Inside CSU's island of misfit toys, tops and futons

In the heart of the Colorado State University campus — behind the least storefront-looking storefront in Fort Collins — is an organized sea of stuff.

Computer monitors, typewriters, mountain bikes, wine glasses, bundles and bundles of laptop charging cords, printer cables and a VHS tape of "Scream," for good measure, wait beyond the doors of 201 W. Lake St. — home to the CSU Surplus Property department.

"We see everything the university doesn't want, need or use anymore," said CSU Surplus Property manager Jake Drenth.

Driving through the Oval on Monday morning, en route to collect his first truckload of items donated by hordes of outgoing dorm residents, Drenth lists off all the items he sees regularly come through Surplus Property: office supplies, furniture, electronics, agricultural and lab equipment and vehicles.

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For decades, Surplus Property has been the last stop for items no longer needed by university departments. As buildings are added, offices are moved and equipment is upgraded, aged-out items end up in Surplus Property's West Lake Street storefront, or one of its two additional storage spaces. Those items are then tested, priced and put up for sale to the general public.

And as the school year winds down, Surplus Property ramps up.

For the past six years, the self-funded university department has collected tons of items donated from students moving out of CSU's residence halls each spring. 

Mini fridges, futons and piles of clothes stack up in designated drop-off locations across campus — "anything you can fit in a dorm room and then don't want to take home with you," Drenth said. 

While abandoned bikes also eventually end up at Surplus Property, CSU police handle bikes left on residence hall racks at the end of the year.

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Abandoned bikes are marked and eventually cut from the racks. They sit in impound for 90 days and, if not claimed, head to Surplus, according to Joy Childress, Traffic & Bicycle Education and Enforcement Program Coordinator for CSUPD. 

"Summer's always our busiest time," Drenth said. "Not only because of move-out, but because once the students leave for the year, most departments take the time to refresh inventory and stocks and reconfigure spaces." 

With campus additions like the new CSU Health and Medical Center and on-campus stadium opening this summer, Surplus Property is gearing up for an influx of inventory.

On average, the department sifts through 80,000 pieces of unwanted goods annually, Drenth said. 

On move-out week alone, Surplus Property adds about 50,000 pounds "leave it behind items" from 18 locations in the residence halls and Aggie Village apartments. 

With Friday being the last day students can leave the dorms, the end of the week is the busiest for the department, followed by the Monday after move-out week.

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Items left by students are then sorted into different categories and put on sale, along with Surplus Property's regular items, at the department's annual tent sale.

This year's sale is June 3-4 outside of the Surplus Property storefront. Thousands of shoppers are expected over the two days. More than 4,000 people attended last year's sale, according to the department, when 15,279 items were sold.

Items are separately categorized as a "leave it behind" item or as a Surplus Property item. Proceeds from sales of the former go back to the Eco Leaders Program, a group of peer educators in the residence halls who raise awareness of sustainability issues. 

Portions of proceeds from Surplus Property item sales are also reallocated to the departments from which the items were donated, Drenth said. 

Though the department has expanded its reach with a Facebook page, Twitter account and even a Pinterest page, Drenth said it's common to hear that students and community members went years before realizing Surplus Property existed.

"We're trying to change that," Drenth said. 

"Part of the reason we got involved with move-out and doing the big sale was to help get more community involvement and knowledge of us." 

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CSU Surplus tent sale

Colorado State University Surplus Property's sixth annual "Leave it Behind Tent Sale" will be held 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 3 and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 4 at its building at 201 W. Lake St.

Approximately 20 tons of items donated by students moving off campus from 18 student housing locations will be liquidated.

The sale is open to the public and all proceeds go to the CSU Eco Leaders student organization that provides sustainability-themed programming on campus.

CSU Surplus' regular hours are 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays.

Learn more at cr.colostate.edu/main_surplus.aspx or Facebook.com/csusurplus.