diytube.com

"RadioShack's future is about as bright as the VHS tapes it used to sell.
The chain of 4,000 stores has just $62 million in cash left - a figure that is rapidly approaching zero. Things are so dire that it actually doesn't have enough money to close the 1,100 locations management says it needs to shutter."

http://money.cnn.com/2014/07/31/news/co ... ?hpt=hp_t4

Not long for the world, folks.

Shannon

That is just too bad. I'll miss them. But they have become mostly a cell phone store now. I do still occasionally find a few useful parts from time to time. Sorry to see them go. It's just a matter of time.

As a freshman in college wayyyy back in 1989, I roomed next to a guy that had worked at RS and he told me stories of their clearance item markdown list. Items would drop their price every month until they were pennies on the dollar. We would always hassle the local RS store and ask to see "the list". I remember getting a nice Optimus car tape deck (re-badged Alpine ?) and a stack of metal (Type IV) 8-track tapes for peanuts. Another memory is the huge tube tester in the back of the shop until the early 80's. Also, our first micro was a TRS-80 Model III back in 1982. And I *really* wanted a Model 100. I think that device has proved that it was way ahead of its time.

My last purchase was fall of 2013 sometime - I forget what it was.

Shannon

That sound really sad. There were and maybe still are, some electronic or DIY stores out there in the world. When travelling in/on Ireland I spotted a MAplin shop in Cork.
I bought a bunch of EL34 some 30 years ago, in a shop called Clas Ohlson here in Sweden, now there are just camping chairs, coffee machines and dog collars left ....

I regularly buy misc. parts from RS for my tube amp projects. Mostly last minute things that I forget to buy online. I'd be sad to see them go out of business, whenever that may be.

Sad

Surprised they didn't learn from the mistake that RS Canada made by trying to wade into the pool with the boys much bigger than they were (going head-to-head with Walmart and Bell... seriously?)

The chain of 4,000 stores has just $62 million in cash left - a figure that is rapidly approaching zero.

I've had clients with that much money in their bank account just for a family of four! They're toast

Its been downhill ever since they dropped the 'Lafayette'

John

Interesting Seeking Alpha article on the Shack. Check the comments at the bottom of the article.

http://seekingalpha.com/article/2393405 ... lost?ifp=0

Unless some kind of white knight shows up it seems unlikely to survive.

So sad. I go there all the time to pickup resistors etc last minute. It's limited selection has saved me a bunch of times.

WA4SWJ wrote:Interesting Seeking Alpha article on the Shack. Check the comments at the bottom of the article.

http://seekingalpha.com/article/2393405 ... lost?ifp=0

Unless some kind of white knight shows up it seems unlikely to survive.

Comments don't show for some reason

The article writer is a tad clueless, though. He writes like an investor, not a customer, client, user of the products and services. I worked for them and used them. It's the "Think like an investor" attitude that killed the company.

I had a dream about radio shack last night. I walked in and it was like 1975, even though it was 2014. A whole bunch of very high end, dusty speakers; big, crazy grills, all real wood. And a bunch of amplifiers, and other stuff all going cheap.

DeathRex wrote:I had a dream about radio shack last night. I walked in and it was like 1975, even though it was 2014. A whole bunch of very high end, dusty speakers; big, crazy grills, all real wood. And a bunch of amplifiers, and other stuff all going cheap.

Wow - these 1975 prices are killing me. And this was a few years before mega inflation.

http://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/html/1975/

Shannon

Even their best TT's in 1975 didn't come with universal headshells

It will soon be to the point where all components need to be ordered online. The selection is great, but man it really stinks waiting for them to show up. And then when you forgot something or find out you need one more resistor you don't have in your drawer!

In the last year, I have stopped by RS for 9 volt battery connectors, DPDT switches and a plastic enclosure. I remember riding my bike to an electronics store by my house when I was in middle school and high school to get cable, connectors, ICs, tools, etc. That place is long since out of business; which makes no sense since they were the biggest name in the area for network wiring, patch panels, tooling, and more.

So, I'm not old enough to say I was able to go and purchase Heathkits and the like. Trust me, I wish I was. But, I do remember in '92 or '93 riding my bike to RS to buy the Optimus equalizer that was on-sale pre Christmas. My first EQ...which like any good electronics horder, I still have. Along with the owners manual and service manual (I wanted to see the circuits of the EQ).