To our Friends and Valued Customers

9/18/2015

The last two weeks have been a flurry of activity. You've shown us overwhelming support online and in person. Thanks to our sale, we've seen the backs of shelves that have been covered for years. Unfortunately, there have been some setbacks. We have been unable to find a suitable space in a timeline that we can accommodate. After many long discussions, we've decided to go into a period of hibernation.

Effective immediately, 5601 Steeles Avenue West will be closed, and all staff and sales will be at 347 Queen St W. We are working to, at least temporarily, stay open through part of October. We will start further discounting goods to clean off the shelves.

When this has concluded, Active Surplus will be closed for an indefinite time as we consolidate our remaining assets and figure out what our next step is.

We understand that this is sad news, and we assure you we're working hard to find a solution, as well as placements for all of our staff during the period we are closed. We are also talking to several of our friends in the industry to take on some of our product lines, so there will still be a place to get some, if not all, of the things you love.

If you have any messages for us, or want to share any memories about the store, please use the comment section below.

Thank you,

The Staff of Active Surplus

Your Friends.

270 Comments

Kristin Whiteley

9/18/2015 04:25:36 pm

What?! I don't understand. Is the Queen St location closing too?!

Dana

11/29/2015 10:13:24 am

Unfortunately yes - there is now a For Lease sign on the door. This is so very sad - another reliable, Toronto staple gone due to rising rents and the demise of the 'cool' Queen Street. I hope you open your doors elsewhere - good luck with everything. Save the ape!

Michael Sutherland

11/2/2019 06:11:49 am

you own the building, I guess there is more money to be make just renting out the space, Why didn't you open up in Robo's shop at front and bathursts

Mark Anderson link

1/1/2018 11:41:59 pm

I grew up in Toronto, loved the place but watched the city grow to the point I don't recognize it. With so many foreign investors and new immigrants, it is impossible to run a small business or live there. I used to take the subway and either exit Wellesley for Dominion Radio, Electro Sonic or Radio Trade or go down to Queen for Active Surplus. Hobby electronics is no longer what it was. No more magazines, only kits from China. I no longer make money in electronics and moved to the states to run a storage business. Those days are gone. I miss the gorilla too.

Zee

1/3/2018 09:37:59 am

Mark A nailed it. Toronto is no longer the same Toronto that I recall. Queen st is now a commercial billboard and has lost its 'Culture'. Maybe the new one is cool with the X-geners. Active Surplus was a cornerstone of Queen St West; I miss the old store with the Gorilla on the front. Element of change is the only constant in the Universe.

Tim Scanlon

12/29/2018 07:20:39 pm

I miss those days. I first worked at Reidpath Electronics then Dominion Radio. I started at 10 years old lol. Dominion Radion was amazing. I remember sorting tubes and coming across tubes from radar devices. What a place. Owner was Eric

Peter Collins link

7/23/2019 01:48:25 pm

Hi Mark, Did you ever do repairs for Radio Shack at Yonge & St. Clair???? [email protected] Peter

Michael Schweigert link

9/18/2015 04:36:15 pm

I spent many days over the years wandering the aisles in search of oddities. Good memories.

Dante link

10/2/2018 06:32:11 pm

I found this pretty good online alternative - https://electronicsurplus.ca/

Ben

9/18/2015 07:05:16 pm

So you're not keeping ANY stores open anymore? This is not what the staff told me the other day when I was in the store - does this mean that your staff are out of jobs don't even know it? I sure hope not, as they have been awesome helping me with my many projects over the years. This is such a shame.

Professor Banana

9/23/2015 04:50:32 am

The decision we made last week on Wednesday, and the staff was informed then. They probably gave you the best information they had at the time.

Ben

9/30/2015 06:50:18 pm

If that's the case, then that's even more unfortunate and, in my opinion, not right. For as long as I've been going there, you've had the same employees. I don't know of any other store that's had the same employees for 20+ years and you leave them without jobs with only a week's notice? I guess if that's how you operate your business that's why it's closed. Good luck guys - hope you have a big party and invite me!

Bingo

10/28/2015 10:40:52 am

Ben, you have no idea the injustices that have been done. It's absolutely disgusting.

Kelly

9/18/2015 10:34:51 pm

So hate to see you guys go. Can you recommend another place to buy electronic parts?

george

9/19/2015 06:56:49 am

in the west end of toronto theres a1 electronic parts. www.a1parts.com

25+

1/3/2016 06:17:52 am

That a1 guy is alittle prick weasel for as long as know. And is also over priced. I try to avoid him as much as possible.

Vera McKinley

7/23/2022 03:42:23 pm

The little Asian lady knows everything.

Leif

9/25/2015 12:37:38 pm

Creatron: https://www.creatroninc.com/

Golan

9/28/2015 04:21:01 am

There's also Sayal (sayal.com), AA Electronics (aa-e.com) and RTC Electronics (rtcelectronics.ca). The aforementioned A1 Parts sells new electronic parts but also has a massive collection of surplus goods so it most closely reproduces the 'Active Surplus experience'.

Kelly

9/29/2015 08:21:04 am

Thanks guys for all your recommendations.

glen link

10/5/2015 02:41:12 pm

a1 parts 196 north queen toronto ( west end of toronto ) 416 255 0343 5,000 square feet of new and surplus electronics

Nav link

10/2/2015 09:05:12 am

Component Electronics Inc.
6330 tomken rd
Mississauga

Ami

10/5/2015 07:10:54 pm

Above All Electronic Surplus 635A Bloor St W @ Euclid

David

4/7/2016 01:10:42 pm

Above All has been gone for a couple of years. Greatly missed.

rick

4/25/2016 08:43:06 am

Above All is still there, just moved down the block a little. Corner of Bloor and Euclid, more or less

Moe

1/12/2017 08:33:52 am

Yes, Above-All is now on the south side a few doors West opposite KFC. John has been gone a few years. Now Steve owns and runs the place. Nice hang!

James link

10/2/2018 06:35:25 pm

Been loving this shop since i found it

www.electronicsurplus.ca

Rob Cruickshank

9/19/2015 09:47:59 am

I moved to Toronto in '84 and hardly a week has gone by since then that I haven't been to your store. You played a huge role in making the electronic art scene in Toronto what it is. Much more than just a store, you were a hub of the community. Thanks for everything, and good luck.

Neil Sinclair

9/19/2015 12:55:59 pm

I've been in TO since 86 but even before that on trips down here a trip to "Mr Gorilla" was always a part.
When I'm there I usually find what I am looking for - but I also find "stuff" and it's the "stuff" that always makes me happiest.

Christian Morrison link

9/20/2015 07:37:33 am

I first visited Active Surplus in 1978 when they and Arkon were the only shows in town. I too, like all my OCA sisters and brothers spent hours a week combing the shelves and bins for needed or unexpected finds. Thanks for being there and good luck! You're presence in the now unrecognizable Queen Street neighbourhood was a refreshing disruption in the pablum of consumerism the street has become.

William

9/21/2015 07:21:50 am

I noticed in the last period a lack of material such as mechanical component, Active Surplus need to be rebuild under a different light, something that they were doing with the 3D printer. They could have started to sell parts for small CNC machine which is the future to create parts by their own and above all increase the stimulation of the brain. Moreover Sometimes I came into the shop to ask if they have ball bearing screw but nothing, for a long time always the same stuffs. I asked so many time oscilloscopes and personell took notes, never called me back.

If you really want to survive you have to satisfy the updated request, of every day and not the pleasure of the people coming from the past experience.

William Wallace

Rob

9/22/2015 05:29:56 pm

Since I was a small kid, whenever my dad and I had a chance to be in the GTA we always went to Active Surplus, as I thought this was one of the most interesting stores in the downtown area. Active Surplus was probably one of the reasons why I ended up in Engineering in the first place. The store had a large main floor and even a basement, with motors, wheels, electronic kits, computer equipment (Atari) and many other gizmos to tinker with. When I found out that the store shrunk to just the upper floor I thought 'this sucks, there's less stuff..." Even so, I still continued to visit the store to see what's new whenever I had the chance, including this weekend, when I now hear that this maybe my last visit. It's a shame that the store is going down. I don't have children at the moment, but if I did I would bring them to visit Active Surplus just as my father did 30 years ago.

Donna

12/31/2015 10:45:37 am

Way before I studied electronics at OCAD in Photo-Electric Arts, won the scholarship there in '83 I have loved Active Surplus. It was my go-to place for inspiration on so many levels and a real community of like- minded 'gadgetriasts'
gadgetry
[gaj-i-tree]
Spell Syllables
Examples Word Origin
noun
1.
mechanical or electronic contrivances; gadgets :
the gadgetry of the well-equipped modern kitchen.
Adieu Donna

Pius Agius

9/23/2015 01:35:25 am

Ok everybody let cooler heads prevail. This is going to be hard for all of us who love Active Surplus. I know things will be better for all of us who DIY.
Many , many years ago I bought a ton of stuff and one of the very nice guys behind the counter asked what I did with all that stuff. I hesitated and then told him that I used the parts to build robots. He blinked and said that it sounded cool. This was the first time I got a supportive response. Untill that moment Iusuall got a little laugh and a look that I was a bit of a nut. I will never that simple gesture of normalcy and kindness.
Over the decades I have run into problems and Active always provided me with a solution whever I walked it shelves. I know there are a legion of us out there that will never forget and always fondly remember.
Good Luck !!

Ross Virgin

2/11/2016 10:59:13 pm

Pius Agius, thank you for starting your note with "Let cooler heads prevail". The owners of Active Surplus face hard times like every other business... not by their own choice. For decades those owners have provided all of us customers and the staff with the best possible opportunities.
Professor Banana, other owners, and all staff, thank you for the decades of superb work and service you provided.
Do hope you can re-structure quickly so you can open again soon. We will all flood back to your new store, when you open. We love you all there at Active Surplus. [email protected]

James

2/24/2016 12:46:13 am

Dear,

Is the Active Surplus's is open or closed permanently, are both the showroom is closed forever or 347 queen st w. is open......
please dear any one can tell me whats going on there in active surplus.....both the show room are closed or not,,,,,and open show room is which one.....

Dr. Demented

9/23/2015 06:55:15 am

I will miss you folks a lot. Many fond memories of you when I was a graduate student at U of T, Engineering! Hopefully, you will be resurrecting soon, very soon. Keep well, and hope to see the gorilla in action again, very soon.

Geordan

9/23/2015 08:34:37 pm

I lived in Toronto for a decade, and I made a point of visiting Active Surplus every week, just to browse. Over the years, I bought ammo boxes, tons of LEDs, power cords, and a big roll of speaker cabinet carpeting... and always CONSIDERED a traffic light.

Nowadays my wife and I life pretty far away, but we still sometimes burst out hollering "ACTIVE SURPLUS! You never know what you're gonna find!" and laughing. How can you NOT have great memories of a store that's only reliably available inventory seems to have been plastic doll limbs? :)

Thanks to the whole team at Active Surplus for being a great part of the community. Hoping to see a promising "next step!"

James

9/23/2015 08:44:29 pm

how long are guys open up to? when would be the last day to visit?

Gyro Gearloose

9/25/2015 12:44:59 pm

End of an era happening here . . or perhaps transition to a new paradigm. In any case, cheers to ACTIVE SURPLUS and the sturdy staff who manned this priceless, one-of-a-kind, and never-to-be-seen-again abode of redundant abundance. Thank you !

Josh Bensadon

9/25/2015 01:07:39 pm

I've been coming to your store since 1979, when Active had the electronic store on the left and machinery store on the right.

Too sad to see you go!

-Josh Bensadon

sid lipkowitz link

9/25/2015 01:16:29 pm

it is with sadness i hear of the closing of active surplus when i moved from winnipeg in 1979 i saw the store and was much inspired right then to start something like this store myself 30 + years ago when i saw the long lineups just to pay for stuff and the guy behind the counter started yelling at a hapless customer who wandered into the front of the line saying get to the back of the fing line you ingraid i said this is for me alas times have changed the internet and extremely high relastate costs and overhead have changed everything these days i know this all to well myself in a way active surplus changed and influenced my whole adult life and for that im very greatfull i know effra well and wish all there staff good luck in the future sid lipkowitz owner of electronic surplus industries in toronto

Dr Demented

9/26/2015 07:16:39 am

hey Sid, are you still open? I hope so!

electronic surplus ind 53 sheffield st toronto 4162401950

10/5/2015 02:32:49 pm

yes im still open 4162401950 53 sheffield st

Mike Specht

9/13/2016 08:57:51 am

Sid
Can you give me a call

William Jackson

9/13/2016 09:55:52 am

Call him Sid = 416 240 1950

Pius Agius

9/25/2015 03:26:18 pm

As is my usual practice I proof read my comments after they published and noticed an error in my last note. Gosh , none of us are perfect. However Active Surplus was the perfect place to find anything and everthing ,at a very , very reasonable price.

Years ago I had just moved out on my own. I remember after all the bills and rent were paid , I had little money to spend on food. I would never stop going to Active and since I built robots I would allow my self to get all that I required to help me reach my goal. One Saturday, since I lived nearby, I went into Active early in the morning. As I entered I was called by name, I was there so often the staff knew me well. I was directed to the back room. This was when the store was on the main floor. I was told that since I was a regular customer I was invited to breakfast and to help myself. Before my wide eyes were bagels, cream cheese, salmon and rivers of coffee. That act of kindness and generosity will never be forgotten by this once hungry robot builder. The real sad thing for me is that it has been more than just a store with fascinating things to touch and buy. It has been a place of shelter and warmth. It was filled with like minded, knowledgeable, kind human beings who cared. When Active goes part of me will be homeless and empty.

From the bottom of my heart I wish all that have been connected with Active the very best, always !!!!

devicemodder

9/25/2015 05:33:10 pm

Is the store going to be open the weekend of sept 26th?
because if so, I am coming down.

Isaiah

9/26/2015 06:05:41 am

I remember when I first came to your store. I was fascinated on all of your parts available. You guys were a large help to me for my science fair project. You will be missed.

Brad

9/26/2015 01:25:57 pm

Why not start selling more audio gear. There are so many DIY audio hobbyists in Toront, and we're always looking for a reasonable price on speaker drivers, audio kits, cabling and more. Most other stores have such ridiculous prices that you wouldn't have much competition?

pat piper

9/29/2015 09:11:04 am

love you active surplus!! I bought battle monkeys from you one time. also countless parts cables and all around interesting and essential items. much peace to you and your crew. keep building

Bob Snyder

9/30/2015 08:10:59 am

Since 1982, felt refreshed every time I combed through the unique goodies, basement, parts section, tools etc. Really gives the mind a place to play and dream. Hmm I think I'd pay for that alone. You should charge admission !! How many workshop inventions would not be here if not for Active Surplus?

wireless yo-yo

9/30/2015 09:04:42 am

i only heard about this place last week but have been going all the time now since its so cheap and diverse... gonna miss the electro-exploration

9/30/2015 12:03:58 pm

Last day today. Was just there and the whole store is 90% off. As if that weren't enough, they're giving some additional discounts on various things. Lots of stock left in all sorts of things - definitely worth a final pass.

Nav

10/2/2015 09:10:50 am

There is very big & good surplus electronic parts store in Mississauga
Component Electronics Inc.
6330 tomken rd
Mississauga
www.componentonline.com

kiki

10/2/2015 11:25:40 am

This is confusing. It says Steeles is CLOSED, not queen west. Please update

Bob

10/2/2015 11:39:22 am

Closed again today. Will it open for a final sale?

Joel

10/2/2015 12:14:53 pm

Hey, so with our webmaster out on vacation, here's the update currently: Queen's closed and we are all remorseful of that. The Steeles location is still open for now until everything's gone or we get kicked out later this month (possibly). Hours being from Monday to Friday 10am-6pm. Saturday, we're working on rescheduling staff around to open then.

Chris

10/2/2015 06:24:23 pm

Great memories of wandering the aisles with an idea in my head and a few bucks in my pocket. The potential of what could be done with the undiscovered bits and pieces seemed boundless, although I could never figure out what to do with baby limbs. The wood floor felt good underfoot after coming off the concrete sidewalk. Your store was a refuge from the noise and hustle of Queen St.
Long Live Professor Banana.

jay

10/3/2015 02:51:10 pm

Queen's next week will open again? thank

Joel

10/3/2015 08:22:07 pm

No: Queen is closed for good. Steeles will open Monday again

jay

10/4/2015 07:18:11 am

I saw you guy worked Queen's from window,but door was closed. when Queen's will open for sale? thank

Brock

10/5/2015 02:37:48 pm

I love you guys. Very sad to see you go. I've been going to your store for 14 years. I'll never forget the first time my Dad took me to your Queen Street Store. I was 12 or so and it was like discovering a whole new world. A world where I could make anything I wanted. All I needed was my mind, a bread board and soldering iron.

I moved away while at university and you were the one store I really missed.

To me, the anthem of Queen Street will always be: "Active Surplus ... You'll never know what you'll find!"

cable guy

10/5/2015 08:00:18 pm

I've been going to your store since 1999,over 16years, came your store couple times each month. I bought lot of tool when I lost my tools. I am rogers field tech. you were the one store I really missed.

amy

10/6/2015 06:21:32 pm

I will miss Mr. Gorilla standing sentry outside the store. Active Surplus was a very big part of my life from the mid 1970's until the sad closing a few days ago. It was one of the few remaining interesting stores left on that stretch of Queen Street west. I sincerely hope that you are able to rise from the ashes [so to speak] and come back in all of your weird, interesting, neato glory. Thanks Active Surplus! :-)

Barry

10/8/2015 05:51:52 am

As a practicing visual artist and loyal customer of Active Surplus, I just wanted to thank you to all the staff for their unwavering support and professional assistance in sourcing supplies for my artwork - Active Surplus has always been a special place of inspiration and creativity for me, and I want to say thank you to all the amazing and knowledgable staff, like Graham - you are the very best!! And I know that you will all land with your feet on the ground! Thank you!

mike

10/9/2015 08:20:41 am

I would like to bring my 6 year old the store on Saturday (October 10th). Will you be open?

Joel

10/9/2015 12:12:32 pm

Yes: we'll be open from 10am to 6pm on Saturday.

david link

10/9/2015 01:40:41 pm

which store will be open ?

mikeprocess

10/10/2015 12:05:24 pm

Bruce van beek link

2/11/2016 06:51:22 am

Well I stumbled across your store one day out walking . I carve and you had eyes and much more for me and my people. Oshawa or that way out or the other way out . People will come and ask customers to tell others . I'm sure we all will be happy to promote your business Joel ! I have many ideas about things . Do you want to open again ?
Where did you get the glass and plastic eyes ?
Thanks for being !
Bruce

mikeprocess

10/10/2015 12:06:18 pm

5601 Steeles Avenue West - West of the 400.

DarrylB

10/10/2015 05:22:59 pm

Went to the queen street location today,, for lease sign struck my eyes.. WOW.. So sad,,, been shopping this store since the day of Arkon electronics was down there.. How long??? at least since 1983..
Going to miss that place,, but really it has not been anything like it use to be,, even 10 years ago.. I could open a location in my garage and sell all the crazy stuff I bought over the last 30 years... Thanks for being my favorite play/toy store.

Denis

10/12/2015 12:34:52 am

Since I first set foot in the store in 89 I've loved the place. It was extraordinary. Every time I went to Queen W, I dropped in for a visit. I still have car speakers I'd originally got in 90 or 91.
Sad to see you all go. Thanks for the years and good luck.

10/12/2015 08:54:05 pm

You were my favourite store. Please don't die on us ;-)

Fabio

10/13/2015 06:59:57 pm

Hi I'm from Brazil and I'm here for one month.
I went to Queen's store today and was closed.
I'm confused, there any store opened yet? If yes, where and could you pass me a phone from there?

Thanks

Bill Jackson

10/14/2015 03:32:29 am

Sad days. I have been a customer as well as a store owner (Arkon and Parts Galore and the warehouse on Beverley street). I first started buying from Active back in the 70's - if memory serves, and I remember when Efrem came over and Frank and Peter created the Annex for electronics. Peter dealt with machines and Efrem with electronics, and Frank would drive all over looking for manufacturers with lots of scrap to clear. This would end up in the Annex and it was a busy day when a truck load appeared. Efrem was not greedy,
He has stuff, you have $$ - Voila a deal was done.
Over the years things changed. Manufacturing went offshore and to surface mount and Chinese imports of fully made stuff made it impossible to find stuff in Canada to sell, and few were able to deal with surface mounted parts. So it gradually faded.
The big enemy was the fashion yuppies that drove up the rents and large sprawling stores became uneconomic. Active went upstairs = less $$, but the rent pressure has made even upper floors very costly = the current situation.
I have not seen Efrem or Ronnie for a few years now.
I do not know if they will carry on at the Steeles location or ??
The Steeles location lacks the customer flow of Queen Street and it might also be uneconomic?

Clifford

10/16/2015 06:54:25 pm

Hi Bill i started shopping at Active in 1962 i know Efrem very well and yes i also worked at Arkon to bad to see Active close down maybe they will reopen again. So nice to here your name again.

and to all the great person sho ive meet over the years at Active all i can say is Thanks.
Cliff

Bill Jackson

10/16/2015 07:30:03 pm

I could probably place you if I saw you, but I can not place you.
Yes, I recall when Efrem came from Israel and Peter Eben, and his son Nick Eben and Frank made the Active Surplus Annex next door for Freddy. Active Surplus mainly sold machinery - no Chinese stuff here at that time.

Rick Rodziewicz

1/17/2016 03:27:33 pm

Hi Bill,

So good to hear from you again!
I used to work for you at Parts Galore when Rob Stewart was manager in the early 80's.
What could I give to relive those years!
Extremely sad about Active. I remember working at the P G warehouse on Beverley and during lunch break would go to Active to see what they had.
If you ever decide to start up a similar store, then I'd like to be counted in, I collect a pension now and could work for next to nothing.
Maybe it be could be called
" extraACTIVE SURPLUS "
In their honour.

The prices were cheap, and the inspiration was free.

Best regards,

Rick

Bill Jackson

1/17/2016 03:58:37 pm

Rick, Nice to hear from you. I am still in intermittent contact with Rob and Glenn Tooth.
Yes, those were the heydays. Now manufactring is so small in Canada that not much surplus is available. What they have is all surface mount.
Parts can be bought from China on ebay, just wait 3-4 weeks, but very cheap.
There are two stores on college, the home hardware near Spadina has an assortment. Creatron is also there. And Sayal has a few stores.

I am not going to open another store anytime soon.

Dr. Demented

1/17/2016 04:03:40 pm

Ah, those were the days,Arkon, Parts Galore,Active Surplus, etc. I was a grad student at U of T, buying my 741 OP Amps from Arkon,and other parts to keep my experiments going.

Electronics was a great hobby and passion in those days. If only we could turn back the hands of time!

fraser

1/20/2018 01:56:52 pm

bill jackson ....call me

Winston Lau

10/16/2015 07:57:23 am

Sad to see you guys go. At OCAD, I took an Intro to Electronics Course taught by Nancy Paterson and bought my first bread board, 555 timing chip and various other electronics at your store. It was a real treat to wonder the isles looking for oddities and inspirations. A fond farewell to you, your store and staff.

Mike

10/16/2015 04:44:47 pm

I found out the hard way that Queen Street is now CLOSED...they say here they're staying open part of October with NO MENTION they've closed, on Facebook on the other hand they say they closed Queen Street September 30th!!! :-P

Ian

10/21/2015 11:01:12 am

Just checked the site to see where the new store would be. So shocked to hear it's closing indefinitely.

I really hope you guys find a way to reorganize and reopen. Preferably with more usable electronic/mechanical components and fewer random plastic bits.

Best of luck.

Bob S

10/22/2015 07:01:30 am

Now where will I get a Flux Capacitor? Great Scott!

Landmark Loss

10/25/2015 08:55:14 am

For over 30 years I've travelled downtown two or three times a year, sometimes with a widget in mind, but sometimes for no reason other than to wander through and update my mental inventory of the stuff on your shelves. To this day I've no idea what half of it was, but it was good to know that whatever it was, you could buy it at Active. You will be missed!

Too bad, Soooo Sad

10/26/2015 01:00:33 pm

For just over 30 years, you've saved my ass so many times, whether it was a power supply, a cable, or some wheels for dollies. Not to mention, the fabled "flux capacitor" by which I mean the random weird parts that one sometimes requires. Of which I have used many.

Wanted to THANK YOU for all these years of great service!!!

I hope you will return!

Prof Cookie

10/27/2015 02:39:50 pm

Damn... If not for Active, I would have failed first year design at YorkU. Been a customer since '89, and was happy the Steeles site opened. If not for you guys and gals, I wouldn't have my glue sticks, children's science projects, nor the tin boxes I make into loose change bins. And there's more. The glass containers I hold sand from different parts of the world, the washers, the track balls, the spent bullet casings, my Raspberry Pi2 that needed the Linux corrected for game play. Last, but not least, STEAM not STEM.

Thanks for the curiosity and creativity.

george link

10/29/2015 11:18:38 am

the biggest electronic surplus store in canada is a1 electronic parts. 196 north queen st toronto ( west end of toronto ) 416 255 0343 www.a1parts.com

Nav

10/28/2015 06:54:47 am

There is very big & good surplus electronic parts store in Mississauga
Component Electronics Inc.
6330 tomken rd
Mississauga
www.componentonline.com

Dave K

10/30/2015 08:53:41 pm

Really sad to see you close. Since I came to Canada in 1981 I have been to Queen St. location may times, especially in 90s. Bought lots of neat stuff for number of projects for very reasonable $. Thank you.

Happy memories

10/31/2015 07:15:31 pm

Wow. Haven't been down there in a long time, but after moving eastwards it was generally the only reason I would go downtown from the 'burbs. Always worth the traffic and driving around to find a parking spot - however far. Always found what I needed - and then some. Silly as it is, I've got a tear in my eye. And where am I going to find the part that I suddenly need - which is what brought me here to hear the sad news.

Chashi Skobac

11/5/2015 10:29:17 am

sad... I felt good knowing the store was there. It reminds me of
Canal St. in NYC.

Student

11/5/2015 02:51:05 pm

Is it still open? or has it closen?
my art teacher recommended going to the store for my artwork and then i found out you were closing.

Claire

11/9/2015 05:01:14 pm

Very sad to hear of the Active Surplus becoming InActive. Used to pop in now and again just to check out the 'stuff'. Always amazed at what I found. Now with a school age son Active Surplus was back on the map. Will be greatly missed.

Genaro Hernandez

11/11/2015 02:02:19 pm

Hi! Sad to see you go... Just wondering whether you may still have the dozens and dozens of small, photovoltaic cells with which to build solar panels. I failed to remember to get them all when you were clearing the Steeles Av W store.
Please reply if they are still available.
Best of fortunes!

Michael

11/12/2015 06:24:56 pm

I just found out you closed. Very sad day, you were the only reason I visit the down town core these days. I started visiting your store in 1986 when I was 12, buying various computer parts and such. Spent a lot of time at the old location, and the new (upper) location was quite nice too. You were indeed a treasure trove of various bits and such. I also looked forward to your booth at the hobby show, always got great deals there. I hope the guerilla finds a good home though, he truly is a landmark of Toronto! Thanks for so many memories, hope you guys come back!

Rico

11/14/2015 12:28:45 pm

Man. This is no good. Ever since i came here from the philippines age 16, early 70s, i discovered your store on queen street. I found those empty plastic bottled container and have been sending to philippines ever since. Now that you guys are close i have some explaining to do.. And even more sad, going to your store was one of my weekend pass time. Toronto not the same.

Rico

11/14/2015 12:42:40 pm

Hi - i have been going to your store and i always buy your small plastic empty container. I send it to the philippines. Now that you guys are close i woild like to know where i can get those empty container.
Email is bttstransport@ yahoo.ca (416) 834-9258

11/14/2015 11:28:18 pm

CLOSED" BY SECURED CREDITOR

ACTIVE SURPLUS ELECTRONICS
CLOSED FOREVER
MAJOR ELECTRONICS & SURPLUS

INVENTORY TO BE SOLD BY
"PUBLIC AUCTION" BY THE SKID (NO RESERVES)

10,000 SQ/FT WAREHOUSE FULL TO THE CEILING
800 LOTS!

2884 SLOUGH STREET (OFF AIRPORT ROAD), MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 17 2015, 10:30AM

LISTING: AUDIO * COMPUTER * ELECTRONICS * HOBBY * MOTORS * TOOLS * FASTENERS * ODDITIES * CABLES & WIRING * LAB EQUIPMENT * SPEAKERS * FORK LIFT * 50+ SECTIONS OF HEAVY DUTY RACKING * HOSPITAL ELEC CARTS * AC/DC ADAPTERS * SPRINGS * TRANSFORMERS * AUTOMOTIVE * POWER SUPPLIES AND MUCH MUCH MORE

TERMS & CONDITION: CASH, CERTIFIED FUNDS, VISA, MASTERCARD, $200.00 REFUNDABLE BIDDERS DEPOSIT, 25% DEPOSIT ON PURCHASES OVER $1000, 10% BUYERS PREMIUM, ADDITIONAL TERMS AS POSTED, SALES SUBJECT TO DELETIONS AND/OR ERRORS.
DIRECTIONS: AIRPORT RD NORTH OF DERRY RD ON WEST SIDE, BLDG AT THE BACK.

CORPORATE AND GENERAL LIQUIDATORS
905-604-2942
[email protected]

marshall

11/16/2015 05:01:42 pm

wondered the aisles with my dad in 60's. Have many antique pieces from Smith and stone where he retired as q. c super in late 80's.

james

11/16/2015 05:42:40 pm

My brother and i loved coming to the store. There is hardly a project of his that doesn't use something found at Active surplus. its a sad day to see you guys go.

Steve

11/19/2015 06:55:24 am

A very sad situation. A loyal customer since the early 80s.
Best of luck to all the staff!!!

Jamie

11/20/2015 04:24:56 pm

Sad to hear this awesome store has closed, I thought the city had ordinances in place to control rents, specifically so small businesses wouldn't be pushed out??

Hope you guys can set up another shop downtown someday, having a place with this kind of gear is invaluable for Toronto as a tech hub. We should support it, and so should local authorities!

D. Laing

11/23/2015 12:58:14 pm

Awesome place to visit with my Dad in the seventies. Mr. Eben (mechanical side) was quite a character.

Richard Staron

11/23/2015 01:33:36 pm

Sorry to see such a place close up. I've been there since just about day 1 and had many good memories rummaging through all those boxes and bins of goodies. Hopefully we can see this place rise out of the ashes and become a new home for those interested in pursuing science, engineering and the arts.
Good luck guys....hope to see you back
Richard

Chris

11/24/2015 06:45:37 pm

I hope something saves this great Toronto institution! I would miss you guys a lot. Your store got me through OCAD and many other projects!

UxHamby

11/25/2015 04:49:14 am

Sorry to hear of the apparent demise of A/S.

I used to frequent the place in my days as a George Brown eng technology student and just knowing you were there has helped me sleep nights and stay calm ever since. Good luck to you all, I will miss having you available to me as a potential source of stuff to keep my hoard stocked full of odds and ends.

Peter

11/28/2015 05:39:46 am

Oh man, this is sad! I totally loved that store. When I was an electronics tech in the early 90s, I used to go there allot for discreet components. I'm really sorry to hear it's closing.

Phil Berkowitz

11/29/2015 06:34:43 pm

I started going to Active Surplus about 1975 as one of the many electronic surplus places on Queen St. in Toronto. Slowly as time passed they all closed except Active. They were always the most reasonably priced and Efraim was always very kind and welcoming. After I moved away, my only trips to TO were to visit Active. When I went by the Queen St location today I was wondering why the gorilla was not out, When I saw the lease sign I went into shock. This is the end of an era and with crazy real estate in TO it is unlikely that a new surplus store is possible in the city core. Thanks for so many finds and an education since the begining of do it yourself 8088 computers to everything that followed. I was there hundreds of times and now my "fix" will no longer be satified.
Thanks to all you guys, I will miss you.

Bill Jackson

11/29/2015 07:47:20 pm

Auction;
I went to the auction, and I found no items I wanted that were worth the wait. A huge amount of miscellaneous mechanical parts, with almost zero modern electronic or semiconductors. There were a few stray items, such as a small 36 inch shear, but I have one shear already, and the auction would have taken 3-4 hours to get to it. Time wasted was not worth the wait.
This lot suited people like A1 and Sayal, who have a retail spot.
Many items will be left for the scrappers - not worth the freight to take them home.

Tony D

11/29/2015 08:30:17 pm

Sad to hear of your closing. I have fond memories of visiting your store as a kid with my older brother. Glad I was able to share my childhood experiences there with my 16 yr old earlier this year when we took a trip there.

Les Breznyansky link

11/29/2015 09:32:45 pm

Bought some parts at a great price like back in 80's - Commodore Vic 20 like :)

Aga Thang

12/8/2015 08:11:15 pm

I'm just an average non-engineer non-electronicphile Torontonian who has many fond childhood memories from the 1980's of wandering through your store with my father. It was the kind of place that inspired creation and tinkering. I continued to enjoy it in recent years and frequently brought my kid. Active Surplus has been the heartbeat of many a DIY home renovation project and many a halloween costume. So sad to see that you've closed!!!

NAV

12/10/2015 07:43:47 pm

I found this components store in Mississauga:
Component Electronics Inc.
6330 tomken rd
Mississauga
www.componentonline.com

Jere link

12/11/2015 10:08:46 pm

Very sad, I was so excited when I first discovered this store. I very much enjoyed browsing through all the neat parts for my electronics projects.

Norm Hartis link

12/15/2015 08:22:15 am

I am know 51/yrs young !
I have been comingt o this store in total AWW !
Since 12/yrs old and have built modified many AWESOME things and INSPIRATION this store and it's staff have provided are limitless and priceless 👨🔮

I do enjoy the fact of the steeles store !

Memories 🌌🌀

george link

12/15/2015 12:35:00 pm

sad to see the closing of a great electronic surplus store, there was a auction most went to a1 electronic parts in toronto so you should be able to find the same items

Frank Monteith

12/15/2015 05:36:33 pm

I grew up with Active, Electrosonic, and Sayal.
Efrem and I were buddies!

Too bad to see you go! Loved the gorrilla!
Frank Monteith

Marvin Birnbom link

12/17/2015 02:55:07 pm

RIP

Ben

12/21/2015 06:13:36 am

Is the steeles store still open?

Joups

12/28/2015 04:09:29 pm

Guys, I just saw the news, really ? ! is the Queen street store closed too ?
That's a Sad news for Toronto !. whats the alternate solution ?

george link

12/30/2015 02:53:55 pm

a1 electronic parts. is similar to active surplus its in the west end of toronto 196 north queen st 427 and the queensway 416 255 0343

stuart

12/29/2015 06:22:51 pm

It totally sucks !! That Active Surplus is no longer in operation, why ?! Please do your long time customers & people yet to discover you & find a new location that can be sustained . PLEASE !! 0_o

Cat

12/31/2015 09:09:01 am

There is a similar very good shop (less organized, equally quirky) located in the north of the city.
It is Electronic Surplus on Sheffield next to ace bakery.

Jim Scott

1/1/2016 07:55:49 pm

Gonna miss you guys.
I did find a cool place that has vintage and all sorts of electronics in Scarborough.
CADIS ltd.
Http://www.cadis.net
246 Raleigh Ave Scarborough ON M1K 1A8.
Lots of cool stuff there. Definitely worth the trip

Chris Charles link

1/2/2016 10:04:29 pm

I started fixing computers around 1999/2000 by installing free dialup Internet.

Two of my suppliers came from Active Surplus. Pat of Uptown Computers helped me greatly
by supplying Windows 95/98SE and XP installation disks for just $20 each.

I even copied his habit of connecting the hard disk upside down and cleaning Cds before
inserting them into the drive by rubbing them in a circular motion on my cloting.

Pat closed his store a few years ago but his legacy lives large.

Steve of Above All Electronics also came from Active Surplus. I bought my first motherboard,
a pentium I 233 MMX from him.

Many years ago, John exited the computer parts business and did well in real estate.

Steve who worked with John, took over Above All Electronics.

Steve remains my longest lasting supplier of computer parts.

Over the years Steve has been a mentor, teaching me things about computer hardware.

So Active Surplus has helped me evolve into DrPCDr.ca.

Thanks Active Surplus. Without you, I could not have achieved success.

RIP

I am such a sentimental fool. I am actually crying tears!

James Warren

1/3/2016 06:50:08 am

My sister would take me to the Queen St. location when I would come up to Toronto to visit her at College. We would spend hours picking up random things to make gizmos out of. Since then, I would make a point of going there every chance I had when visiting Toronto, even If it meant driving or taking the TTC clear across the city.

I'm going to miss you. It feels like loosing a good friend or even a family member.

Michelle C

1/3/2016 10:23:25 am

I agree with James. I was just looking for a replacement battery and my #1 goto was Active Surplus.
This was an important store at a time when girls in tech was a stupid thing. My dad always took me here when he was building computers.
This is not my city anymore. :( Why can't we find people to help? I wish I had the money.

James

1/3/2016 02:16:47 pm

Discovered this place in the early to mid 80s while checking out places like silver snail. Couldn't believe it. tons of electronic parts, retro computer gear. now being far out of town I haven't been back much in the past few years but man I miss this place.

Dr. Schultz

1/6/2016 11:07:51 am

When will we know if it comes back? The phone is off, the website unchanging. When will we know!!

Rick Rodziewicz

1/17/2016 05:38:49 pm

Hi all.

Not the parts themselves that were important here.....it was the variety.
Eg. on a whim I once walked into Active to see what was available.
Immediately caught my eye were a couple of trays of little music machines. Two models, one played rock a bye baby the other one " March of the toy soldiers " Along with a 9 volt motor, some gears, small solar panel, a tiny torque conveyer from a busted roomba mounted on piece of stove pipe and and a pleasant summer evening...viola, a solar powered music machine for something like 5 or 6 bucks.Still works on my front porch.
Sure.... The electronics are important.....but the inspiration is even more so.
In my books the opposite of boredom is ACTIVE.

Rick

Bill

1/17/2016 06:10:25 pm

Yes, I also had loads of stuff. Ronnie and Nick and familes are happy owners of the rental properties where Active was. They rented the upstairs next door to carry on because the ground floor rent was to large to forgoe. Now ever second floor spaces rent high, and good surplus us hard to find, even as the Surplus Show in Las Vegas.(which I introduced Freddy to) https://www.google.ca/?gfe_rd=cr&ei=NEmcVq7UJMuC8Qf-sInQAg&gws_rd=ssl#q=ASD%2FAMD+show

Rick

1/18/2016 09:56:26 am

T.B.

1/23/2016 08:14:35 pm

Sad to see you go - thank you!!!!

barry

1/26/2016 08:37:11 am

ahhh

Branko

1/29/2016 09:43:04 am

Deeply regret.

drM

2/10/2016 01:50:43 pm

Please start up again, you are desperately needed!!!!

Constantin

2/11/2016 10:12:02 am

Hi y'all!

Any word on when the store may be coming back? I hope this is not final...

Bill Jackson

2/11/2016 11:42:38 am

The nature of surplus has changed. New stuff from China is very cheap. Little is made in Canada any more in the way of electronics. A lot of stuff is surface mount and hard to test and make work. Often they embed state machines that need code to work.
A1 bought a lot of the stuff left over from Active. Mainly older mechanical components, motors, wheels etc, so check A1.

More people go to various hacklabs , like this one in Toronto
https://hacklab.to/ and buy components on ebay, far cheaper than local places - but takes 2-4 weeks to arrive.
You can also check creatron, a retailer, pay more but get it now.

https://www.creatroninc.com/

Ross Virgin

2/12/2016 12:08:19 am

Bill Jackson, you have a great source of information and help on this blog / site, for the loyal customers of Active Surplus. Is there anywhere we can reach you, comment to you, and maybe raise future plans ? ? Do you have a web site ? a store ? an e-mail address ? or other way to participate with you ? Love to hear back since your postings here have been a great help. Ross Virgin [email protected] Best wishes to you Bill Jackson, and to the owners and staff of Active Surplus.

bill jackson

2/14/2016 12:06:58 pm

more surplus places,

A1, http://a1parts.com/

Sayal http://www.sayal.com/zinc/index.asp

etc. There is a small operation called Above All, at 635
Bloor West at Euclid, but he rents and is barely hanging on.

I am a member of Toronto Hackerspace.

https://hacklab.to/

they have a junk independance day coming up next weekend. Members give
away old projects etc to attendees..

Feb 21 @ 14:00: Junk Independence Day at Hacklab
I've scheduled an e-waste pickup with Revolution Recycing for Monday.

There is also a hamfest next March. I usually rent a table

http://www.ham-ex.ca/

I will add that and these to the blog.

https://addison-electronique.com/

http://www.kwsurplus.com/

james

2/24/2016 12:49:10 am

Dear,

is the active surplus showroom is open or not????
if yes then which showroom is open right now?????

kindly inform me as i want to buy some stuff.....

Jon Po;

2/24/2016 06:27:01 am

How about going "Open Source", I mean to post financial data, if this is the main problem, and let us, interested customers to try solving it.

It's 99% probability, will not succeed. But it COSTS NOTHING to try.

Bill Jackson

2/24/2016 07:39:43 am

The Active Surplus model has been broken for a few years. The steady supply of manufacturing surplus had been replaced by jobber surplus from the USA, with far lower margins.
Next the proliferation of made in China new goods at low prices undermined them. Ebay, Craigslist and Kijiji also undermined hem.
Just buy from China on Ebat and wait for the goods.
I buy a few items each week, so I have stuff rolling in all the while.
Sadly, some is crappy.
In recent years Active was not cheap any more and depended on tradition and low second floor rent to survive.

New higher rent, no new goods at a low price.

Pius Agius

2/24/2016 02:47:27 pm

You know I know so much about building robots. I can design and build a H-Bridge with just some wire and a handful of parts. Behind every inventor is a mountain of parts. Active was to me that Everest of parts.
That I build robots and find them enternally fascinating does not mean I am ignorant of other things. Let us start with economics. I disagree with the last comment. The model he is refering to is just something you read in books. Active was successful because it had what people wanted and they were squeezed out by the stupidity that exists in our so called modern age for yet another ugly condo or stupid clothing store.
Since it was there for decades shows that something was working. It was more than just a store that wanted to make money. It served a higher purpose and this is difficult to put a price tag on. No I will not buy surplus without touching with my own two hands the stuff I want to get. You cannot find treasures in a overseas or over the border store. I do not know what this person was buying but I bought an IR led and 2 LDRs for a Canadian dollar. That was pretty good. No they did not have new stuff. Gee I thought the name said it all ACTIVE SURPLUS !!
They are gone but will never be forgotten, and everytime I think about them being gone it makes me very, very, sad !!

Bill Jackson

2/24/2016 03:29:56 pm

Active was very successful when they owned their own place and high rents could not place pressure on them. The fashion gentrification of Queen West was ultimately to blame for the decision to not renew.
In addition, Active was paying rent on a large amount of stored surplus, which was seen at the auction. This stored surplus ate up their cash flow. Bear in mind that Active decided to develop their properties into shops they rented to the fashion crowd. The same as happened in New York on Canal street, where rents forced Standard radio and all the other 15-20 post war stores to close or move out.

I am well aware of all aspects of surplus, buy, sell, retail. I too closed up because my $600/month warehouse was turned into a condominium.
IR leds are 6 cents each on Ebay, LDR are a little more..

Modern sales venues, like Ebay and DXextreme offer visual items at better prices than ACtive.

. The problem is you need to wait 2-3 weeks to get the struff.

Moren manufacturing has indeed left Canada. There is not a lot of production surplus available. What there is uses surface mount parts, which are very hard for most people to use and understand.
Modern code bases Raspberry Pi and cheaper devices that need programming skills have replaced this.

Adapt or die.

I have been a hacker since I bought my first CK722 germanium and 2N107 Germanium transistors in 1956 from Electro Sonic Supply on Yonge stree. There were a dozen surplus shops there, Hercules sales, Paramount Equimnet, Radio Trade supply.

Solid state killed them off. Car radios with tubes and vibrators were shaken apart every year or so. Sold state car radios never ever fail.

In the same way, surface mount has killed off all the Kirs. Ramsey Kits are gone, as the Ramsey sold and the buyers have abandoned kits, same as Rainbow Kits. Auto assembly and surface mount and auto testing have killed off many small makers.

So, adapt, join a maker lab or hacker lab. There are a number of them as I listed. KW Surplus in Kitchener owns their place = immune to rent pressures. Take a trip, they are loaded with aold stuff like Active had.

I notice there are few buggy whip makers any more, exxxcept for S&M boutiques....

Kevin Scott

2/29/2016 08:38:16 pm

:( God I miss u guys sooo much,.....its not the same. I went for years and now my children started going. This really ....sucks.com
Pls come back.

Pius Agius

3/1/2016 02:48:19 am

Interesting comments on the demise of Active. Yup it must be the times. Or, yup the times are tough!! Wait, wait this is the best , the markets are down and so is the dollar!!!

To say to someone adapt or die is a bit cruel. Yes people do not build things any more. Those of us in the DIY lifestyle are in the minority. Well I would rather be here then in the general population. Oh I see them all talking into their cell phones. I doubt any of them know how it works or could fix them if they stopped working!!

We live with all this marvelous technology yet a majority of people do not know how it works. Yes those of us who build robots from scratch are aware of the arduino and rasberry pi , but I find them cumbersome to use in my creations. No I am not buying parts I do not touch and I will only order new parts from Jameco when absolutely necessary. Gosh they still stock Z80's which Active never had, bless them.

As a builder I have a few thousand parts and I still scrounge and rip apart stuff for great stuff. Comments on Active should always be respectful and no, some of us cannot accept it well. That buggy whip remark was not nice. Yes technology changes and some things are obsolete. However a nice store with ultra nice people should never become that, it just is not right !!

bil .jackson

3/1/2016 05:57:18 am

Builders have not gone away. They have adapted to the huge changes in parts over the past 20 years.
Let us inspect the forces that have changed. Now few parts are through hole soldered. Most are SM = surface mount. The equipment to place and solder SM parts and to remove them is 20-50 times as costly as the 50 watt soldering iron that suits through hole components.
This makes it a viable strategy to use pooled resources - hacker groups. Let us say 100 people chip in $50/month = $5000. Then rent a space for $2500 and use scrounged furniture and use the $2500 to buy equipment, compressors, hot air solder removers.....everything a modern small printed board shop requires.

So it is not dead at all, it is alive and well in it's new evolutionary phase, like the hacker clubs

Matt

3/6/2016 07:28:11 am

For myself and my friends, Active Surplus was the sole reason the city of Toronto existed for us! As teens without a lot of money and a lot of electronics curiousity, we often turned to building things from more affordable parts. So many projects and so much cool and unusual stuff to browse through and be creative with. You will be missed! - Matt

dave zdyrko

3/16/2016 12:39:24 pm

the only reason I looked forward to coming to Toronto was of active surplus been doing it for years. Loved you folks.

Nate from Detroit

3/17/2016 02:59:38 pm

A visit to Active was always a required part of any Toronto visit, if schedules permitted it. I find myself in the GTA right now, checking the hours, finding this post, leaving this comment instead of browsing my favorite surplus store. Gonna miss you guys!

I hope the future holds interesting things for everyone involved. Best wishes from a Michigander!

SRK

3/29/2016 04:38:45 am

Too bad the store closed. Appreciated the helpful staff, especially Dan at the Queen West store. I bought plastic gears there, T10 to T50, and need to get some in quantities of 200 or more. Anyone know where I can get them cheap?

Fabian

4/6/2016 01:05:27 pm

So sorry the store closed. Been going there since 1970. Does anybody know we're I could get these gear motors with a long shaft. Prt# 5503740 d. 061011.

Doug Falconer

4/6/2016 07:03:07 pm

I am sorry to hear. If you are still open would you have a Sega Saturn memory card for sale?

Bill Jackson

4/7/2016 01:23:48 pm

Above all moved a few blocks along and is now on the south side at 635A.

https://www.google.ca/maps/place/635+Bloor+St+W,+Toronto,+ON+M6G+1K8/@43.6642415,-79.4151523,19z/data=!4m12!1m9!4m8!1m0!1m6!1m2!1s0x882b348d84701473:0x9746c24d2214e468!2s635+Bloor+St+W,+Toronto,+ON+M6G+1K8!2m2!1d-79.4146051!2d43.6642405!3m1!1s0x882b348d84701473:0x9746c24d2214e468!6m1!1e1?hl=en

george link

4/21/2016 12:41:22 pm

a1 electronics bought most of the gear motors and other items at active closing auction there at 196 north queen street west toronto www.a1parts.com phone 416 255 0343

Bill Jackson

4/21/2016 02:18:29 pm

I was amazed at the huge quantity of stuff that went to scrap buyers, at low prices for metal value alone.

4/22/2016 08:06:00 pm

So many memories! My dad used to take me here back in the 80's. He's not around any more. I wish you guys the best!

Bill link

4/25/2016 02:31:10 pm

I hope you will take a look at what's happening in Little India and reopen there. You'd be a perfect fit! Low rent, available spaces, 506 streetcar, parking, lots of foot traffic. Lots happening.

I'm just a fan who wants you in my neighbourhood, but really... take a look.

Bill Jackson

4/25/2016 03:58:45 pm

Sadly, The same economics that killed off Active would apply to me.
There is a lack of sourced surplus here in Canada. China offers essentially free delivery to all those guys on Ebay, Ali-Baba etc.
The only advantage I would have is in stock now, instead of 3 weeks or more mail.
Kits are dead, the cost of packing a kit and listing the parts exceed the automatic assembly cost.
My Friend John Ramsey sold his kit business and those buyers have now stopped their kit sales and are clearing old stock on Amazon
http://ramseyelectronics.com/

My other old friend, Ron Ross of Rainbow Electroics passed away on February 4, 2016.
So I am not in a hurry to open a store anytime soon

Sylas Flempo

5/1/2016 06:58:23 pm

I guess electronic store business is a bad idea? I was thinking of maybe starting a electronics store selling various computer related parts. I do know the market is very saturated however

Colin

5/3/2016 11:48:32 am

When you had your store was it on Beverley?

bill jackson

5/3/2016 12:06:34 pm

Yes, one was on Beverley(scrap warehouse and storage). Another on Queen Street, one on College, One in Kitchener-Waterloo, one in Hamilton, One in Batavia NY and one in Rochester NY.

The nature of business and rents changed thing

Scott Simpson link

5/3/2016 03:00:00 pm

About to arrive in Toronto by train from London. Was searching to find out how late the store was open, as it's the only store I wanted to see on this trip. Disappointed, like the rest of you.

Bill Jackson

5/3/2016 03:08:14 pm

Downtown you have Creatron https://www.creatroninc.com/,
Above All at Address: 635A Bloor St W, Toronto, ON M6G 1K8
Phone:(416) 588-8119

and the Home Hardware at 290 College and Spadina
https://www.google.com/maps/@43.6577082,-79.4015119,3a,15y,33.78h,88.48t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1soaOOWU606P8n0zme3fQvxA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1?hl=en-US

Farhad

5/6/2016 07:23:37 am

I miss Active Surplus and it's friendly staff.
The first place I visited when looking for something for my projects.
I hope you will be back in business soon.

Jil

5/10/2016 09:24:16 am

Sad indeed. I never bought electronics there, but I often came out with industrial glass products. Half the dried ingredients in my kitchen - rice, beans, etc. - are in beakers, bandage jars, or chemical bottles. We bought a lot of tools there, too.

My favorite part was the signs on some of the boxes. Someone had a great sense of humor. I still remember the time there was a box of plastic speculums in the medical department. The sign said something along the lines of, "Ladies, you know what these are. Gentlemen, these are models of duck bills."

Scott Simpson link

5/10/2016 09:52:05 am

"Disposable plastic duck puppet" is definitely the most memorable of the oddball labels!

Rob Legg link

5/14/2016 08:59:48 am

Wondering now how long this web site will remain to receive comments and condolences. My last trip into the big smoke was a year ago, when the shop was still running - first was in the 70's, when Arkon was still on Queen E and the Active Surplus annex upstairs hadn't opened yet.

Can remember scavenging parts from a Vortex T-Scan magnetic memory module (still used occasionally for very small magnetic structures). Still listening to their Sangean clone shortwave radio, as the bands gradually go silent (though it's front panel is melted from too-close proximity to an experimental load cell - looks like a stroke victim). All those Collins Radio Canada surplus parts.......
Even bumped into Mr Cohn (Fred?) on a flight to SF in the late 80's.

From Active's shelves, after being a boat anchor on my own for a decade, a modified bench supply:
http://members.shaw.ca/legg/1991a.html

Visiting weekly, during the times when school or work allowed, I wondered sometimes if the availability of post-war surplus wasn't more a symptom of an imploding mfring environment, rather than a healthy one. There was no equivalent in the UK or France, when I found myself working there. I guess we have the answer to that question now.

I'm told that the street markets in mainland China are unbelievable, these days, for the experimenter or entrepreneur. Who knows what they could have been like in TO, if the passing generation of technicians had managed to start their own concerns, hire the current generation and sustained manufacturing locally, rather than caving in to design and fab off-shore?

The basement of the Home Hardware on College offers the stock lines previously from Supremetronics that used to be a few shops east of Active on Queen. Above All Electronics is still on Boor, across the street and a few steps farther west of the old location.

RL

Scott Bennett

5/25/2016 02:44:18 pm

This is sad news. Used to go there with my Dad, but now he isn't around.

He always said: "I never find exactly what I want there, but I always find exactly what I need"

Hal

6/9/2016 09:34:18 am

My dad Eric (now departed) used to come to your store on a regular basis, building some amazing stuff (like retrofitting a gang of IBM Selectric typewriters with solenoid banks so they could be "typed" automatically by a punch tape reader (this predates inexpensive laser printers by several decades) plus he was old-school enough that he knew his customers could not take him seriously if his correspondence to them was not typewritten. The noise in his basement office was unbelievable when he was doing his letter blasts, each machine pausing so he could type in the customer's name and some other details, then letting the system resume and finish printing the remainder of each letter.
My mum wouldn't go in there with him, she would sit in the car and crochet while he was on the hunt for what she called "squigglies" (because IC chips looked like bugs with legs, and pretty much all the other components had little wires sticking out of them).
I would make the pilgrimage a couple of times per year, usually buying tweeters, or other speaker-building components, and I'm so sorry to hear this unique place will be no more.
I remember in the really old location on the ground floor, the rather irascible guy behind the counter came around, sniffing around the store shouting "Who's been eating garlic?", then finding the offender and throwing him out of the store (the guy really did pong, so I can't feel too sorry for him). What a character!
The end of an era.

Marcel

6/14/2016 12:02:37 pm

Sad to see you closed! I am looking for a Micro USB to a 3.5 mm female headset adapter for use on an old flip phone -- Is there a store you can recommend in Toronto, since you are closed. Thanks in advance.

Mad_Mikey

6/14/2016 01:52:08 pm

My visits to Queen Street started back in 1977! Good times and great stuff, once in a while I'd snag a late 1960's Tektronix Scope plug-in too! Back in ' 78 I worked in some of the Labs at York U where we built gear that would knock your socks off! Retired now, doesn't make it any easier.

Even the electronics trade shows are just 10% of what they used to be in the 70's and 80's.

I used to hit all the stores in the GTA a couple time a year! Now the List of who's gone is longer then who's left!!

Thanks guys!

R I P

mark love

6/22/2016 11:48:58 pm

.. aww -- was on my way to downtown tomorrow; and now I see the store is no more, thanks for the friendly service advice - will really miss the store an folks there.

Jorge Ch

7/11/2016 11:09:52 am

Hi there, awesome shop, use to go there every time i was in Toronto, sad to know that is gone, having my own bussines i know how hard may be. Anyway, among other items, i used to get those great small drill bits for my projects that you ised to have in a bucket, any suggestions on where i can get them now?, thanks in advance for your help (anybody), and good luck to all of those related with the shop

William Jackson

7/11/2016 11:36:02 am

carbide drill bits

https://www.google.ca/search?q=used+carbide+drill+bits&oq=used+carbide+drill+bits&aqs=chrome..69i57.11807j0j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Jorge Ch

7/11/2016 11:53:19 am

Thanks a lot!, any idea if any of those places mentioned above, like a1 or sayal may carry them?, i just like to go and buy in person, otherwise i will buy online for sure, thanks again!

William Jackson

7/11/2016 12:35:37 pm

You will have to call and see.

Jorge

7/11/2016 05:39:48 pm

Yes, off course, thanks a lot

Roel

7/14/2016 09:33:10 am

Didn't even know you where closed until I needed an electronic part and started googling...Just want you to know that as a kid in your store, it was like eye candy for me.

Jason Smith

7/16/2016 09:04:08 pm

I will always miss it...hmmm... I wonder if that would work with the calipers in the other ..maybe if I could get the mice ball from the ...and then if the suction tube would lift the ...no that's no go ...over two isles... If I used then hot glue sticks (ohh pellets) the ac/dc gauge and then ...how much do they want for the big drill bit? Doll heads! who the hell has this many doll heads, actually these are awesome if you add just one arm and this actuator...I need a battery for that actuator..oh man I haven't seen one of these since the 80s' . I need at least 6 of these springs to support the box housing so the impact...damn is that a two foot freznel I could cook a turkey... it was heaven.

J Hughes

7/21/2016 07:05:38 am

People have mentioned that China is knocking price margins making life economically harder in CA.

I moved to VietNam a few years ago (from YYZ) and if you think CN prices are good you should see what things actually cost there! O can get PCBs made in two days and components really cheap BUT it is often cheaper to buy the whole assembly from a CN supplier!

My favourite/most reliable supplier is Aliexpress. And they don't rip your credit card, either. Ebay is OK but you end up losing the warranties that Aliexpress can enforce. And refunds, too.

The mark-ups some importers change are outrageous - I see what CanTire can get things for and then see what they charge on their web site. We buy LEDs, resistors, capacitors, etc by WEIGHT here.

My company makes small electronic assemblies and employ 'home groups' for the assembly work. Aliexpress makes up our component kits, less PCBs and drop-ships them tp the groups.

One thing about The Gorilla Man on Queen West was their depth of knowledge and the fact you could 'shop for ideas' (browse) without hassle or being regarded as a potential shoplifter! Their staff was the greatest asset - pity to see them disperse.

Sounds like Toronto is headed the way of many places - packaged goods that don't quite hit the spot. Sad but reality.

B-T-W does anyone know what happened to the Chinese guy who had an electronics store on College near the Booster Juice/Tech Source who sold kits for students at the U of T? Just wanted to look him up next time I'm in T.O.

Stay safe.

Bill Jackson

8/26/2016 02:20:18 pm

Creatron has moved along College, and in the East End
https://www.creatroninc.com/store-locations

There is another Chinese guy in the Home Hardware
http://www.homehardware.ca/en/dealer-microsites/1381-7/contact-information.htm

Sarah

8/26/2016 01:18:20 pm

I haven't been in the neighbourhood in a while, just found out the news today, this has really bummed me out.

Whatismyname

9/4/2016 06:54:19 am

Ali

9/3/2016 01:21:56 pm

It is very sad to see such a nice place is now closed. I found many needed pieces and also many pieces that created new projects for me there since I moved to Canada. Today I visited Toronto and the location to find out they are not there anymore.

Newcomer

9/8/2016 09:03:25 am

Even my wife loved that store... From the time they had bigger space with all kind of machinery in basement until they moved at second floor with idiotic stairs (60 degree or something like that).
All kind of unusual, impossible to find anywhere... Shame. Is it low profit, not meeting 'yearly plan'? Competition from Aliexpress?
Currently my favorite store is Princess Auto. They have surplus section, too.

george link

10/14/2016 07:18:36 am

lots of active surplus items can be found at a1 electronic parts 196 north queen st etobicoke ( toronto ) 416 255 0343 they bought most of active surplus items at the auction

Peter

10/4/2016 12:42:33 pm

** Square wire **
Yes that's right. Does anyone else remember the spool of square
wire in the basement?

It was in the wire section full of wire on spools.
One of the spools had the square wire. That is, the conductor cross section was square not round.
I have never seen the same since.

- My favourite surplus store.

Bill Jackson

10/4/2016 01:25:58 pm

Square wire is common in motor winding where it allows a higher copper density and, when varnished, holds the wire in a tighter grip.
Usually in the larger wire sizes

Warren

10/28/2016 03:00:04 am

I went downtown a few weeks ago, expecting to spend an hour or so, browsing the isles, only to be met with a 'FOR LEASE' sign on the door! I couldn't believe it. After going to your store since the early '80's, it's gone! Another highlight of Queen St ( for me) is gone, along with Arkon, the Bamboo Club, etc.
I sincerely wish you all the best of luck.
Still in shock!

Will

12/1/2016 02:42:01 pm

This sucks. There is nowhere else in the city that had as reliable stock as you. I've had so many jobs and projects completed because of active surplus.
Any chance of opening somewhere new? Let me know please. Good luck.

Will

12/1/2016 02:42:17 pm

Lisa

12/9/2016 04:56:51 pm

My parents took me to your store to fulfill their electronics needs since I can remember, and as an artist, I happily harvested from your surplus as well. You were definitely part of the flavour down on Queen Street and I have a lot of good memories of your aisles. I wish you all the best in your reinvention. You were an awesome place to shop and I hope you reopen again as the same.

Come As You Are Co-op link

12/13/2016 10:07:04 am

You guys were literally the only good thing left on Queen West. Except maybe us. You are missed.

Malcolm

12/28/2016 02:54:49 pm

Started visiting/shopping at Active around 1975 with a friend when I was 10. Active was part of my Saturday morning walk when I was 13. The walk let me get to 6 or 7 shops, starting with "general electronics" close to finch on yonge, then subway to bloor, and start walking. I rarely missed a weekend! Moved out of TO 2003, so visits to my parents was also a shopping trip. I never came home without a backpack full of parts. Good memories. All the best. MAL.

Meghan

1/9/2017 05:20:42 am

Holy geez it's so hard to find a place that sells those really long test tubes , what did you end up doing with those pyrex test tubes, are they still available, if not. Then where can i buy them.

Bill Jackson

1/9/2017 09:12:20 am

High rents = the main enemy. Active owned their own store. When rents went so high that it made sense to tear down the store and erect stores to rent, that is what they did. The machinery business also failed as China became the source of machinery. Now Busy Bee machinery fill that gap..

Montreal still has Addisons, full of old parts as well as modern. And Kitchener-Waterloo has a large place with surplus electronics http://www.kwsurplus.com/ and there is another in London http://www.fcsurplus.ca/shopping/shopcontent.asp?type=Aboutus

eetech

1/26/2017 08:36:01 am

I worked at K-W in the early 80's; IIRC, Bill Ellis and Efraim found the gorillas and decided they were worth a fling. One stood outside the K-W shop; don't know if there was one at Forest City Surplus, or at Steel City Surplus, both of whom were satellite ops of K-W Surplus. I remember making van runs to Active dropping off stock, and picking up other stock. Good Times!

Chris L.

1/9/2017 08:48:15 am

I was customer of Active Gorilla (as we were called the store) for close to 30 years. And it required always more than hour to realize that it is the time to buy something or go. Usually I left the store with something. As always makig some projects there rare moments I left store not spending few or even more bucks. I will miss the store, the Gorilla, the opportunity of meeting people who think, feel and have the same soul and share it. Sometimes unspeakable but surely of the same interest. It will be missed but many and will remember by many. Many for whom electronics has started there, on Queen St West. I wish you to be able to reestablish the store. Maybe community will reestablish too?

JFC

2/3/2017 09:54:33 am

Getting my Electronics Technology at George Brown St James in the 1970's, I lived at Active Surplus. Decades later I'd bring 4 kids there where we'd buy weird stuff to build great home made projects. We're all going to miss you. An end of an era of the great gorilla store !

Joe N

2/19/2017 09:44:52 am

I worked for years at Arkon Electronics down the street from Active. Ah...the good times. Trying to blind people in the CN Tower disco using surplus laser tubes. Spending a week serving customers while wearing fighter pilot helmet liners and oxygen masks. And eating at Barneys. OH, those fresh cut fries.

Alas, Queen St is dead to me now.

Victoria S

2/25/2017 08:49:41 am

I hadn't been there for a bit and was just getting ready to go today. I' so disappointed. My dad took me to Active in the 70's on a visit to Toronto to see relatives. I still remember him grinning and pointing out a bin full of radio knobs. I remember thinking how on earth they would ever sell them all! When we moved to Toronto a decade later I met my future husband. One of the first places we went was to Active. I was so surprised he knew about it - I figured it was a quirk of my father. In the old days my Dad could kill an hour in Radio Shack when everything was for hobbyists and there was nothing to look at if you were a kid! Thanks for the memories.

Eric St-Laurent link

4/3/2017 12:25:32 pm

Arrghh. I miss Active Surplus so much. It's just not the same anymore.

Norman

4/21/2017 09:19:19 pm

I miss Active. So many projects came to mind while combing through those bins and shelves. When active closed i felt like a part of my imagination was ripped out of my mind...

DR RON TEITLER link

4/22/2017 02:24:01 pm

I AM 81 YRS & I HAVE GROWN UP WITH U ‼️
IT NOW SEEMS THAT THERE IS SOMETHING MISSING IN MY WORLD.😞😢😥😩 😢👎RON

Adam P

5/2/2017 08:33:44 am

It sad you're gone. I've known for awhile now, but it still stings. You store was always first in my mind for solutions, and inspiration.
Thank you

Brownest

5/9/2017 09:35:48 am

Yes, very sad. I feel compelled to reply. I have fond memories of Active. I think I wandered in there for the first time around 1974 - I was 13. I blew my allowance (and then some) on tubes, lighting assemblies and God knows what else. I was hooked. After that I would make a weekly pilgrimage down Yonge Street (visit Dialco, Dominion Radio, Active Components, Radio Trade Supply) down to Queen, where I'd visit Protonix (later Arkon) just around the corner from Henry's, and then walk all the way to Spadina to visit Active Surplus before heading home. There was so much to see and to learn about. It wasn't just the sights but the SMELLS of the old gear. There's something about the aroma of an old tube set humming away! Things changed in the 80s; Parts Galore and Computer Parts Galore and all the zillions of places that began to sell Apple II and PC clone parts. It was a time like no other. New things to learn and new technologies. I got a part-time job working for Albert E. at Computronix. I met many good people and it was a great experience. But even that changed. Prices fell; by the 90s it was no longer worth it to build your own computer or peripheral. The quality and variety of surplus gear dried up - especially the post WWII stuff and it was easy to lose interest. It seemed like many of the places had the same gear week after week. The crowd had changed too. I sensed that the DIY'ers and the hobbyists were mostly gone. Fast forward to the 21st century and how we buy things has made many bricks-and-mortar places simply unable to compete with eBay, Amazon and online retailers. It's too bad but it is progress and you can't stop progress no matter how rosy the past seems (and was!). A few years ago, quite by accident I saw Active Surplus at Steeles & Pine Valley and, remembering the Active Surplus of my youthful days, I dropped by. I don't know the name of the man who ran the Queen store but he was there. The funny thing is that he recognized me and I recognized him. A good feeling. Just like the good memories I have of Active Surplus and other electronic/surplus places of the day. You cannot fault establishments for having to change or to close. Factors are often beyond their control. You cannot fault people for changing, for moving on or for having to find a new way to make a living. Active Surplus was a wonderful place. Thank you to everyone there for making it happen.

stephan

7/29/2017 07:03:24 am

I was looking forward to go downtown to the store on queen street. I moved out of Toronto for a few years now. So sad that this place is closed up. I guess I have to remember when Queen street was cool! Now it is corporate and nothing interesting. Have to go west I guess!

wowsucks

8/22/2017 11:22:58 am

Ah damn closed in 2015 and this is a memorial page? sucky. just was here on vacation, hav ent been back in the city for a few years and wanted to take my new born 3 year old to experience the joy. sadness. you are missed from vancouver. nothing like this store around anymore i guess

Former Customer link

9/26/2017 12:57:01 pm

Used to frequent active surplus store since the early 80s . Went there again one day maybe 10 years ago to get quantity pricing on a component when my normal supplier didn’t have any stock,,. I spoke with what I think was an older man which I think was the owner and he passed me to a younger guy he referred as his ‘buyer’ . So the buyer looks up the pricing for this component , and gives me quantity pricing . what he offers is well over my budget . so I declined...my mistake was I told him I was getting the same component from a supplier a few doors down the street for about half his price ..and he quickly responded why not just buy it there? I told him it was out of stock there,.,the guy smirked and left it at that..like I was the asshole telling him his price was too high without actually saying that..so I thanked him and continued browsing in the store for 1o-15 minutes and then I hear the both the owner and ‘buyer’ are talking shit about me...like I had some balls asking for a ‘better’ price when I’m buying 100 of an item..they assume I’ve left the store,,, I drop the other items I was ready to buy..make sure they see me and walk out the door..never went in that trash heap since that day, I guess when you treat customers like deserve what you get, Good riddance

Jay

1/24/2018 05:07:26 pm

Sounds like you were the prick, attempting to pull one over on the guy. And there was no place down the street from there to get anything close to what may have been looking for. That's why he smirked...dumbass!!!

Former Customer link

1/17/2022 11:44:18 am

Yeah, you're right there is no place down the street because they moved to College St. and those guys are still in business selling electronic components unlike your former employer.

Manuel

10/15/2017 09:12:32 am

I was walking at Queen Street West this morning, then 347.... for lease!!! Which lead me to google to see what happened to my all time favorite computer and electronics store... its been 2 years... my last visit was early 2015. Hope that owners will decide to open new stores.

Bill Jackson

10/15/2017 12:34:50 pm

sad

Doug

10/15/2017 07:03:17 pm

Too bad Active is gone. Used to go in there looking for a couple of things and ended up buying $50+ worth of stuff. Going to have to look around for a fringe electronics alternative now. What a drag.

Dan O'Reilly

11/15/2017 09:27:29 am

An old patron of the Queen St. West store. I would visit the store religiously sometimes with no shopping list. It was a place of inspiration and resource. Jugding by the number of comments there were a many like myself. I see an opportunity for an energetic entrepreneur and a visionary landlord to fill this vacuum. Should i continue this conversation?

Andy Hoffer

2/2/2018 01:03:57 am

This is devastating! Until 2013 I worked downtown and enjoyed many a noon-hour trip to Active, and raved about it to colleagues. It was paradise for an improviser and scratch builder like myself. Tools, components, and all manner of exotic hardware - you could always find a solution at Active. It was so great to pore over the contents of the shelves and come away with truly unique treasures.

I recently retired and was looking forward to visiting the Active "Mecca" again this week. But alas, it is now just a cherished memory. Thanks to all who have posted their similar sentiments, which keeps the place alive in our hearts and minds.

Christopher link

2/6/2018 11:59:00 am

I too used to haunt the Queen Street area during the 80's, and Active was certainly a go-to location for a mad variety of things. Like today, for instance, I'm looking for a small CD tray drive belt for a Yamaha system. I'm 100% confident that a few years back I would have found one at Active, and lunch at The Riv'. The changes to that strip have been cruel. I really hate the way 'progress' changes some areas of Toronto. Bummer.

Nader

2/21/2018 08:20:36 am

This is soooooooooo sad, I just found out about it. You have always been my savior, when i don't find something anywhere else, you used to carry it. I hate to see good places to shut down.

Charles

4/23/2018 07:26:33 pm

Saskatoon checking in. Having recently started a vintage amplifier re-animation project, I consulted my local electronic component retailer and found that many of the bits I needed were not easily available. The gentleman behind the counter gave me a couple tips for places I might check across Canada and was tickled to learn that there was a shop on Queen St W. As delighted to hear that I might have some hope of getting my desired components, my insides were grinning to know that Toronto (esp Queen E) still retained some old school cool which I remember from my childhood. I'm sad to know that Active Surplus is now closed. Even to an outsider with some memory of the city, Queen has had its soul torn out. All the best to the Active Surplus family.

PS - As I write, I think I darkened the doorstep many years ago. Might have been a tinkerer uncle or grandad who dragged me along as a young child.

MOOG

5/12/2018 04:51:58 pm

Most kids played with GIJOs or other toys. My thing was to go to the gorilla store with $15 or so and buy as many electric motors and other just interesting things as possible . 38 years old now
hands down the best store ever

Tom

6/17/2018 02:45:33 pm

I used to go to Protronix/Arkon and later Active in the 70s by Bus and subway from Mississauga. I still remember the way the old city smelled to this kid living in the suburbs where everything was new. I bought so much stupid stuff that was never used. Now I buy my stuff from China on EBay. Once I started driving it was such a pain to find parking. Often in the 80s I would go to Active if given a downtown service call.

Tom

6/17/2018 03:01:01 pm

The Internet is amazing but it’s mostly about commerce. Not many old pictures that aren’t digital. I would love to see photos of Protonix/Arkon and of course the Monkey. Or the guy with the glasses behind the counter. You get old and try and find meaning in your life by remembering the past. Maybe none of it matters.

David

6/22/2018 08:40:04 pm

Wow...was planning a trip there this Saturday; retired now and have more time on my hands. Shocked to hear its RIP. So many things from our youth that we all miss. For some its Drive-ins, or camping, or maybe skateboarding or Trivial Pursuit, For me it was Apple II and Active.

I first stumbled upon Active Surplus in 1981, when I bought my Apple II+ from a computer store a block away near Steve's Music (just can't remember the name, but long gone). I was an Active regular for over 30 years, and would easily spend 2-3 hrs browsing and picking out good value items. In Toronto, we really only had Electrosonic at 5x the price of what you could get at Active and Radio Shack carried so few parts, they were never useful, beyond their free-battery-of-the-month-club. Active had so many great deals on high amp transformers, 1 farad capacitors, power cords, wall transformers, cases, switches, heat sinks, fans and on and on. I still have an all Active-sourced 40 Amp 12vdc power supply built in 1984 running today. Active made the electronics hobby fun and affordable. So did a subscription (or long term borrowed from the library) to Popular Electronics for those that remember that magazine.

Not sure what I would have bought tomorrow if you were still around - everything is so amazon-able, iphone-enabled, software driven, toaster electronics now. Maybe I just needed to re-connect with my youth, but I'm sure I would have still walked out with an arm full of super cheap patch cables, av adapters. component speakers, etc.

My decades long gone grandparents used to reminisce on using the RCA Tube Tester machine in the drugstore to self test and use a soldering iron to repair their electronics, to save the repair man bill. That was their Active in the 1940-60's. My Active of 80's to 2010's is one more electronics era that has come to an inevitable end. I don't even know how to describe the next era, unless its just a collection of defunct smart phones.

Many thanks and warm wishes to the staff and proprietors of Active.

Thanks so much for the memories!

June 22, 2018

Oliver link

7/17/2018 10:17:03 am

A good alternative for buying in Canada is Voltatek : https://voltatek.ca

Eggy

10/2/2018 06:29:42 pm

Here's another great Canadian alternative

https://electronicsurplus.ca/

Joe N

11/11/2018 05:34:18 am

I worked at Arkon for years back both on Queen E and W while I was a student at Ryerson. OMG the funny stories I could tell! There was a kind of third world charm to Queen Street in those days. Sadly, the days of Bon's submarines and Barney's amazing fries and burgers are long gone. Well, from one surplus veteran to another, here's hoping that Active will make a callback some day.

Pete

1/29/2019 05:06:43 am

Many happy memories of parts hunting at Active that I can't share with my kids, who I refer to as the "USB generation" as in, if there's no USB on it, they don't want it! (sad lol)

Vlad

2/10/2019 03:46:00 am

I wear the little red Active Surplus pin on my jacket every single day. Thank you for those awesome little pins, as well as all the other random stuff you provided to the public.

camila link

4/5/2019 01:54:52 pm

I love my pin too.

Ali77

4/6/2019 04:07:57 pm

Was a very good experience.

Peter H

7/11/2019 01:26:12 pm

Back in the early 90's when I was a computer bench technician and did component level repair, Active surplus was my go-to store for stuff that was unusual and hard to find. I totally loved going through the isles of all the weird and wonderful tech-stuff. Active Surplus was like a porn store for geeks.

An earlier poster remarked about the absence of electronics hobbyist magazines. Yes, I noticed the absence too; it's so sad. Our economy is so service oriented now that young people don't seem to realize the value of knowing that kind of stuff. The attitude is: 'everything of that nature gets done in Silicone Valley and China. What's the point of learning electronics in Canada?' So bloody sad.

I don't actually work in the electronics field anymore; however, I still have a love for it. And with all the amazing advances that have taken place in electronics engineering over that last 2-3 decades, we in Canada have pretty-much been left in the dark about all those advances without these types of hobbyist mags. Yes, There's Wikipedia, YouTube, et-al; But it's still no substitute for an in-depth magazine article with illustrations and a project you can build from scratch at home.

Young tech-heads in Canada might think they've got it made nowadays; but in reality, they have no idea what they're missing.

Goodnight sweet prince.

Pius Agius

12/16/2019 06:05:51 am

Well said and sadly very true. I used to subscribe and my personal library is filled with tons and tons of articles from these old magazines. Yes these days we sure have wonderful technology but how many of those using smart phones know how they actually work? You know more about things if you take them apart. Building and understanding from scratch is the way to go. Smart phone make people not so, I think. I feel it is a tragedy that this new generation will never ever know about those days!! I miss Active Surplus greatly and wish something would replace it !!

Phillip Jordan link

9/1/2019 03:08:38 pm

has anyone heard any news regarding A.S.A reopening? in a new location?

thanks

N Laco

11/29/2019 03:31:56 pm

I miss Active so much! I used to spend hours sifting through the shelves, bins and buckets full of ideas for new inventions and fixes life's broken things. It was always THE place for inspiring ideas and quirky finds. Please come back Active! Queen st isn't Queen st without you, Toronto needs you!

Bill Jackson

11/29/2019 04:02:36 pm

It is a sad product of gentrification and high property values that have been combined with the near cessation of manufacturing in Canada. Add on to that the era of surface mount circuit board fab and you get products that are not serviceable, with no way to understand defective boards - dealt with by tossing them away = cheaper to make a new one. At the same time all the wheels, parts suppliers etc went away with their customers.
The best replacement is buy via aliexpress.com, and wait 3-4 weeks from China, or buy from Creatron

349 College St, Toronto, ON M5T 1S5
MH4W+VM Toronto, Ontario

creatroninc.com

(647) 349-9258

Opens at 11:00 a.m.
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Review summary

5
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3.7
106 reviews
"Great customer service, well stocked shop and professional service."
"Extremely rude and unhelpful staff."
"They've got a good selection for hobbyists, but the prices are a bit high."
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Simon Finn
Local Guide ・15 reviews

3 months ago
I've never had the chance to visit their store but I placed an order on their website and there was a $3 potentiometer missing. They sent it rush and it arrived in two days. Can't complain. I really like that store. Huge catalog with …
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Diane Greene
2 reviews

2 months ago
Great, It is all neatly set out and the staff vary helpful.My son so happy and still is!!!!🔌
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Kevin Musters
Local Guide ・35 reviews

6 months ago
Great little shop for your electronic hobby products. This is what Radio Shack should have been.

Staff was really helpful to guide me in the components I would need for my project. Really glad I discovered this shop. Will be back again soon!
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Co or the huge parts warehouse in the basement of Home Hardware at College and Spadina.

290 College St, Toronto, ON M5T 1S2
MH5X+5C Toronto, Ontario

homehardware.ca

(416) 922-1158

Gary

12/7/2019 11:59:37 am

Oh my. My heart just broke in two. I lived in Toronto years ago, and have since moved back to my hometown in New Brunswick. I have to reiterate what has already been said many times....Toronto is just not the same place. It is not how I remember it at all. I adored Active Surplus. Spent hours there. It will definitely be missed! So sad to think that my beloved memories of Toronto are now just that, memories.

Brian Richmond

12/28/2019 05:23:56 am

Very sadly, Above All Electronic Surplus Ltd., 635A Bloor St. W., has closed, the store is completely empty and for rent, no contact information is available. R.I.P.

William J. Jackson

12/28/2019 05:27:51 am

Sad indeed. I have known the Above All guy for decades, he had a good assortment of good stuff. I guess the ramp up of rents has claimed anoither good man and store.

William J. Jackson

12/28/2019 05:29:14 am

Hopefully he will land on his feet, with his skills he should be OK

Brian Richmond

1/3/2020 02:14:32 am

I spoke to Steve, the proprieter of Above All Electronic Surplus Ltd., he has put a lot of the store’s content into storage and is contemplating the future of his enterprise.

Pete Hill

1/4/2020 04:26:16 pm

Brian, do you mean "All" or "A1"? A1 is in Etobicoke not to far off the Queensway. I was there 1 yr ago and he claimed to have bought 10 trailer loads from Active. not sure it it's true.

Pius Agius

1/3/2020 04:26:54 am

A very sad way to bring the new year. Is it me or is the rest of the world getting STUPID. I do not care for all that crap I see in the news. To me the world is getting darker in the sense that the future I thought would happen has NOT. I hate to see a bookstore close and I hate it so much more when a store that caters to us makers by having junk to buy goes down. It pisses me off when no one, I mean no one notices. The rest of the world has their stupid noses in their so called smart phones. WE NEED these sources of light so badly. I think we are entering a new dark age. Our so called leaders are not up to snuff. WE have to look after ourselves and now one of our suppliers is gone. BIRD SEED, i.e. B.s.!!!!
Sorry for the rant but that is how I feel right now !!

William J. Jackson

1/4/2020 05:22:00 pm

Pete:- A1 is off the Queensway. Above All was on Spadina, at several locations, but inexorable rent increases made it hard to get a new place. Prices are so high that people try to get high rents to pay the mortgage. I arrened the Avtive Auction. Almost zero modern stuff - all the old junk Active could not sell. All the good stuff was long gone prior to the auction. These stores will not come again untila severe depression causes people to buy used stuff, with the US$ and the Can$ dropping by 75% so that stuff from China goes up a lot and we can make our own stuff again and surlus will revive...maybe?

William J. Jackson

1/3/2020 05:32:50 am

That is a market for you. If people wanted his stuff in good volume, he would have survived. Sadky as manufactruing went off shore (and to surface mount parts as well) the source of products also sent offshore. Canadian and US manufacturers went off shore. Additionally the surface mount revolution in making stuff small also blocked most people for design and fabrication of small boards etc. It was too complex to make SM boards and solder on SM parts,'
This now done by pick and place machines with screened on solder/paste flux pad, heated in an IR oven.
Surplus SM boards are almost useless to most who can not easily use the parts. Even if they got yhem off, how would they test them?
Experts with SM repair tools that cost $300 or more can do it, and many places repair boards by testing them on a bed of nails tested made for that board which uses test pads and other points to find the dead parts, which are then replaces one at a time for high cost boards. Cheap boards are tossed out in many cases as not repairab;e. The various Hacker spaces ofyen have some of these machines for members to use,' Here is the best one in Toronto.
https://hacklab.to/

no name

4/13/2020 08:24:47 am

Since the stores have been closed, I'm curious as to who/why has been renewing the domain name?

Domain Name: ACTIVESURPLUS.COM
Registry Domain ID: 1029961_DOMAIN_COM-VRSN
Registrar WHOIS Server: whois.networksolutions.com
Registrar URL: http://networksolutions.com
Updated Date: 2020-04-06T07:10:05Z
Creation Date: 1996-06-06T04:00:00Z
Registrar Registration Expiration Date: 2023-06-05T04:00:00Z

Bill Jackson link

4/13/2020 08:52:05 am

Most of the USA surplus places are gone. I recall it all started with Electro-Sonic (Martin Rosenthal VE3MR, on Yonge at Wellesley. There was Radio Trade Supply 200 yards South and Paramount Equipment (Lou Wallender), Globe Electronics (Peter Wiebe) and Hercules Sales as well as Central Surplus, as well a Protonix (Al Delroy on Queen where Saul Hersch used to be as well as Saul's Warehouse(later my Parts Galoe warehouse) on Beverley Street near Active Surplus and Sun Glo motorcycles... All were given birth by the huge flood of Electronic Surplus that WW2 gushed forth (Not Electro Sonic or Radio Trade - theye were regular radio parts suppliers. Then who remembers Canal Street in New York City with 40 assorted Surplus stores - electronic, Tanks vehicles - the real global surplus Mecca. ALl gone now. I am 81 - While Memory Serves...

Gidon LEV link

4/20/2020 07:35:40 am

Yes, I have not been in your store for along time, though when I was it was great. I am a relative of FRANK COHN, as you may remember, and just celebrated my 85th. birthday ! Still have a plate on my dining room table that Frank gave me. If you could send me your Email address, I can keep you posted, (am writing a book )Stay well and HEALTHY ! Gidon

William J. Jackson

4/20/2020 09:08:51 am

Gidon, I am at bill.jackson - at - gmail.com

Nino Andreatta

7/3/2021 05:38:07 pm

It's the gost from active surplus past ,in the beginning I worked from 71 to 80 . Bill call me 647-712-0088 thanks.

Joseph Nightingale

7/31/2020 06:29:40 pm

Hey BIll Jackson! Remember me? I worked at Arkon both on the East side and West side for years! I worked with Neil and Darren. Had so much fun there trying to blind people in the CN Tower disco using surplus laser tubes, etc. Good times. Sad to see Active meeting the same fate as Arkon.

William J. Jackson

8/1/2020 02:49:07 am

Joseph, Yes I remember you, and all the east and west side antics. I started Parts Galore on College Street and sold it in 2002 for $400,000
and went into the Bay street milieu. Retired from that in 2018, now I work on the house and buy parts from Aliexpress, creatron abd the Home Hardware with a basement full of parts at College and Spadina.
I am a backer of hacklab.to, but attendance is down due to SARS-2. Once it is back to normal, make a visit.
Since I was a google beta tester for gmail, I was able to grab my name bill.jackson as my email.

The Gorilla Store link

9/2/2020 03:09:05 pm

The legacy of Active Surplus lives on at The Gorilla Store. Owned and operated by former Active staff, The Gorilla Store at 609 College has a modest room of your favourite junk and electronics.

Started at the Ontario Science Centre as part of a robotics exhibition, The Gorilla Store now has a stand alone Brick-and-Mortar store in Little Italy, feature projects and books for kids and adults, as well as old Active Staples, like lab glass, components, electronics, and best of all, JUNK!

William J. Jackson

9/2/2020 03:38:35 pm

I placed the Gorilla Store on the Toronto hacklab Telegram site, so people should start showing up there sooner or later?

Donald McKinnon

8/24/2021 08:23:49 pm

I first shopped at Active Surplus the week it opened beside the machine store. Everything was in cardboard boxes on the floor, shelves came shortly later. There were wood trays with glass prisms and I still have about a dozen. There were also tank periscope prisms still sealed in transparent plastic with crimp-on metal collars. I still have a few of those too. I was a technician at the ROM at the time and once bought an equipment rack still full of rows of lined-up toggle switches each paired with a transistor-switched neon pilot light to use for a chart recorder and some other electronics in a lab there. I miss it every time I come across something I bought there - today it was a simple ratchet driver for hex shaft bits.

Pete

9/22/2021 02:09:00 pm

Yo Don, I never went in the machine store next door, was it good? did they have parts and cutters for lathes and milling machines? Back then I did not look hard since I had access to the tool room at work but I did spend a lot of time in the electronics store! TY

David

11/6/2022 04:59:53 am

Pete: Atlas Machinery moved business to Etobicoke a while ago.

Michael Sutherland

11/8/2021 11:32:05 am

many years ago, there were 3 brothers, in the war surplus business, there were Cohen, Cohen, and Cohen, One Cohen in the Market in downtown Hamilton, One Cohen, on Queen St West in Toronto, and the Third brother in Ottawa, on Merrivale. They all did a booming business for years, then the slowdown came eventually, the first store to close was Hamilton, then Toronto, but the brothers in Ottawa, are still going strong but they learned to deversify.
Long before the yellow Annex store opened, I bought a 16mm aircraft gun camera from Eber, to use in a college project, and when I was finished with it, Eber, bought it back from me, the machine shop store in the late 1950's also sold military surplus, in the basement and the more expensive stuff was kept in the glass cases by the cash register
down the street about 6 stores east of Bathurst on the south side was another surplus store that sold weapons, radios, uniforms and Bren Gun Carriers

Michael Sutherland

6/7/2023 02:34:47 pm

Did you know Irwin has passed away, he was the best counterman for many years, previously Irwin had his own store just down the street called Surge Electronics, and before that he had 2 stores on Yonge street, Daico Electronics and Foremost Electronics

Rob Legg

6/8/2023 07:50:20 am

Mike, Sorry to hear that. Where did he come up with the name Daico?

Armand

6/2/2024 07:40:07 pm

It's been 9 years... Hard to believe such an incredible store such as this one is gone forever. Since I was young boy in the late 60s I would visit this store with my dad. Once I was old enough to go myself, I would drop in to this store ever couple of weeks. You had to... so much could change... new stuff... a new project! You could spend hours going through everything. I wish I could express how much I miss this place. There will never be another one like it.

INDASINA link

11/6/2024 09:28:31 pm

Electronic component solutions are essential for modern technology, providing the building blocks for various devices and systems. These solutions encompass a wide range of components such as resistors, capacitors, microcontrollers, and sensors, tailored to meet specific application needs. By integrating the right components, engineers can enhance functionality, improve efficiency, and drive innovation in everything from consumer electronics to industrial machinery. Understanding the latest trends and technologies in electronic components can significantly impact product development and performance.

Sunpower New Energy link

11/11/2024 01:41:23 am

Sunpower New Energy helps you find lithium battery solutions to meet power tools, garden tools, vacuum cleaners, drones, and more applications.

Sengled link

12/2/2024 01:34:00 am

Thank you for sharing this insightful post. Your perspectives are both enlightening and thought-provoking.

Paul Bumpkin link

12/11/2024 06:32:10 pm

I grew up in the burbs and the occasional trip I made to the city on the bus before I could drive would have me walking the length of Queen Street all the way to Portland. I always went into Active Surplus which was a bonanza of so many wonderful things and like stepping into another dimension. I thought long and hard about buying a bowling pin and a traffic light because... why not? When I was studying engineering at Ryerson in 2004, I made many trips to Active Surplus to buy parts for the rocketry club on campus. We were so lucky to have this store in our community before the internet took over everything.

I was saddened to learn that the "reboot" of Active Surplus (the Gorilla Store) on College Street is now closed after a couple of years in business. Another convenient options was Creatron at College & Brunswick is now closed too. Such a shame that these small shops are out of business as a result of rising rents and greedy landlords.

To our Friends and Valued Customers

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