[pepsionice]

As a kid in the 1970s....I can remember going over to buy a 8-track player, a CB radio, and a loud-speaker for my car. I haven’t been inside of a Radio Shack since 1989 (I bought my first PC there).

I think the key here....is that they really didn’t change. Same style....same thinking....same advertisements...as they had in the early 80s.

[Eric]

The Radio Shack of today IS NOT the Radio Shack of yesterday. They DID change their business model, and never found their way back. Here in Connecticut, we have a local store called Cables and Connectors that is basically what Radio Shack used to be. Components, wire, connectors, electronic kits, etc. And they do a staggering business. They have what you are looking for 98% of the time. Radio Shack lost the "do-it-yourself" vision, and managed to lose their customers.

[duckworth]

It always seemed strange in Radio Shack. If you wanted one connector, the package would have two, and you’d have to pay for two! And there was always something creepy about how they wanted your name and address when you checked out. I always had a feeling there was some strange religious cult behind the whole operation.