From bedsheets to Buicks, bargain hunters can find practically anything at a weekly sale of discarded or outdated University items.

The sale takes place every Friday from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the University's Salvage and Surplus warehouse, located on Services Road behind the Flower Gardens, said Will Gallaher, the supervisor of the warehouse. Gallaher organizes the weekly event.

Prospective buyers roam through the warehouse and pull the price tag of any item they wish to purchase. The ticket is then presented at a checkout window, where the item is paid for.

Gallaher said the sale began 12 years ago as a way to reuse old University equipment rather than throw it away.

"Our primary purpose is to recycle excess or obsolete University equipment back into the system," Gallaher said.

Gallaher said the sale offers a variety of useful items at fairly reasonable prices. Many bicycles and computer parts can be found, he said.

The inventory for the sale comes from University departments that cannot use the equipment anymore, Gallaher said. At Friday's sale, items included many chairs, cabinets, typewriters, microscopes and computer equipment. The donating department receives a percentage of the sale of the item, he added.

"In this way, we put the money back into the system," he said.

Gallaher said some faculty and students frequently attend the sale, while others do not know it exists. No students were among the 30 people waiting for the sale to open Friday.

Officer Clarence Johnson Jr., of University Police Services, agreed with Gallaher.

"Many students don't take advantage of this opportunity," he said.

Bob Gutshall of Altoona was one of the patrons at last Friday's sale. Gutshall said he comes to the sale to find a few bargains.

"I never know what I'm looking for when I come here," he said, "but I almost always leave with something."

Another patron, Brian Hill of Harrisburg, is a recent University graduate who came to the sale when he was a student.

"I used to come fairly often," Hill said. "The prices are great."

Jeff Smith (junior-political science) has a work-study job at the warehouse, and assists with the sale every week. Smith didn't know the sale existed before last October.

"I wasn't aware of it until I was looking through the work study book last year," he said.

Smith said he does a lot of work taking apart computers and testing them to see if they work.

Arthur Knight Hammer, a computer consultant in Milesburg, said he has found a few hidden bargains at the sale.

"I bought a Herman Miller wall set for $100 and it turns out that it's actually worth a few thousand dollars," he said.

The warehouse is a part of the Department of Business Services, Gallaher said. He said a spring auction is planned for April 19. The purpose of the auction is to try to clear the warehouse out before summer.

"We get a heavy influx of items during the summer, because departments have time to clear out classrooms and offices," Gallaher said.

The warehouse is open every weekday from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m., Gallaher said, so prospective buyers can browse and view the items that will be offered for sale on Friday.