Radio Shack to declare bankruptcy

[bikdav]

If Radio Shack goes under - which sounds likely at this point - I may have to find a new cellphone service provider (which was a nightmare having to dodge all the attitude that these cellphone stores display). I'm currently with Boost Mobile which has been fine for my needs. I can pay my monthly bill at any Radio Shack. Radio Shack was the only place where I didn't run into attitude.

 

[Haoleb]

It will be sad to see the shack go, Granted I only go there if I really need something and I don't particularly need it to be the best quality. Example the last time I went there I was working on an old receiver that had a bad volume pot. Well luckily I was able to go there and get the plain jane 100k pot they have and it worked great for my purposes and I could get it right then and there. Of course that is a total niche market. If I need exact parts or good quality parts I just go to Mouser. Or the occasional can of deoxit or something... RS has it even if it is overpriced.

Personally for me RS has declined over the years. They used to carry more audio cables and electronics parts than they do now... But still it is a nice resource.

 

[Speedskater]

When they stopped printing their big catalogs, it was the beginning of the end. Whit the catalog, I could tell my wife to stop at RS and get part #xxx or I could go into the store and ask the clerk where part #xxx was?

 

[andyblackcat]

Blimey. There was Tandy stores local to me and all gone around 2000. I occasionally brought items though the 80's and 90's, sad to see the stores gone. The only stores equivalent to them now is, Maplin Electronics.

 

[markw]

Well, the fat lady has sung : http://www.cnbc.com/id/102376507

It's ironic that in the late 90's, sprint was the first carrier that Radio Shack got into bed with. Working there part time in '98, Sprint made it possible for us to get a cell phone with a dirt cheap plan then.

 

[herbu]

Back in the day, a hobbyist with just an elementary education in electronics could build/repair a radio/receiver with a soldering iron, solder sucker, and multimeter. The really top notch guy had a signal generator and a scope. RS was the source for all the parts you might need. We installed many a car stereo w/ parts from RS.

Now circuit cards have multiple layers. Components are tiny. Schematics are complicated. The skill and equipment required are far beyond the hobbyist in most cases. And I wouldn't dream of trying to install a stereo in a car today. Demand for DIY electronics is rapidly fading.

I don't know how RS could have evolved to stay relevant... and apparently neither did they.

 

[slipperybidness]

Blimey. There was Tandy stores local to me and all gone around 2000. I occasionally brought items though the 80's and 90's, sad to see the stores gone. The only stores equivalent to them now is, Maplin Electronics.

Oh yes, Tandy!

Our very first computer was a Tandy Color Computer 1! We later had the CC3!

To load and save programs.....you used a cassette tape recorder.

I was probably 5 years old when we bought that Tandy. I loved that it had the slot on the side where you could plug in game carts too! And that little crappy joystick with the 1 red button

Even that young, dang I learned a lot from that old computer. My TI82 calculator blows it away, much less my cell phone.

Another trip down nostalgia lane: Y'all remember those "300 in 1" electronics project labs? Those were cool. I even have one right now in like new condition!