Walter Brill's eyes would light up when a customer at his Army-Navy surplus store in Minneapolis asked what use a particular gadget had.
Brill, who as a U.S. Army sergeant during World War II pondered what use civilians might have for surplus equipment when he returned home, died Friday in Minneapolis. He was 91.
In 1976, Brill, owner of American Army and Navy Surplus Store in downtown Minneapolis since the mid-1950s, took a reporter for a tour of the store. He showed him outerwear, Western wear, stuff for outdoor adventure and military surplus.
"Practical, practical," he said in the Feb. 1, 1976, Minneapolis Tribune article. "That's the watchword here."
At 4th Street and 1st Avenue N., where he had moved the store in 1985, a torpedo symbol over the doorway welcomes customers. Many of those customers -- scouts, outdoors sports folks or the college-bound -- are the children or grandchildren of people who shopped for the same kinds of sturdy gear and clothing when they were young.
The surplus store was the place to go for all manner of gear, such as Dutch Army pants, gas masks, Swiss Army mittens, a military rucksack to double as a book bag, military coats from various NATO allies and nowadays MREs, or meals ready to eat.
Or a dummy hand grenade. Not practical? It serves as a paperweight, Brill would tell you.
"He had an eagle eye for value," said his daughter Toby, of St. Louis Park, who now runs the store. "He knew when he had done a good job, because the customers were looking for the same items their parents bought."