[NJARC] Closing, A Store Near You

[john ruccolo]

NJARC Reflectorites,

I've really enjoyed this thread regarding the Radio
Shack restructuring. Let me tell you a couple of
little stories....Please forgive a quick trip down
Memory Lane....

1) I worked at a mall Radio Shack summer of 1978 while
in college. MAN, have things changed since then! We
still sold tubes and 450V electrolytic caps, although
demand was already way down. We had the TRS-80
computer (I believe it was introduced Spring '78),
which we actually sold a few of -- to schools, mostly.
Of course, CB radios and police scanners were BIG. I
sold lots of scanners; I seemed to have a knack for
selling them.

2) About 4 or 5 years ago, I went into the Freehold
Mall Radio Shack while Christmas shopping. I spotted a
10-pack of 1N34A diodes and decided that I just had to
have it. The kid who rang up the sale was pi$$ed! I
guess I was taking away from his time selling cell
phones, PCs and laptops, and satellite TV. No "thank
you," no nothing.

Bottom Line: the hard-core radio/electronics geek
(read: hobbyist) community is a very, VERY SMALL
community compared to the consumer electronics
industry as a whole. Radio Shack needs to get OUT of
the parts and specialty electronics business
(components, test equipment, ham equip., etc.). They
haven't been very good at that segment of the market
for years, anyway.

Yes, they should still sell a few shortwave portables,
maybe a DVM or two, and a battery tester. But that's
about IT. They should ONLY stock phone/cable TV/home
audio/computer cables and accessories. No resistors,
caps, semiconductors, coils, etc. Most of us can do
better on the internet or at hamfests or
computerfests.

The Manual Man is right on: there's NO WAY a Mall
Radio Shack, with their tremendous overhead, will
survive if they try to cater to the specialty
electronics hobbyists (both modern and vintage). There
are just not enough of us out there, compared to all
the folks who want cell phones, big-screen TVs,
satellite TV, computers, surround-sound audio, etc.

I think we all miss the days of having a local
electronics parts store where you could go on a cold,
rainy Saturday afternoon for that 30/50 MFD/150V cap.
Ahhh, well....time marches on!

I enjooyed my little monologue, even if I didn't say
much! ;-)

Regards,

John

--- Robert Bennett <dino66 at optonline.net> wrote:

> Visit our web site - See http://www.njarc.org
> _______________________________________________
> Bill -
>           I'd just let nature take it's course and
> let your fingers heal.
> Thanks for the offer. It might make for a good
> script for a future episode
> of  the Soprano's. Hi! :)
> 
> Bob B.
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: <Billoradio at aol.com>
> To: <njarc at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Monday, February 20, 2006 7:49 AM
> Subject: Re: [NJARC] Closing, A Store Near You
> 
> 
> > Visit our web site - See http://www.njarc.org
> > _______________________________________________
> > Many good points were made.
> >
> > The parts business will continue to decrease for
> the shack though. If they
> > can only complete 50% of your order why buy any of
> it at the high  prices,
> only
> > to order the rest at low cost to be shipped to
> you.
> >
> > I wish all a good week. I have spent most of the
> weekend on my sons
> pinewood
> > derby car for Cub Scouts, involving him everywhere
> possible.. Now there
> is
> > real science at work. Example: 16 refinements that
> net you a 1/32"
> advantage
> > each puts you a whole 1/2" further ahead.  Thank
> you for the responses to
> my
> > abrasives post. It looks like Jewelers red rouge
> is as far as you can go
> for  a
> > fine polish.
> >
> > I just noticed that afler all that cuting,
> sanding, filing, polishing,
> > drilling and pouring hot lead, I no longer have
> any finger prints!!   Does
> anyone
> > have anything they need done before they grow
> back??
> >
> > Bill
> > _______________________________________________
> > NJARC mailing list
> > NJARC at mailman.qth.net
> > http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/njarc
> >
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> NJARC mailing list
> NJARC at mailman.qth.net
> http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/njarc
> 


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