primitives reminisce about Radio Shack

[franksolich]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1018763839

Oh my.

47of74 (9,364 posts)    Sat May 23, 2015, 11:13 PM

Went to the local Radio Shack for probably the last time tonight
 
I had to get a USB cable for the printer tonight so I went to Target. They didn't have a long enough one so I then went next door to Radio Shack, which is going to be closing in the next few days and lucked out - they had one there that was more than long enough. (I needed a long one because of how I have my work laptop and my printer arranged, and my work laptop can't see my wi-fi printer when it's on the VPN).

It's kind of sad to see the local Radio Shack going out of business. I did quite a bit of business with them when I was younger as they were pretty much the only game in town for computers, software, and accessories. My first computer was a Tandy 1000 HX (don't judge). Once Sears started selling computers (such as Packard Hell) and related items and Staples opened a store in town I stopped visiting them quite as much. I can count on one hand the number of times I've been in the local Radio Shack over the past decade, but still it's sad to see them going away now.

The Velveteen Ocelot (40,020 posts)   Sat May 23, 2015, 11:39 PM

1. They've fallen on hard times, that's for sure.

Hoyt (19,694 posts)      Sun May 24, 2015, 12:23 AM

2. My first computer was a Radio Shack 286. Thing was over $2000.
 
I hate to see you them go too, but nowadays you can get better stuff delivered the next day with one click. I guess it's progress, but not sure.

RebelOne (30,677 posts)    Sun May 24, 2015, 07:04 PM

7. I bought my first computer, an Apple IIe at Radio Shack.
 
I paid almost $2000. This was in the early '80s. But that little computer lasted over 10 years and I made a lot of money with it doing freelance work.

olddots (6,462 posts)    Sun May 24, 2015, 01:18 AM

3. I could do ten pages on how I will miss them .

eppur_se_muova (23,692 posts)    Sun May 24, 2015, 03:40 PM

5. I was relieved to learn our local RS is staying.
 
The front half of the store will feature Sprint products, the back half will continue to sell the usual RS merchandise.

I hadn't been to RS for a long time because I thought of them as overpriced. But two long-time electronics parts suppliers in the area both closed recently. I was surprised at how knowledgable the staff are at this particular RS franchise; doesn't fit with my experience at some others over the years.

They won't survive on my minor little purchases, sad to say. 

47of74 (9,364 posts)    Sun May 24, 2015, 05:05 PM

6. We already have several places selling Sprint where I live
 
We not only have a Sprint Store but we have several third party retailers selling Sprint. I suspect that might have had something to do with why the Radio Shack is closing here. Plus I can't really think of anything that they were selling that I needed that wasn't sold by a dozen other places here in town.

[thundley4]

I'm not surprised that Radio Shack gave up the ghost.  I'm looking for Best Buy to be the next one to go. 

They'll merge with Apple and become Best Buy iPhones or You'll Be Sorry stores.

[I_B_Perky]

It is pretty sad to see them go.  Back 30 or 40 years ago that was the only place to go to get electronic parts, radio parts, etc. You needed a hard to find electronic part, that was the place. If they didn't have it, they could get it.  Last time I was there I got a battery for the portable landline phone. Cost $28.00. Later I found them on the internet for 3 bucks. Bought three for the other three phones and they put them in an envelope and charged around two bucks for shipping.

Ain't any wonder they went out of business.

[obumazombie]

I'm not surprised that Radio Shack gave up the ghost.  I'm looking for Best Buy to be the next one to go. 

They'll merge with Apple and become Best Buy iPhones or You'll Be Sorry stores.

What, you can't roll Starbucks into the mix ?

[BlueStateSaint]

I'm not surprised that Radio Shack gave up the ghost.  I'm looking for Best Buy to be the next one to go. 

They'll merge with Apple and become Best Buy iPhones or You'll Be Sorry stores.

The one near me is (supposedly) one of the few profitable ones.  I don't know who's name they will operate under--did Sprint buy the rights to those?

[GOBUCKS]

Radio Shack grossly overpriced little electronic odds and ends you couldn't find anyplace else.

They were doomed by the internet.

They were also obnoxious as hell, trying to get your name and address before ringing up a two-dollar purchase.

They won't be missed.

[thundley4]

The one near me is (supposedly) one of the few profitable ones.  I don't know who's name they will operate under--did Sprint buy the rights to those?

I've been confused by some of what I've read about the sale. Apparently, RS was selling their customer list separately, and Sprint was only buying certain stores. Sprint has a lot of stores already, so I think they went after RS stores in areas where Sprint thought they were under represented.

[obumazombie]

I've made the mistake more than once about giving away my email.
But not lately.
Even still I have to suffer the spamming from the few times I did inadvisadly give it out.

[Chris_]

I've made the mistake more than once about giving away my email.
But not lately.
Even still I have to suffer the spamming from the few times I did inadvisadly give it out.

I have an email address set aside for subscriptions and mailing lists, another for business, and one for personal use.  It makes handling spam and garbage much easier.

[dixierose]

I have an email address set aside for subscriptions and mailing lists, another for business, and one for personal use.  It makes handling spam and garbage much easier.

^^this^^

[landofconfusion80]

Having a spare email to set up gofundme accounts is especially handy.  I always know that DU will reliably fund my vacation for the year.

[Rebel]

The Velveteen Ocelot (40,020 posts)   Sat May 23, 2015, 11:39 PM

1. They've fallen on hard times, that's for sure.

You know why? Because they have/had a suckass CEO(s) that didn't seen the writing on the wall and evolve their company. THAT'S why CEO's make the big bucks, dumbass. There is NO reason Radio Shack couldn't have succeeded with the proper stewardship. Back in the 80's, Lowe's wasn't shit and their stores, at least the ones I was used to, didn't amount to much. IN the 90's, it was Home Depot vs Home Quarters. HQ lost that battle due to a CEO that also didn't read the writing on the wall. Finally, Lowe's got some people with some damn sense and look at where they are today.

ALL DUE TO THOSE EVIL "1%ERS" YOU F'N IDIOTS DON'T DESERVE TO MAKE MORE THAN 200K. How many jobs were saved/created by those evil bastards, hmm?

[I_B_Perky]

I have an email address set aside for subscriptions and mailing lists, another for business, and one for personal use.  It makes handling spam and garbage much easier.

I usually just give companies like that an email address and name of some liberal editorialist of the local liberal rag.  Let them get the spam.   

[obumazombie]

I usually just give companies like that an email address and name of some liberal editorialist of the local liberal rag.  Let them get the spam.   

I may borrow that idea liberally.

[RobJohnson]

Having a spare email to set up gofundme accounts is especially handy.  I always know that DU will reliably fund my vacation for the year.

 

[SVPete]

You know why? Because they have/had a suckass CEO(s) that didn't seen the writing on the wall and evolve their company. ...

RS's hobbyist marketplace started disappearing in the 1970s, as user-replaceable parts (= vacuum tubes) got designed out of TVs and radios and discrete and small-scale-integration active electronic components started giving way to ICs that had one or more functions on the one IC and got wa-a-a-ay too fast to operate properly in a hand-built breadboard, Selling over-priced crappy stereo equipment worked somewhat, until boomboxes and Walkman-style portables made component stereo equipment an exotic niche marketplace that wouldn't buy over-priced crap. The TRS-80 was a good attempt to remake the company, but it was late and technology moved too fast and RS didn't have the manufacturing capability/capacity or focus to become a Dell. After that RS tried to surf successive technology waves - horribly difficult to do in consumer electronics, as Circuit City and Best Buy could tell you - and band-aids like selling over-priced batteries and cables 7-Eleven-style.

Radio Shack's bankruptcy was a failure of marketplace recognition and imagination.

[I_B_Perky]

I may borrow that idea liberally.

Another thing I do is when the company wants a phone number I give them the local IRS office number.