Oh man! Circuit City! Forgot all about them. We had a big one in the "big city." Got some great deals as they were closing though.
Oh...I just noticed you're up in the U.P.! Love it up there. Just wish there was work to be had. So much more tranquil than life where I'm currently at.
I used to go to Radio Shack back in the 70s. While they were a little more expensive than an electronics shop, I could always find what I needed in electronic parts. I used to have a collection of Radio Shack catalogs from back then, but lost them all in a move. (There is a site online with scans of the catalogs, but it's not the same.) At home, I'd make a list of what I needed, reference the RS part numbers, and ride over on my bike to pick up what I needed.
It was sad to see RS cut back its electronic components business all those years ago, along with most of their DIY products. Back then, you never saw any other brand except those trademarks of RS, such as Realistic, Optimus, Archer, Micronta, and a few others.
They weren't the only one. Heathkit pretty much shut down its kit operation when Zenith took over and turned them into a computer company (and then ran
that division out of business), so I missed out on being able to buy and build their bigger kits by only a few years. Locally, we used to have many electronics part stores in the area, but today I can only think of two: Abel Electronics (just a few blocks from me), and Electronic Connection in Westland, and the latter is much better stocked on componentry and DIY equipment.
I can buy online, but it is far more tedious, not to mention having to wait to get a large enough order to make the shipping charges worthwhile. It's hard to justify a $5+ shipping fee for a $1.50 pack of resistors. Although online, I have access to far more options at one store (multiple brands, multiple options per item, etc.), way more options than any single store could reasonably ever stock.
