masks, and some fine bayonets up at the counter.
Dirty little secret: authentic as this store is, in places they overlap with other surplus stores, they’re not that different. I was shopping for military ribbons, and their selection was exactly the same as the silly silver surplus store on Belmont. Of course, that just means you should come here first. Dirty little secret 2: once upon a time, army navy surplus meant «cheap.» (In price, not quality.) These days, not so much. So while you’re likely to find some treasures here, don’t expect deals.