Hidden Gems: Lion Surplus at Penn State

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — When looking to update a house or workspace, you might consider buying something secondhand to save a little money. And, if you’re a part of the Penn State community, you might be in luck. Lion Surplus, a storefront in State College, specializes in items collected from the University and sold secondhand for a more affordable — and sustainable — cost. 

Lion Surplus offers a curated selection of secondhand items for sale, including computers, furniture, vehicles, and Penn State gear and memorabilia. All items are collected from the University, offering a sustainable way to process things that are no longer needed. 

“There’s a focus on sustainability and affordability,” said Lion Surplus Manager Glenn Feagley. “Low prices help move a high volume of inventory and keep it out of landfills.” 

The storefront regularly offers a collection of workplace and home furnishings, such as monitors, desks and chairs. But some specialty items also are available through specific events, such as the annual sale at the Pegula Ice Arena during Blue-White Weekend and through regular auctions both in-person and online. 

“The auctions are coordinated with University departments wishing to place specialty items on auction websites,” Feagley said. “Updates on those events, and even some sneak peeks on the items up for bid, are shared on Lion Surplus’ Facebook page.” 

Currently, an online auction is available for pieces of Beaver Stadium as the facility undergoes renovations. Interested parties can visit the auction site to browse pieces for sale, including stadium seats, display pieces and more. Items will be added to the auction every day through the summer until everything is sold. 

The storefront also offers opportunities for the community to recycle their own items, such as electronics recycling events. During those events, computers, monitors, televisions, tablets and other electronics that are otherwise difficult to recycle can be donated to Lion Surplus to be processed and recycled. 

Lion Surplus is open 8 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 7:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Fridays. The building is located on One Services Road, near the Blue Band Building. 

Customers can also purchase Penn State Bakery bread and baked goods every Friday.