[Boatanchors] RATSHACK?

[Ed Swynar]

All the news a couple of weeks ago here was that Radio Shack Canada has been
SOLD...

I can't recall now the name of the outfit that acquired all the outlets, but
apparently the Radio Shack store heralds / signs are to be removed &
replaced by that of the new owners, no later than the end of June.

I wonder what that'll do to their already dwindling availability of
components...?

~73~ Eddy VE3CUI - VE3XZ




----- Original Message -----
From: "George KB2Z" <Thermionic_Emission at earthlink.net>
To: "boatanchors-mailman.qth.net" <boatanchors at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Sunday, May 29, 2005 7:00 AM
Subject: Re: [Boatanchors] RATSHACK?


> I try Radio Shack first for convenience and to save time.
> Granted 9 times out of 10 they dont have what I want, but they are a 5
> minute ride away.
> We have no local electronics supply houses that I am aware of.
>
> I like and deal with Mouser. Yes I know they have no minimum order. My pet
> gripe with Mouser is they wont put a few resistors in an envelope and send
> in the mail. As an example I need two,  2 or 3 Watt 1.2k resistors. I dont
> use credit cards. For 50 cents worth of resistors I have to pre-pay  $12
> UPS shipping. You get a credit slip for the unused shipping, but it still
> costs roughly $6.50 for 2 resistors. If I used a credit card it would
still
> cost $6.50. I end up buying things I dont need to justify the shipping.
> I also realize that the big guys arn't staying in business on my 2
> resistors and should not cater to me.
>
> Is there any middle ground I'm unaware of?
>
> Thanks, George KB2Z
>
> At 04:01 AM 5/29/05 -0700, you wrote:
>
>
> >--- FRED - W4FJF <ka2hlw at netzero.net> wrote:
> > >
> > > "...because nobody
> > > asks for them anymore. I live in a town that has 27
> > > active hams, so I think my ANSWER was an outright
> > > lie."
> > >
> > >
> >
> >Why would one go to Radio Shack for stuff?  If I'm any
> >representation of the amateur market, the number of
> >hams in a given area would have no bearing on the
> >amount of business I would expect a Radio Shack would
> >have.  For the most part, Radio Shack stuff
> >(miniboxes, connectors, cables, etc.) is cheaply-made
> >garbage.  I'll go there in an emergency, but for the
> >most part it's Mouser or some other purveyor of "real"
> >components.  Not being a hospital emergency room
> >physician, I have few "emergencies" that can't wait a
> >week for UPS.
> >
> >Also, I generally like to get my entire body into a
> >store before I get jumped by an employee.  While I
> >would welcome employee assistance in most stores, I
> >have found that I can get out of a Radio Shack much
> >faster without "help."  With employee assistance I can
> >usually be out of a Radio Shack empty-handed in about
> >23 minutes: 7 minutes to explain what a resistor is, 6
> >minutes for the employee to wrestle the mutilated
> >store catalog from an associate who is trying to help
> >another customer find a replacement tape for his
> >1985-vintage answering machine, 3 minutes until I lose
> >patience, grab the catalog and look it up myself, 3
> >minutes to find the chest of drawers that now houses
> >components, 3 minutes to find the proper drawer, 5
> >seconds to stare bewildered at the nearly empty drawer
> >and tell me that they don't stock those anymore
> >because nobody wants them, and 55 seconds to run the
> >gauntlet of employees as I bolt for the door.  Without
> >help, I can go staight to the cabinet, perform the
> >ritualistic opening and closing of the empty drawer,
> >and bolt for the door all in about 45 seconds
> >(assuming I can get by the employees).
> >
> >Yes, I'm an active ham; and no, I don't shop at Radio
> >Shack.
> >
> >73,
> >Jim
> >w2bvm
> >
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