As predicted, I spent a major portion of my day at Boeing Surplus, which is having a sale this week. We came away with about five simple slab-style desks, a round break table, two quite nice task chairs, and four nice conference chairs. The task chairs are fully ergonomic, solidly built, and cost $10. The conference chairs cost $2.

Each desk was $13.50.

We also picked up some metal inboxes and a ton of hanging file folders ($1 for 40). I picked up a BNC-to-oldstyle Mac video cable and a very nice black laptop bag for myself. I deliberately did not investigate the coputer and printer offerings, but I did notice at least two wrapped pallets od SGI hardware, acres of laser printers, and paused to consider the potentially disastrous relationship implications of a sign which read “20-inch or larger monitors $5; smaller $10.”

There was no wrapped white letter size paper by the ream, but there are boxes and boxes of fanfold. I did not get any of the 15-cent pressboard magazine holders, to my regret.

The other items that I gazed on with lust but left behind were the incredible variety of wooden flightcases, in many sizes, all with interesting stencils, silvery hardware, and convenient metal handles. Purses? Gig case for musicians? Mic case for bands?

We arrived before they opened and joined the small crowd clustered under the awning, seeking shelter from the day’s rain. When the doors opened, the portly men who entered first ran-slash-waddled to their destination, somewhere in the copious technology-related material arryed on the tables.

Alas, though, for the old-“Boeing”-logo mouse-pads available in quantity were uniformly stained and schmutz ridden. And alas alack, for the lightweight metal storage cabinetry on offer was uniformly gunky and banged up, as well.

We did not pick up low, single-person filing pedestals, however, something I think I may regret.