[Boatanchors] Re:Radioshack "catering" to hams...?

[Mike Sanders K0AZ]

I really hate this thread but it is directly related to what we do so let me
offer another
perspective that speaks to the comment below.
In other posts on the subject it was mentioned that the Radio Stores of
yesteryear
fizzled because of one reason or another. This is partly true but there was
a time
in history that disputes the comment below. No attack or slam on the poster
or the
thought but just a bit of history I remember. Please read on as I turn to
agreeing
with the below post.
I am not a historian on this and cannot give specific dates but there was a
time in
the late 60s (I think) that RADIO SHACK went around the country buying up
old time
radio parts suppliers and turning the stores into electronic junk stores.
I fully remember Walter Ashe Radio at 1125 Pine Street in Downtown St. Louis
ending
up a RS store. I am sure the owner/s were offered a good enough deal to move
them
to sell. However there were market pressures that also had an impact.
Now to agree with the post below. It was a time when "hams" were no longer
building
equipment but buying it. The term "Appliance Operator" was coined around
that time
or earlier in the 50s. Anyway the migration from building to buying took
hold and that
was that. Also at this time the cheap imports from the far East got a
footing and began
to expand and price out more quality manufacturers.
I remember a number of years ago looking at a Gonset GSB100 transmitter and
finding
that some of the parts were made in Japan. I was truly shocked because at
the time this
was made in the late 50s early 60s we assumed it was all American made. Not
so of course.

Anyway the drive by someone to build a publicly held corporation by buying
up small/er
businesses is an old game and goes on today. The post below confirms that
when the
ham population migrated from builders to buyers it had a major impact on the
parts suppliers
and manufacturers. We did not support the old time businesses and moved
"ahead(?)"
with technology.  Technology really has moved ahead. I'm just not sure how
much of it we
really need or how much is really bad news for us.

Yep, I remember getting on the street car and going down to Walter Ashe on
Saturday
mornings to buy parts. Shopping list in hand clearly printed out so the
counter person
(Those guys really did know something!) could read it. Give em the list and
go look at
the new and used equipment in the store.
They used to have a Collins KWS-1 in the window on the left of the front
door. It was
almost as tall as me in those days. One trip to the store it was gone. In
it's place was
the new Collins S-line. I thought I was going to be physically ill and had
the feeling it
was the beginning of the end even at my tender age.



     K0AZ Mike Sanders

      http://k0az.com



In a message dated 5/29/2005 5:08:44 PM Central Standard Time,
RKofler at aol.com writes:
What I'm trying to say here is, the buying public names their own poison

You are absolutey correct!

Jim W9TM
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