Kaufman’s Army and Navy was one of the unexpected highlights of our trip to New York City. From the moment we walked in, the owner was incredibly welcoming, knowledgeable, and genuinely kind, especially toward my son. He took real time to help him find the exact military gear he had been looking for, offering thoughtful suggestions along the way without ever feeling rushed, impatient, or annoyed by our many questions.
What stood out most was his demeanor. Calm, engaging, friendly, and deeply knowledgeable. He clearly loves what he does, and that passion comes through in every interaction. He shared fascinating history about the items in the store and even took time to explain the broader history of Army and Navy surplus stores in the United States, which made the experience feel special and meaningful rather than just transactional.
This shop is more than a place to buy gear. It is a place where history, expertise, and genuine human kindness come together. We left with exactly what my son wanted and with memories we will always associate with our time in New York. I cannot recommend Kaufman’s Army and Navy highly enough.
Good selection, bad vibes. I have natural hair and was trying on a bandana when an employee came up and said it would be a “health code issue” if i did not buy it. (Mind you, I was already planning to buy it)… He couldn’t explain the code when I asked because there isn’t one. It was discrimination. I won’t be coming back here, ever.
Great selection of clothes, gear and accessories. Staff are really friendly and helpful. Fair prices. Happily recommend to anyone looking for army surplus.
Great store with great service from the owner and staff. The owner was friendly, funny, patient, and very knowledgeable
I came in with very little knowledge of which exact boot I wanted and even less knowledge on the walls of military surplus equipment.
I decided to start with the boots and must have looked confused, as soon the owner came over and offered to help. He gave recommendations for multiple boots in different price ranges and even explained each boots features in detail.
While this was a lot of info, he didn't rush it and was really trying to get me to understand the pros and cons of each boot.
He even went into which boot colors are meant to match specific combat uniform patterns (which was one of my goals when picking the color of the combat shoe)!
He even gave me time to research the suggested models on my phone to confirm pricing and specs.
The owners detailed overviews and transparency helped make a much more informed decision so I decided to purchase those boots on the spot.
Afterwards ,when I became interested with the camo uniforms he went as far to explain the names, origins, and use of the different camo patterns.
Even telling me later the two pieces of camo I had in my cart wouldn't match and that it would be more wise to wait for the correct pattern, leading me to buy one less thing.
The owner is extremely selfless in that he doesn't drive/pressure his customers to make possibly bad purchases.
Definitely check out Kaufman's Army & Navy if you're looking for a friendly and helpful atmosphere with legitimate militaria and army surplus!!
likely the best surplus store in new york city. extremely knowledgeable owner, who was very happy to help with finding items and providing insight into the history of the items. had some great genuine surplus stuff i haven’t seen in person before - desert night camo parkas, UCP M-65s, some foreign military uniforms. very reasonable pricing, especially for being right in times square. i will definitely be coming back!
Wide variety of both modern and vintage, reproduction and genuine surplus, US and foreign (but mostly US). Owner of the shop is extremely kind & knowledgeable about the things in his store, as well as very enthusiastic about the history; I got to hold and page through an actual from-1945 catalogue of military insignias, made by companies providing for the government. And he brought out a variety of other vintage things for me to hold! Ask and ye shall receive.
Amazing place. Owner has a lot of knowledge on the items they sell, good sense of humor as well. Very happy buying from them. Will def come back again!!! They have a lot of cool stuff.
Great store and amazing service. Bought a few items from here, and they went above and beyond to help me find the stuff I wanted. Will totally come back here to buy more stuff. I’ve attached a vest and some boots I bought here
If you are interested, this is definitely worth a stop. It's run by one of the friendliest New Yorkers you could ever hope to meet, He knows everything about the items inside his store, and probably everything outside too. And if you stop you won't leave empty handed!
What an experience is to be visiting this store. The owner is super nice and glad for you to be there and he gives you all the info for an informed purchase. I think this kind of stores are more rare and rare in these days and all the efforts and passion they have, they deserves a great success! The store is packed with incredibile nice staff, from replicas to original rare pieces. Highly recommended
This is truly a one of a kind in new york. Located in the same exact spot for decades, this is a marvel. They have a great supply of different military and camping supplies. You never know what you will find here. Prices are super accommodating. The owner works there and greets everyone with a sincere "hello ,come in". I can't wait to return and get another great deal
Very interesting store! Thousand of military articles, patches and clothes. Very reasonable prices. Jim is a super kind and professional person willing to support on whatever you may need. If you are a veteran or simply like military articles you should not miss it!
This store has a wide selection of US and foreign uniforms as well as bags, pouches, hats, boots, and other misc. accessories. Both new and second-hand items are available. Not the cheapest prices I've seen, but more than fair overall. The owner was fantastic: friendly, helpful, and even offered to order things they didn't have in stock. Really nice guy, I'd come back just for him.
This shop is amazing. I was looking for a jacket and for more than half an hour i was asking them to give me different sizes and accidentally made them stay after their closing time and they were still very helpful and polite and even though they didnt have that size they told me that they are gonna try to get it by tomorrow and to my surprise they actually had it ready by the next day. Literally the best experience i had in NYC during my trip there. 10/10
During my visit to NY for a few days, I had the pleasure of stopping by Kaufman, and I'm absolutely thrilled to share my exceptional experience.
The owner goes above and beyond to explain the products and ensure we made the right decisions. It was evident that the owner and the staff are genuinely passionate, gentle, and incredibly caring toward their customers.
I'm truly grateful for the positive encounter and hope to have the chance to visit again someday!
The owner also provided my wife and me with wonderful insights into the best spots in NY along with a bit of a history lesson! Warm regards from Italy!
I visited while my family was on vacation and I would highly recommend coming here for any of your surplus needs. I bought a pin, huge flashlight, and camo netting as souvenirs and my brother bought a bag. Mr. Kaufman and the rest of his staff were very friendly and willing to help if you had any questions. Mr. Kaufman even offered to get me a new flashlight instead of one of the display models that I had picked up to purchase. The everything was reasonably priced for the quality of the item. The bag feels nice and durable. I am very happy with my purchases.
Went in looking for some dress uniforms and though they didn't have exactly what I was looking for in my size, they took my number and got back to me promptly.
I served in the army, myself and found some ACUs and boots with rank pins for modern day uniform wear. The staff was incredibly kind and helpful. They were all very knowledgeable and made kind and supportive conversation the entire time.
Reasonable prices and very considerate of customer needs. This is the place you need to visit for any of your military supply or uniform needs!
Amazing shop. Difficult to find this kind of store in Europe. Used and new stuff, cool clothes, patches, hats etc. The owner was really kind with me and I appreciated the fact that he was more interested about my passion than focused on selling my stuff. I think one of the best in NYC.
I have been wanting to go here on prior visits to NYC, but never got the chance. While I was waiting for my hotel room to be ready, I strolled over. The selection was smaller than I envisioned, but nice. I nearly bought a comical COVID t-shirt that was on clearance, but decided against it. The prices seemed pretty fair, but I didn't buy anything. There are better Army Navy stores in Chicago.
While this has nothing to do with the store, the next thing that happened left a sadly unforgettable image in my photographic-memory brain. A homeless person was lying just to the west of the door and appeared to be covered in a thick layer of glazed feces all over one leg of his jeans. I have never seen anything like this and hope to never again.
Absolutely brilliant shop, came with my Son from the UK on holiday and found exactly what we wanted. Really professional service , brought myself a fantastic quality thick leather belt for under 5 dollars, absolute bargain!!! We'll be back for sure.
Always one of my favorite parts of visiting New York city. Ever since the first time I visited the US, a visit to Kaufman’s was top of the list when in NYC. The personnel is super friendly, helpful and Jim even gave me and my girlfriend some nice sightseeing tips around town the last time we visited. Take care & hope to see you soon!
Went there to look around, and ended up getting very valuable items (to me) at very good prices! They have great customer service, if you’re a history/military buff, this is definitely one of the best places to visit. Everything there is unique, and if you know where to look and what to ask, you may find something amazing!
I was lucky enough to mention that I was from out of town, and Mr. Kaufman dug through his stocks just to find something that holds a lot of relevance and importance to me and where I come from. Many rare and awesome finds, and very friendly people to help you look for them!
125 W 3rd St, New York, NY
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