[NLRS] ABC Electronics - kaput

[Russ Ramirez]

I have an eBay store selling components, and occasionally test equipment,
and I'll tell you that there no room to make an income off of it. I believe
the view of many buyers is shaped by eBay millionaires, but niche
businesses don't do particularly well. For example, it costs me $2.40 of
1st class postage + padded poly bag + label + anti-static (or regular) poly
bag inside before I can ship anything. I offer free postage because that is
what gets the business I do have. I actually have several items for $2.99.

True story. I just ordered 5 Texas Instruments ICs from a competitor to see
how they could sell them for $2.40 - for obvious reasons. I received the
package yesterday, it used the same 1st class postage, with the metered
amount that I also pay of $2.04. Their packaging, label, everything was the
same as mine. These 5 ICs at Digikey in 50,000 quantity cost $.138 each,
but I know they can be obtained in this quantity for $.11 ea IF they are
purchased new. So (5 x $.11) + $2.04 is $2.59, but as I said, I paid $2.40.
Reversing this and assuming they made $.10, they would have had to pay $.05
ea and have access to FREE shipping/packaging. They have made more than
100,000+ sales on eBay over several years and are NOT located in China as
my advisor at eBay shared this info.

Enough math, you get the idea, there's not much money in businesses like
this.

Russ
K0WFS

On Thu, Aug 27, 2015 at 5:25 PM, WA2VOI, Donn <wa2voi at mninter.net> wrote:

>
>
> It looked as if they have only closed the walk-in store.  The rest of the
> area (behind the "old" store area was still there, and still packed full.
>
> E-bay is, I'm sure, more profitable than the store is/was.  Just harder to
> get 1 or 2 $0.20 capacitors from e-bay.  :-(
>
> 73 Donn
> WA2VOI/0
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Chris Elmquist" <chrise at pobox.com>
> To: "WA2VOI, Donn" <wa2voi at mninter.net>
> Cc: "NLRS" <NLRS at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Thursday, August 27, 2015 10:06 PM
> Subject: Re: [NLRS] ABC Electronics - kaput
>
>
>
> End of an era I guess Donn.  Hunh.  They probably couldn't resist selling
> the property to a developer in what has now become the high buck "North
> Loop" area.
>
> I was watching a few items on eBay that are from ABC Electronics and
> those are still active it looks like,
>
> http://stores.ebay.com/ABC-ELECTRONICS-2
>
> but per tradition, the prices on test equipment or similar are, umm, kind
> of
> high.
>
> I wonder if they bailed on the store but are keeping an eBay presence?
>
> Chris NØJCF
>
> On Thursday (08/27/2015 at 04:15PM -0500), WA2VOI, Donn wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> Had an unplesent surprise this afternoon...  Went down to ABC Electronics
>> to
>> look thru their (limited) stock of silver mica caps only to met at the
>> door
>> with a sign (actually, TWO signs):
>>
>> ABC Electronics is closed.
>> Stock is at Ax-Max Surplus
>> 1625 University Ave, St. Paul
>>
>> The room is BARE: nothing there at all, not even shelves.
>>
>> I didn't go over to Ax-Max... State Fair and all, but we can hope that the
>> stuff will be "find-able."  One thing about ABC was that you COULD find
>> stuff without having to look for hours.  Ax-Man not so much.
>>
>> Oh, well.
>>
>> 73 Donn
>> WA2VOI/0
>>
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>
> --
> Chris Elmquist
>
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