An AVO Surge Tester with all the bells and whistles In a “throw away” society where we often think newest is best, Matthew Goettemoeller stands tall. He likes used — and not just because it’s cheaper. Case in point: a surge tester. Specifically an AVO Multi-Amp DS-13SA Surger Premiere. That’s the long name for an … Read more
Somewhere in the cargo hold of a UPS jet in mid-April is a small but very important package of surplus industrial equipment with a five-figure price tag. It has a long journey from its starting place in Boise, Idaho to a small village — Saint-Paul-Lès Dax — in the south of France. That’s a distance … Read more
It’s not often one shares their thoughts about an industrial gauge and a cartoon dog in the same sentence, but this one is too much to pass up. This is about Zachary “Zac” Fisher, a fascination with anything NASA, a cartoon dog, and an industrial gauge. It starts with this instrument: Idaho Surplus Auctions https://idahosurplusauctions.com/ … Read more
It’s a sure bet that Mr. Sassoon didn’t have anything but styling in mind when he began selling hair dryers decades ago. He passed away several years back, but he would probably appreciate Obtainium’s innovation and sense of creativity. Credit goes to this guy—Dan Matthews. Dan came up with a quick, efficient way to test … Read more
When this piece of legacy electronics first showed up at the Obtainium warehouse thoughts drifted back to my old radio days—the big boards with dials (attenuators) and meters that measured levels to make sure your voice wasn’t over-modulating, but a closer look put an end to my nostalgia. It was something equally or perhaps more … Read more
Close your eyes and think INDUSTRY. Can you see it now? That big smoke stack over there—massive machines, warehouses surrounded by railroad tracks. We’re talking big boy stuff. Dirty faces and overalls. Alright, alright, that’s a little old because things have changed. Just ask this woman. This is Ginny Root. She is the master and … Read more
Nope. This is happy Max Porter. A ray of sunlight in the world of customer service done right. This is the invoice Max sent to John, the guy who owns Obtainium, who bought a battery one day and got it the next day. It was packaged neatly, the invoice in a plastic pouch and the … Read more
And why such a little fish is so important I already know what you’re going to ask: what the heck does a shiner have to do with Obtainium or better yet: is Obtainium branching out as a bait store? Really? Nope. But one of our customers has—Shiner Sam (https://www.shinersunlimited.com/), AKA: Sam Dispraseuth. Fifteen years ago, … Read more
Bob Jones is a modest fellow. He is relaxed and calm, with an easy laugh and a close to an encyclopedic knowledge of Obtainium’s warehouse. And that is not an easy task. The warehouse looks less than intimidating until you walk in and see the layers of shelves and the vast inventory of scientific, … Read more
One of the more common items in a scientific lab is a magnetic stir bar, a simple magnet coated in lab-grade Teflon and used to continually mix whatever liquid might be in a flask or beaker. They come in a variety of sizes and are reusable. The University of Houston Natural Science & Math (UHNSM) … Read more