"Radio Shack" predicted to disappear in the next year.

Actually, I really, really doubt it. A 1ohm to 1Mohm resistor kit can be had off E-bay for under $10 shipped - any one doing any serious hobby work would own one. Same story for caps. So that sorts out the "quick need" passives. A few packs of your favorite transistors, op-amps, and mixers and you're in good shape for less than $20 on most active components. For less than $40 bucks you've got yourself covered on most of those "last minute needs". At "TheShack" prices that's probably less than the cost of two "last minute" visits for their insanely priced components.

ICs? Forget about it, go online, no one can stock enough of a range of parts to be useful locally.

Digi-Key will first class mail you small lots of components for like $2.50 shipping. It only takes a few days to get it and no bricks and mortar outfit can possibly compete on price and selection.

So - what is the market left for a local component supplier? Hobby builders who aren't interested enough to have spent $30 on their own parts bin or forgot to order a special IC with the rest of their order? Local businesses who some how made the same mistake?

No, it just doesn't work in this era. Some localities happen to have enough interest in component sales that a business that gets the lion's share of is business from some other professional electronics sales might find it borderline profitable to stock a few parts but that is about the limit. No one is going to make money off of local components sales exclusively regardless of their expertise. If they had the expertise they'd know not to start the enterprise in the first place .

On the one hand the change is frustrating. On the other hand, the fact that I can get *exactly* what I want at excellent prices in just a few days with just a few dollars shipping is to me far, far, far superior to the days of sifting through the trash at "TheShack". I mean, for the love of all that is good and wholesome, why on the living earth would you sell someone a 741 op-amp in the 80's, let alone the 90's and after 2000 when there have been vastly superior "jelly-bean" op-amps available for multiple decades????

In the end I'm *much* happier with where we are now as far as parts sources than 10 or 20 years ago. In fact the combination of the web for distributing circuit ideas and online sources to get the parts from - no matter where you live - is probably a part of the resurgence in hobby electronics (well, that and all the robot battle reality shows).

 

WB6FQZ

Too bad. I hate to see them go but lately, as other posters have said, their parts inventory is practically gone. We used to have Sandys Electronics but they're gone so if the Shack goes away we will have All Electronics left.My daughter has worked at The Shack for about 2 years and she said that their mainstay is cell phone and toys......

 

hmm, whats this about t-mobile?

 

I'm fortunate enough to have one of the better stocked stores near me. It was handy while working on projects either at home or at work. I'm going to miss it when they're gone.

The general public doesn't have an interest in home brewing and electronics as they did even 10 years ago, Radio Shack was only trying to change with the wave of consumerism coming at them, and most consumers want cell phones and other disposable electronics, why fix it when you can buy it cheaper.

Radio Shack did manage to last longer than most Ham Shops in the area, I really miss Trevose Electronics, that was a cool store.

 

KIA...no way?

Not surprised about RatShack at all....
Good riddance I say...except for the fact that all
this does is add to the unemployment line....

Much more surprised with the prediction on KIA..
there selling like hotcakes here in the Northeast...
The Sorento and Sportage are all over the place...
Cheap cars..with good marketing in the NorthEast...
What am I missing here?....

 

Yes, Fry's Electronics. I am not vouching for their employees expertise, but the selection of components and other things for the electronics professional/hobbiest is pretty good.

73,
Mark N5RFX

 

It is a sad commentary that a retail chain like RadioShack is going away. But because 'home-brewing' is all but gone it is reasonable to understand. I was once told by a RS manager that the bulk of their profits came from accessories/parts and their big-ticket items brought in much less. This being the case, it stands to reason that they'd not be long for business. An operation like RS could never compete with the 'big-box' stores like Wal Mart or Best Buys, etc.
My complaint is that ordering parts via mail-order takes an inordinate amount of time. Any project calling for discreet parts becomes a doggedly draged out ordeal. anytime a small part is needed unexpectedly it becomes a big ordeal to set the work aside and wait......often times due to other needs it can get sidelined for months.

 

See ya later.....

I once went into radio shack years ago when I was in the photography business, and I picked up a video camera, asked the counterperson what a flying erase head was. I was told a flying erase head erased the tape completely all at one time. OOOOOK !!! How stupid was their slogan?....., You've got questions, we've got answers"! What a joke for an electronics store when they don't even train their employees on the simple things, like what a pl-259 is.......normally would hear........Huh? PL-259?

 

I wish Radio Shack would get in with Make and start selling their products. Would seem to be a perfect marriage.

 

I would think that the best deal after RS goes out......something like AES or HRO would move in. In areas where there are a larger number of hams.....like, perhaps, NYC/Northern NJ and other areas not currently served by them

 

I must admit that I do get parts at RS (but it seems I am the only one).

Is there any store that stocks parts in the Washington DC area?

 

I kind of wonder about T-mobile going out, they had a monopoly on the cell phone buisiness not long ago in Germany, and just recently expanded into the U.S..


Joel

 

The article is at http://247wallst.com/2010/06/15/247-wall-st-ten-brands-that-will-disappear-in-2011/ for an explaination. In the case of T-Mobile, it is refering to its US business.

 

No surprise... RS has trouble trying to define a viable business model... they shiftd from one target demographic to another.. never grasping what they should eb doing to sustain a dying niche in retail electronics.. then there is the Texas factor... "bubba" sees business as entitlement, not a symiotic business concept. sadly, hobbyists will be forced into buying ecectronics via web sites. I'll miss the hands on experience of actually touching components.

... so, remember to keep your sticks on the ice... you never know

 

Well we lost the local Rat Shack aobut 6 months ago. There is one in the next town over 15 mi away but when you need an odball fuse or something simple like a switched 12dc plug in a hurry I don't want to drive all the way to another town or 65mi into the city.