their area for project electronics has continually shrunk and has less and less value in it.
i went into the closest one to me that hadn’t closed. the workers, two black gals, had their urban-ethnic music on very loud. cheap rc toys, mobile phones are the primary draw. looking for a certain basic switch i needed to replace, i discovered hey don’t have it. bought it online.
in short, radio shack has ceased to be radio shack.
Radio Shack’s Supertape cassette tapes were the best - 40 years later most of them still play well. They really have not had a reason to exist since the advent of the internet though - there’s nothing at RS that I can’t get cheaper elsewhere.
While of course some of this is due to mindless ninnies, I can tell you why I and other hard-headed conservatives (like my father) go there when possible: OUTSTANDING CUSTOMER SERVICE.
Need to return something? No problem!
Need to return something a bit beyond the return period due to an actual problem with the product? No problem!
Need to exchange something WAY beyond warranty period because of a blatant defect that only showed up a couple of days ago? No problem!
Need to talk to an expert? Well, you have to make an appointment, but... No problem!
Want someone to teach you how to fully use the powerful product you bought? No problem!
Want to shop in a store that is clean and orderly? (Well, except for the tats and piercings some of the staff have...) No problem!
Why other retailers can't learn from the Apple Store is a sure sign just how egotistically and mentally bankrupt many of our MBAs are.
First thing you want to learn is to avoid "cold" solder joints and to make your wire runs very neat so they'd always be easy to trace. Seems like it was in the 60's that a few printed circuits started ending up in the kits...but it didn't kill all the fun.