They've had an incredible run, selling all of the stuff that none of us need.

Unless your a chemist, of course!

American Science and Surplus is one of my favorite Chicagoland stores. They take all of the leftover items from companies that didn't make it, then repurpose it all and sell it to wanting buyers. Walking through their store on Milwaukee Avenue today, we found telescopes, hard hats, giant funnels, police crime tape, owl vomit pellets, a TV/VCR, and so much more.

The company had its biggest year ever in 2011, shipping nearly 100,000 orders from both its retail store and extremely popular website. The catalogue descriptions are an even bigger draw, with their dry sense of humor describing items. Examples....

- Wind-Up Vehicular Fridge Magnet - "In assorted colors that we'll decide on, thank you very much."

- Micro-Mini R/C Racecar - "If Richard Petty were 3/4" tall, this is the car he'd be driving..."

- Old Navy Headphones - "These NEW headphones are from the actual old Navy, not a faux-hipster clothing outlet."

You really have to see the store for yourself, even if you don't plan on buying anything. The three day sale will go down March 30-April 1 at 5316 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago. You can call them at 773-763-0313. You can find them online at

My WGN News at Five feature will be posted here after it airs!