Members WRGKMC Posted December 31, 2014 Members Share Posted December 31, 2014 Back when I was a kid, Allied radio used to be an electronics parts seller. I'd buy parts and kits from their mail order catalogs when I first got into electronics in the 60's. They were bought out and called Radio Shack and had mostly spare parts you could buy locally. The stores used to be packed with electronic techs and hobbyists. Then they started selling a bunch of cheap import junk having a few mild successes here and there. Over time their spare parts wound up being inferior junk, Connectors that would fall apart when you soldered them and just about everything being bottom of the barrel. Last time I visited, they kept all their spare parts in a closed cabinet whereas in the past you could walk down rows and pick out what you needed. Its not really their fault however. The electronics repair industry the way it used to be, repairing gear to component levels no longer exists. I hadn't picked up a soldering iron in the past 20 years working as a technician. Its all board swapping now because its cheaper to replace an entire board then it is to pay someone to repair that board. Making chips from sand/silica is dirt cheap now (pun intended) Still many fond memories will die if and when that company goes under. They do sell on line which is their only hope, but their website is so poorly constructed and plagued with latency, I don't know if they can compete with the big auction houses and wholesales. They should have been on the cutting edge of that decades ago. I think in 20 years people will be asking questions about old gear RS sold and getting nothing but crickets chirping. Too bad because they had the store fronts and didn't know how to use them. They may wind up back where they started selling from an on catalog, except it would be an on line catalog. They better get back to selling all the major brands though. That's what killed them when they went with one vendor to manufacturer their stuff. If they had introduced a line, then sold all the other vendors gear they would have stayed in contact and known what's selling and what's not. Radio Shack (NYSE:RSH)Radio Shack will be studied by future generations of business school students as an example of a company that failed to change with the times. The Fort Worth, Texas-based chain used to cater to hobbyists who liked to build their own computers and people who needed specialized parts to repair their home electronics. Radio Shack sold one of the first mass-produced personal computers in the 1970s and ‘80s called the TRS-80. The chain lost whatever early mover advantage it had in the PC market. It tried to become the place to buy batteries and the destination for people to get their tablets and smartphones repaired. Neither strategy worked. Signs abound that the company is circling the drain. It lost $161 million in the second quarter and posted a 13.4 percent drop in comparable sales. Both Moody’s and Fitch have warned that the company’s cash stake is perilously low. Its market cap is down to just $38 million. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Virgman Posted December 31, 2014 Members Share Posted December 31, 2014 It used to be good a long time ago but they have been lousy for many years. The most irritating customer service procedures in the business. I swore off going there ever again. Good riddance to Radio Shack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 1001gear Posted December 31, 2014 Members Share Posted December 31, 2014 I'm a fan from the "You got questions, we got answers" era. Got started on guitar electronics with their parts, tools, texts and what else? Answers. Then they stopped stocking electronics supplies and pretty soon all they had for my questions was phones and RC toys. Oh yeah, and most recently retail dorks. Fini Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators AMZ-FX Posted December 31, 2014 Moderators Share Posted December 31, 2014 They are going to be delisted from the NYSE if the stock continues to stay below $1 per share. Too bad. Like many old timers, I got my start using parts and supplies from RS. regards, Jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WRGKMC Posted December 31, 2014 Author Members Share Posted December 31, 2014 I'm lucky enough to have two good electronics parts stores here in Houston. I can go into them and walk around for hours checking out all the stuff. I have bought less and less over the years though. I don't have allot of ambition to build projects any more. 50 years of building and working as an electronic tech repairing gear 8 hours a day for a living has sapped most of my desire to do allot along those lines. Since the cost of commercial gear is cheaper to buy new or used then it is to build, I limit my work to routine maintenance and restorations. When I need something I don't even want to have to drive and get it and will most likely buy on line. I chose electronics as a career and its supported me all that time. I still like to use the gear however so abandoning playing music full time was likely a smart move, on my part. I did it long enough to realize its a dead end occupation and I really didn't enjoy dealing with all the despot club owners always trying to rip you off. I can enjoy music live, and in the studio and focus on writing and performing when I'm motivated to do so and can afford to buy what I need when I need it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators isaac42 Posted December 31, 2014 Moderators Share Posted December 31, 2014 Too bad. Radio Shack is still the only place within about 50 miles to get parts. Sure, I can order on line, but that takes time. If I need a part today, it's Radio Shack or nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AJ6stringsting Posted January 1, 2015 Members Share Posted January 1, 2015 Too bad, in my town, we have a couple of electronics parts stores and they suck !!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dendy Jarrett Posted January 4, 2015 Members Share Posted January 4, 2015 I am so old school is guess. I have such a hard time understanding how these old, old institutions who were once leaders in their fields, can crumble from within. (Sears. Radio Shack, and the list goes on) I can remember a time when there were specific things that you needed, and the only place you could get it was at Radio Shack. Now, not so much ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Brewski Posted January 7, 2015 Members Share Posted January 7, 2015 Radio shack just never had the right inventory once things went disposable. Why replace a 12" woofer when a new set of speakers are cheaper and better. Their stock of pieces parts were good for a while but the stores themselves were so small you got harassed and i always felt claustrophobic. Since Fry's Electronics, MicroCenter and formerly CompUSA Radio Shack had no market Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MDMachiavelli Posted January 7, 2015 Members Share Posted January 7, 2015 It used to be good a long time ago but they have been lousy for many years. The most irritating customer service procedures in the business. I swore off going there ever again. Good riddance to Radio Shack. That sums up my experience with them over the last 10 to 15 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WRGKMC Posted January 7, 2015 Author Members Share Posted January 7, 2015 The store closest to me had a going out of business sign on it with a 30~70% sale sign on the front. They must have closed already because there was no one inside there. What got me annoyed buying there was they asked for my phone number. I'd refuse to give it to them. I'd tell them, there's no law that says I have to divulge personal information when making a cash purchase. This usually made the salesmen angry but I'd tell them who I was is none of their business and I was already getting their mail flyers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators isaac42 Posted January 13, 2015 Moderators Share Posted January 13, 2015 In the financial news:Salus Capital Offers RadioShack $500 Million Bankruptcy Loan http://www.wsj.com/articles/salus-capital-offers-radioshack-500-million-bankruptcy-loan-1421095171?KEYWORDS=radioshack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fweezal Posted January 14, 2015 Members Share Posted January 14, 2015 They are going to be delisted from the NYSE if the stock continues to stay below $1 per share. Too bad. Like many old timers, I got my start using parts and supplies from RS. regards, Jack Just like Eastman Kodak (who are now back run by someone else). A prime example of not keeping up with the times and "too little, too late" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Nostalgia4Infinity Posted February 13, 2015 Members Share Posted February 13, 2015 Sad - I worked for RS back when beta and VHS we're battling it out! With wired remotes. Sold a few Tandy's and CoCo's. Remember playing that ''Moog'? Two stores in my town are on the list for closing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WRGKMC Posted February 15, 2015 Author Members Share Posted February 15, 2015 I have one of those Mini Moogs. Paid $150 and restored it. Analog Synths sell for a decent price these days Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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