Andy and Bax set to close for good

Published 5:18 pm Wednesday, September 6, 2023

Famous military surplus store Andy & Bax is going out of business. The store known for selling heavyweight camping gear, military uniforms, weapons and inflatable dinghies will close later this year, according to a tweet from Zach Urness, of the Salem Statesman Journal.

A banner was hung on the building on Tuesday, Sept. 5, announcing a 20 percent off everything sale.

The store is one of several characteristically Portland outdoor retailers still going in the digital age. These include Next Adventure down the block and the Portland Outdoor Store downtown (purveyor of cowboy gear). The US Outdoor Store, known for its snow sports gear, moved across town to the Pearl in 2020 but closed up shop in 2023.

In his tweets Urness, an outdoors reporter, went on to lament the loss of other indie outdoors stores such as the Ashland Outdoor Store and Salem Summit Co.

In 2013, the Oregonian/Oregonlive.com reported that customer Lewis Goldstein returned an inflatable raft because he didn’t like the oarlocks. After arguing with Ted Schopf, the store’s manager, Goldstein received a 90 percent refund on the condition that he never set foot in the store again.

Edgar Baxter founded the company with his friend from World War II, Andy Anderson, in 1945.

The company has been owned by Schopf since 2019.

The website andyandbax.com defaults to a single page announcement:

• After 78 years we are retiring
• Closed Sundays and Mondays
• Hours: 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday thru Saturday
• All items 20% off
• All sales are final
• No returns
• No refunds
• No exchanges
• No discount on prior sales
• Cash and card accepted
• ID required with all credit and debit cards used
• Andy & Bax gift cards will be accepted
• No stock checks and no holds
• We do not ship