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LAN_403

Avalanche

Sun Jul 08 2007, 10:04AM

Registered Member #103 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 08:16PM
Location: Derby, UK
Posts: 845

Just noticed my local Maplin has had its components counter removed

It's shame, even though they never were really very well stocked. Often I would order a few of something, like a simple zener diode, and they would only have a stupidly low number in stock, like 3. However it was useful to be able to drive into town and buy components! Just wondering if anyone else in the UK has noticed the same thing happening?

I'll be back to using my local family owned electronics store now, their stocks are so old you can still buy new germanium transistors last time I went in!

ragnar

Sun Jul 08 2007, 11:40AM

Registered Member #63 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 06:18AM
Location:
Posts: 1425

The problem with components (and I touched on this slightly in another thread), is that they don't pay the rent too well.

Why spend staff hours organising $0.20 bits, when you could be flogging video cameras for $200 just as quickly?

Most Australians will have noticed it -- Dick Smith Electronics got bought out by Woolworths, who turned it to crap. Then they bought out Tandy. Then David Reid Electronics went out of business (or the guy retired). All that's left is Jaycar, and even then only the stores with dedicated staff are any use, componentwise.

It took me about a working week there to make usable the usable passives/components 'counter' -- hardly any of the staff understand that corner of the store, and even fewer care, let alone the customers that rifle through it. Give it a few months, and the whole section will be trashed again. Staff don't even know how to put components in the right bins.

ShawnLG

Sun Jul 08 2007, 05:29PM

Registered Member #286 Joined: Mon Mar 06 2006, 04:52AM
Location:
Posts: 399

Radio Shack is doing the same. They had discontinue carrying there 7400 series IC selection and a few other things. Allied electronics had a few stores in NJ years ago. They sinced disappeared. I usually have luck finding good components at farmers markets. Sometimes I would find NOS components there.

Ken M.

Mon Jul 09 2007, 12:51AM

Registered Member #618 Joined: Sat Mar 31 2007, 04:15AM
Location: Us-Great Lakes
Posts: 628

About 60 miles away theres a giant flee market store of sorts and they have a full mini mart sized floor loaded down with all sorts stuff from nsts, resistors, switch's pots, variacs, and many misc. other parts.

thedatastream

Mon Jul 09 2007, 07:34AM

Registered Member #505 Joined: Sun Nov 19 2006, 06:42PM
Location: Yorkshire!
Posts: 329

I've only ever been into Maplin once a few month ago and couldn't find anything interesting from a DIY electronics perspective.

We used to have a Tandy in town that sold electronic components but it closed ages ago. Now, you have to go to M+B in Leeds (not sure if that's still open) and stuff in there costs arm+leg, hardly suprising given the probable rent for a Leeds city centre shop.

I'm lucky because I can order from Farnell through the works account and settle up at the end of the month

Steve Conner

Mon Jul 09 2007, 09:13AM

Registered Member #30 Joined: Fri Feb 03 2006, 10:52AM
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Posts: 6706

I get the impression they are winding down their electronic parts business and replacing it with heaps of computer parts, disco lights and radio-controlled Humvees.

I can't really blame them, as it's so easy to order little parts like resistors and capacitors online now. I mostly buy components from Rapid Electronics, and cable and connectors from Studiospares. If I need something weird, RS or Farnell usually have it. But the days of being able to wander down to "Craplin" and pick up a part for your project seem to be over :(

Wed Jul 11 2007, 09:04AM

Registered Member #809 Joined: Wed May 30 2007, 08:59AM
Location: Melbourne, victoria
Posts: 114

blackplasma. i have noticed that the jaycar here has hired new staff, when i went to buy some stuff for my flyback driver, i asked for a 2n3055 (because they are behind the counter) then the guy is like "that would be a..."OMG it's a transistor, even the people that know the slightest thing about electronics knows what transistors are???i havn't really noticed lack of components except for some 1n4007's

ragnar

Wed Jul 11 2007, 01:01PM

Registered Member #63 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 06:18AM
Location:
Posts: 1425

Kv, what I mean by 'lack of components' is staff and managers being lazy with the stock-keeping and failing to e-order components that have been lost in transit or stolen. For example, the store I worked at had ZERO tantalum capacitors, ZERO variable capacitors, etc.

It's frustrating for a lot of people when they e.g. come into the city thinking they won't need to "ring ahead" to see if the stock is there... and they can't even get basic stuff.

Fri Jul 13 2007, 02:57AM

Registered Member #809 Joined: Wed May 30 2007, 08:59AM
Location: Melbourne, victoria
Posts: 114

yes i know what you mean, i went in there the other day to get 12 1n4007's and they only had one pack!!! that's the same when i went down to get some peltier modules, and can you guess, they don't have them. i also tried to get a horn speaker, but still they don't have them?????? i end up buying all the stuff on the internet site.

Bored Chemist

Fri Jul 13 2007, 05:48AM

Registered Member #193 Joined: Fri Feb 17 2006, 07:04AM
Location: sheffield
Posts: 1022

When I started with electronics Maplins had no shops; it was all mail order. It seems we are back to that.

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