Anyone still get stuff at Radio Shack?

[motomech]

As an audio hobbyist, I used to buy a lot of stuff at the "Rip Shack" back in the '70's and '80's, but these days they only seem to care about personal electronic devices.
Still, the ones near me are old stores and they still have a decent selection, and they are super convenient.

 

[Gregor]

My local Shack takes used NiCad batteries, lead/acid batteriers (up to about 12 AH), and supposedly disposes of/recycles them in a responsible manner. They are good for little bits and pieces like heat shrink and misc. connectors. There is a website that serves as their catalog now-a-days.

 

[dogman dan]

Even heat shrink is a rip there nowdays. At times though, it's been the ONLY place I could get solder if I needed it that very day. But you for sure try to get it at harbor freight first. But nobody stocks much now, so on a given day everybody can be out.

Unbelievable that you can't get RC hobby basics there at all, like bullet connectors, deans, andersons, etc. Nothing but a cell phone store these days really.

 

[dougnutz]

Ya the one near me has a decent selection of small ic parts. Its a total ripoff but if you need it that day and don't want to drive 20 miles for a resistor then it's often the only choice. Though every time I walk out of there I shake my head, wishing I just had the forthought to order from digikey or anyone else.

 

[Lebowski]

Here in Zurich we have a small electronics shop ('pusterla') right in the
middle of the red light district . It's one of those old-timey shops
with men in blue dustcoats, faded books explaining how to program the ZX81,
lots and lots of 10W resistors and high voltage capacitors in very weird
values (like 1.2 Ohm etc etc). The place has extremely narrow isles where
you can't turn around with a backpack on, you have to walk backwards.
But somehow it's lways full of people looking for a single specific resistor
and odd bits and bobs. I hope this shop will survive a long time 'cause it seems
so unlikely that they make money there.

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Zurich,+Switzerland&hl=en&ll=47.377778,8.525879&spn=0.000483,0.002411&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=42.224734,79.013672&oq=zur&hnear=Zurich,+Switzerland&t=m&z=19&layer=c&cbll=47.377778,8.525879&panoid=ngxjIfAPe9bi9FKZaLGmRg&cbp=11,309.86,,0,0

 

[teklektik]

Wired had an article about just this topic not too long ago:
The Lost Tribes of RadioShack: Tinkerers Search for New Spiritual Home

 

[migueralliart]

I buy most of my stuff there... althou I have a 50% discount on everything labeled radioshack. That means I'm always buying connectors and IC's some AA-AAA non rechargeables for the usual tv controllers and such. I wouldn't buy anything at retail price unless it was something I needed yesterday.

 

[stinkler]

The components isle gets smaller every year.