Ansom Store Profile: Sonny Hawkes Army/Navy

BY HOWARD PROZNITZ
(Published January 15th, 2004 - Editor: Mark Hawver)

From Nomex flight suits sold from a front yard fence to a 2,325 square foot store with an 18,000 square foot parking lot, the career of Sonny Hawkes has been a steady success story.

Hawkes, owner with his wife MaryAnn of Sonny Hawkes Army/Navy AT 5025 Milford Road in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, began buying surplus in 1990, reselling on the street outside his home in Bayonne, New Jersey.

Hawkes was working full-time for the U.S. Post Office in nearby Secaucus, New Jersey when he spotted a newspaper advertisement for a surplus auction at Military Ocean Terminal in Bayonne, a few blocks from his home.

"I thought it would be interesting," said Hawkes. "I went down there and everybody outbid me. Then a tough guy with a cigar came over and talked to me. He said 'Why are you bidding and driving the price up?'..."

The tough guy turned out to be Eddie Tarashinsky, founder of Tarashinsky Merchandise, who ultimately became one of Hawkes' mentors.

"He taught me how to bid, to avoid novelty items and to stay with the basics like BDUs," said Hawkes.

Hawkes' first purchase was for the lot of 400 Nomex flight suits, for which he paid $200. Only four of the suits were destroyed beyond repair. He sewed the others on a sewing machine, and strung them out on his front yard fence. He sold them out at $20 a suit, and used the money to reinvest in his next purchase.

In early January 1991, three months after buying the Nomex flight suits, Hawkes opened his first store, a 600 square foot storefront in Bayonne, for which he paid $300 a month rent.

One of his first acquisitions was a stock of American flags.

"The Gulf War broke out on January 16th and I was the only one around who had flags," he recalls.

Hints of future success came early. In his first year of business, Hawkes was bidding against Samuel Schwarzman at Military Ocean Terminal for a lot of 100 pair of military boots. "I outbid him at $4.50 a pair," said Hawkes. "It began to rain and he joked that I couldn't get the boots back to my store in my rented pick-up truck before the rain broke open the tri-walls the boots came packed in. He was right. The Triwalls broke, and all the boots fell into the street and two police cars pulled up. I thought the cops were going to lock me up. But they started picking through the boots, matched sizes, and paid me ten dollars a pair. I learned then how you could double your money in a few minutes."

In 1995 Sonny and MaryAnn bought a house in Bushkill. They relocated their business into a 1,000 square foot store in a tourist and university town in the Pocono Mountains.

Business doubled over Bayonne in the first year in Pennsylvania, said Hawkes, who continued working in the Secaucus Post Office, commuting more than two hours a day while MaryAnn managed the store part-time.

East Stroudsburg had another army/navy store at the time, but Hawkes quickly drove the competitor out of business.

"They didn't go to the shows. They didn't know what the customers wanted," said Hawkes.

From the outset of his career, Hawkes understood the importance of attending trade shows and seeking the guidance of old time surplus dealers like Tarashinsky, Schwarzman and Ray and Lou Reaback of Raymor.

"Without a doubt that is why I've competed successfully against other dealers," Hawkes stated.

"At the shows you learn about new products and the dealers show you how to use them, which is essential to customers," said Hawkes.

An example of the importance of product knowledge is represented by a lithium-powered lantern sold by Rothco.

"It produces a very bright light, which is important in this rural area where there isn't a lot of outdoor lighting. We sell it for $49. Similar lithium lanterns retail for a hundred dollars or more," said Hawkes.

In 1999, Hawkes relocated to nearby Foxmoor Village Mall, where he remained until October 2003.

"Army/navy stores can survive, and even thrive in malls, but they have to make some adjustments," said Hawkes.

"You have to clean your products to get rid of that surplus store smell. We wash everything in a heavy-duty washer," he said.

In his store in blue collar Bayonne, Hawkes carried a variety of work wear, but that category that has been lightly represented in his Pennsylvania business. In Bayonne, Hawkes' ratio of surplus to commercial products was approximately 75/25. In East Stroudsburg, the ratio has been reversed.

"It's harder to obtain American surplus," according to Hawkes. "During the Clinton administration, a lot of it went overseas. They no longer have government employees conducting auctions."

Despite the difficulties in finding U.S. military surplus, Hawkes still avoids foreign surplus.

"If you carry foreign surplus, customers will think the stuff is fake. I will pay extra money to get American," said Hawkes, who as much as possible, tries to stock only American-made commercial products.

Commercial suppliers include most of the major dealers and manufacturers of army/navy merchandise including Rothco, Best Emblem, Woolrich, and, in footwear, Bates, Alpers and Corcoran.

"I buy from everybody. I don't peg myself down," said Hawkes.

Tourists are a major customer base in East Stroudsburg. Hawkes carries a generous section of camping supplies and advertises in camping directories.

"We do a tremendous tourist trade," he said. "We are right next to a huge flea market. I thought it would be negative but it has turned out to be positive. People walk over from the flea market and buy from us."

Re-enactors are another major customer base, including Revolutionary War and Civil War groups. Blankets, which re-enactors convert to capote capes, and webbing for trapper baskets are popular items. Hawkes occasionally sells re-enactors leather for making moccasins.

Hawkes has long carried BB guns and recently became a national paintball representative. He will be stocking Tipmann and other major brands of paintball supplies.

Sonny Hawkes attributes his success, in part, to staying informed of developments in the business and maintaining a network of contacts with surplus dealers and suppliers.

"I am always ready to listen to the old timers," says Hawkes "I am not afraid to call up a vendor and tell them right out front that their product is no good. I would rather pay more for something than get a cheaper product. The trend is to make things cheaper, but customers want better quality."

Summarizing his 13 years experience, Hawkes sees it as all positive.

"It hasn't been a flash in the pan. I am surprised how well I am doing. I never thought I could make a living at this."