Dick Smith is no more

[Nick Andrew]

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Ross Vumbaca <rossv1@au.com.optushome> writes:

I'm not sure what purpose DS serves these days. May as well go to
Retravison or Hardly's. I'm sure DS (and probably Tandy as well) are in
their final years of existence.

Tandy was already useless over 10 years ago. They have been owned by DSE
for a while now, so it isn't hard to figure out what their purpose is...

Tandy has been useless for components for as long as I can remember; at
least 20 years now. They wouldn't sell individual resistors; you'd have to
buy a pack of 5 or sometimes even mixed values at a huge per-unit markup.

Nick.
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PGP Key fingerprint = B3ED 6894 8E49 1770 C24A 67E3 6266 6EB9 4184 87E7

 

[geoff]

Nick Andrew wrote:

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Ross Vumbaca <rossv1@au.com.optushome> writes:

I'm not sure what purpose DS serves these days. May as well go to
Retravison or Hardly's. I'm sure DS (and probably Tandy as well)
are in their final years of existence.

Tandy was already useless over 10 years ago. They have been owned by
DSE for a while now, so it isn't hard to figure out what their
purpose is...

Tandy has been useless for components for as long as I can remember;
at least 20 years now. They wouldn't sell individual resistors; you'd
have to buy a pack of 5 or sometimes even mixed values at a huge
per-unit markup.

Selling packs of minimum 5 resistors somehow makes them "useless for
components" ?!!

"Useless for components" is don't list them, seldom have what you want in
stock. What most people do if they want a resistor is get 5 or 10 and put
the rest in their component drawer/s for next time. Unless the huge cost
outlay i stoo steep for you...

geoff.

 

[David L. Jones]

geoff wrote:

Nick Andrew wrote:
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Hash: SHA1

Ross Vumbaca <rossv1@au.com.optushome> writes:

I'm not sure what purpose DS serves these days. May as well go to
Retravison or Hardly's. I'm sure DS (and probably Tandy as well)
are in their final years of existence.

Tandy was already useless over 10 years ago. They have been owned by
DSE for a while now, so it isn't hard to figure out what their
purpose is...

Tandy has been useless for components for as long as I can remember;
at least 20 years now. They wouldn't sell individual resistors; you'd
have to buy a pack of 5 or sometimes even mixed values at a huge
per-unit markup.

Selling packs of minimum 5 resistors somehow makes them "useless for
components" ?!!

"Useless for components" is don't list them, seldom have what you
want in stock.

If memory serves me correctly, lack of stock variety was always Tandy's
biggest problem.
You could get some basic value resistors, some caps, maybe half a dozen
4000/7400 series chips if you wree lucky, a jiffy box and some LED's, and a
toggle switch or two for instance, but that was pretty much the extent of
their component stock 20-25 years ago.

What most people do if they want a resistor is get 5
or 10 and put the rest in their component drawer/s for next time. Unless
the huge cost outlay i stoo steep for you...

For the average hobbyist I can remember it was, expecially when I was a kid.
If you had to buy a whole range of resistors or parts to finish a project,
Tandy was the most idiotic place to shop. Last time I shopped there for
components was closer to 25 years ago.

Dave.
--
---------------------------------------------
Check out my Electronics Engineering Video Blog & Podcast:
http://www.alternatezone.com/eevblog/

 

[Michael A. Terrell]

glenbadd wrote:

Selling packs of minimum 5 resistors somehow makes them "useless
for components" ?!!

Small metal film and carbon resistors are so cheap that it is only
profitable to sell them in packs. That's how most electronics parts
retailers do it these days, including Jaycar. I don't mind paying
for a pack, it could save a trip to the shop sometime in the future
for that particular value!

Or worse: Making the trip to buy another, only to discover they are
out of stock.


--
You can't have a sense of humor, if you have no sense!

 

[glenbadd]

Selling packs of minimum 5 resistors somehow makes them "useless
for components" ?!!

Small metal film and carbon resistors are so cheap that it is only
profitable to sell them in packs. That's how most electronics parts
retailers do it these days, including Jaycar. I don't mind paying
for a pack, it could save a trip to the shop sometime in the future
for that particular value!

Glenn.

 

[Tom]

glenbadd wrote:

Selling packs of minimum 5 resistors somehow makes them "useless
for components" ?!!

Small metal film and carbon resistors are so cheap that it is only
profitable to sell them in packs. That's how most electronics parts
retailers do it these days, including Jaycar. I don't mind paying
for a pack, it could save a trip to the shop sometime in the future
for that particular value!

Have you been to Tandy 20 years ago? They used to sell 2 or 5 resistor pack for 2.50 or 3.50, same resistors were 10c or 20c (or maybe even 5c) each elsewhere. Jaycar does 8 pack for 40c - 50c, that's slightly different. I don't mind packs, recently bought 1000 pieces for a price of about 10-20 Tandy ones (if they still stocked them).

Tom

 

[Michael A. Terrell]

Tom wrote:

glenbadd wrote:
Selling packs of minimum 5 resistors somehow makes them "useless
for components" ?!!

Small metal film and carbon resistors are so cheap that it is only
profitable to sell them in packs. That's how most electronics parts
retailers do it these days, including Jaycar. I don't mind paying
for a pack, it could save a trip to the shop sometime in the future
for that particular value!

Have you been to Tandy 20 years ago? They used to sell 2 or 5 resistor pack for 2.50 or 3.50, same resistors were 10c or 20c (or maybe even 5c) each elsewhere. Jaycar does 8 pack for 40c - 50c, that's slightly different. I don't mind packs, recently bought 1000 pieces for a price of about 10-20 Tandy ones (if they still stocked them).

Tom

They were 5 for 39 cents at Radio Shack in the US at that time. That
was less than eight cents each, in stock, and the store had an overhead
they had to meet, every month. The same resistors were six cents at the
local TV wholesale, and the place wasn't self serve. You had to have a
business license stating you worked in electronics to buy there, as
well.


--
You can't have a sense of humor, if you have no sense!

 

[glenbadd]

On Jun 10, 7:34 pm, Tom <t...@nospam.invalid> wrote:

glenbadd wrote:
Selling packs of minimum 5 resistors somehow makes them "useless
for components" ?!!

Small metal film and carbon resistors are so cheap that it is only
profitable to sell them in packs. That's how most electronics parts
retailers do it these days, including Jaycar. I don't mind paying
for a pack, it could save a trip to the shop sometime in the future
for that particular value!

Have you been to Tandy 20 years ago? They used to sell 2 or 5 resistor pack for 2.50 or 3.50, same resistors were 10c or 20c (or maybe even 5c) each elsewhere. Jaycar does 8 pack for 40c - 50c, that's slightly different. I don't mind packs, recently bought 1000 pieces for a price of about 10-20 Tandy ones (if they still stocked them).

Tom

Yes, I first went to Tandy when they opened in Australia in the mid
1970's. I still have their first catalog somewhere in a box. I quickly
realised that many parts were junk quality and over priced compared to
Kitsets, Dick Smith, David Reid, Rod Irving etc.

 

[Peter Parker]

"David L. Jones" <altzone@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:YLBXl.10$FI5.3@newsfe12.iad...

For the average hobbyist I can remember it was, expecially when I was a
kid.
If you had to buy a whole range of resistors or parts to finish a project,
Tandy was the most idiotic place to shop. Last time I shopped there for
components was closer to 25 years ago.

But surely you didn't leave without your 'battery club card' 9v battery
freebie!

 

[David L. Jones]

Peter Parker wrote:

"David L. Jones" <altzone@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:YLBXl.10$FI5.3@newsfe12.iad...

For the average hobbyist I can remember it was, expecially when I
was a kid.
If you had to buy a whole range of resistors or parts to finish a
project, Tandy was the most idiotic place to shop. Last time I
shopped there for components was closer to 25 years ago.

But surely you didn't leave without your 'battery club card' 9v
battery freebie!

Hands up those who had more than one card! ;-)

Dave.

--
---------------------------------------------
Check out my Electronics Engineering Video Blog & Podcast:
http://www.alternatezone.com/eevblog/

 

[terryc]

On Thu, 11 Jun 2009 12:16:41 +0000, Peter Parker wrote:

But surely you didn't leave without your 'battery club card' 9v battery
freebie!

In the end, I decided it wasn't worth the effort.

 

[geoff]

Peter Parker wrote:

"David L. Jones" <altzone@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:YLBXl.10$FI5.3@newsfe12.iad...

For the average hobbyist I can remember it was, expecially when I
was a kid.
If you had to buy a whole range of resistors or parts to finish a
project, Tandy was the most idiotic place to shop. Last time I
shopped there for components was closer to 25 years ago.

But surely you didn't leave without your 'battery club card' 9v
battery freebie!

Anybody every pointed out that a peter parker is almost as funny as a
dicksmith ?

;-)

geoff

 

[Roger Dewhurst]

Phil Allison wrote:

"Geoff Steer"
"AFTER a period of less than inspiring sales figures, retail chain Dick
Smith has lost face - Dick Smith's face, that is."

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25565118-2,00.html

I know that Dick hasn't been involved with these stores for 20 years or
so but it's still a bit sad.
I can remember shopping at his first store at Gore Hill in the days he
used to serve behind the counter. In the days when they still sold
electronic components.


** Dick Smith stores still sell electronic components - dickhead.

Less and less though. In NZ DS has been supplanted by Jaycar.

R

----------------------------------------------------------------------

If the news story is to be believed - the new Woolworth's bred marketing
manager, Brent Allan, is less than a half wit.

Quote:
"I was the man who removed the face," Allan says.

"The head was very old and daggy.

I didn't have any reason to keep it.

And Electronics meant jugs, kettles and stuff. "



Brent must be the same congenital fuckwit who came up with:

" Talk to the Techxperts "

Infuriates the hell out of the staff every time they see it.

Peeeeeukkkkkeeeeeee.............





..... Phil