The "friendly executioner" mascot was there, taking aim at prices. So were the funny handmade signs. And the unique, overflowing inventory of Army surplus gear, wires and motors, arts and crafts doo-dads, and assorted manufacturing mistakes.

Yes, the elements that make the Ax-Man Surplus stores a beloved "above-ground landfill" for bargain hunters, do-it-yourselfers, students, teachers and fans of the obscure and absurd were there when Jim Segal bought the business 10 years ago.

One of his initial challenges was to assure long-time customers and employees, some of whom have logged more time in the crowded aisles than he has, that he wouldn't change too much. The store started in the early '60s, moved into its headquarters on University Avenue in St. Paul in 1966 and today has locations in St. Louis Park, Fridley and Crystal.

That concern was understandable, Segal admitted, considering that the former marketing major was going from the world of franchised vitamin and health food shops to the Fred Sanford ambience of Ax-Man.

Segal, though, has maintained the Ax-Man formula, offering an "off-the-wall" selection of spare parts and what-nots and some "normal stuff," all priced as cheap as possible.

"I'm sure they were worried about me making it some kind of corporate deal," Segal said. "Last year they stopped calling me the new owner. It only took 10 years."

Among the stores' trademarks are the witty, employee-made signs touting the real or imagined benefits of different products. Segal attributed the creative bent to former owner David Gray, who had acquired the business from founder Jess Liberman before selling it to Segal.

I don't know. It creates an environment where customers come in and have a laugh and experience our employees' humor. If I find it offensive, it won't be there. If it's something political, I tell the employees, if you're going to rip on the Republicans just do me a favor and rip on the Democrats equally.

We just took in an obsolete military field hospital, 1960s vintage. All the parts you could think of, from the emergency room to bed pans, bone saws, surgical lights, anesthetic machines. There's a big buzz about that.

Maybe. I thought I would be wearing a suit every day and not getting my hands dirty and it's 100 percent the opposite. I much prefer the way my life has turned out, in hindsight. I'm finding what I do to be very fulfilling.

What would surprise people about Ax-Man behind the scenes?
We'll buy truckloads of items we would like some of but couldn't sell a truckload of in our stores. If it's too much, we will wholesale it off. It puts some pressure on us. If we buy a million of something and we only need 10,000 for our stores, it's an uphill battle to sell 990,000 of some of those things.