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A decade ago if you searched for toggle switches on their website you would have gotten dozens and dozens of results.
Now there are six, and only two of them are actual toggle switches.
Did all of the science and surplus run out?
Earlier quoted context omitted.
This is a benefit of having ultra dense industry specific zones like the Shenzhen SEZ. Physical vendors get the volume to warrant operating and reasonable pricing, buyers get components on short notice. Suburbanization set up the US for failure here, and the governments haven't bothered intentionally creating any equivalent of Shenzhen. Santa Clara county used to be the spot, and I'd regularly pick up quickturn PCBs…
Is it just about having dense industrial zones? I would have imagined cost of labor to be the major cause of price differences.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
This is a benefit of having ultra dense industry specific zones like the Shenzhen SEZ. Physical vendors get the volume to warrant operating and reasonable pricing, buyers get components on short notice. Suburbanization set up the US for failure here, and the governments haven't bothered intentionally creating any equivalent of Shenzhen. Santa Clara county used to be the spot, and I'd regularly pick up quickturn PCBs…
The public's (lack of) tolerance of pollution also impacted things. It's not like PCB manufacturing is clean.
https://www.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?layers=c1229e...
AS&S survived for decades selling actual science and surplus, now it seems their focus has shifted to alibaba junk consumer goods and flea market reject merchandise. A decade ago if you searched for toggle switches on their website you would have gotten dozens and dozens of results. Now there are six, and only two of them are actual toggle switches. Did all of the science and surplus run out?
We used to have the most amazing little electronics store a lot like this called "Ra-Elco" in SLC, Utah, but specifically devoted to every wild bit of electronics you could imagine, ranging from individual little components of every sort all the way up to weird esoteric devices nobody's ever heard of (at least there were a lot I'd never seen before). Totally love these kinda shoppes, and I truly wish they weren't suc…
AS&S survived for decades selling actual science and surplus, now it seems their focus has shifted to alibaba junk consumer goods and flea market reject merchandise. A decade ago if you searched for toggle switches on their website you would have gotten dozens and dozens of results. Now there are six, and only two of them are actual toggle switches. Did all of the science and surplus run out?
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I like these places too but I can see why they are dying. The number of SKUs people want has exploded and the cost competition from buying online is unreal. Recently I needed a motor driver in a hurry (a4988 or equivalent) and decided to visit my local electronics shop. They wanted $9 for it (plus tax), which I was willing to pay, but were out of stock. So I went home and found a 5 pack of the exact same part for abo…
This is a benefit of having ultra dense industry specific zones like the Shenzhen SEZ. Physical vendors get the volume to warrant operating and reasonable pricing, buyers get components on short notice. Suburbanization set up the US for failure here, and the governments haven't bothered intentionally creating any equivalent of Shenzhen. Santa Clara county used to be the spot, and I'd regularly pick up quickturn PCBs…
AS&S survived for decades selling actual science and surplus, now it seems their focus has shifted to alibaba junk consumer goods and flea market reject merchandise. A decade ago if you searched for toggle switches on their website you would have gotten dozens and dozens of results. Now there are six, and only two of them are actual toggle switches. Did all of the science and surplus run out?
I'm guessing the surplus ran out. I would go to the Chicago area stores a lot and could easily recognize which companies were dumping spare/reject assemblies and other shrapnel related to their work. Those companies all moved to Mexico or Asia, so there's nothing left to dump.
AS&S survived for decades selling actual science and surplus, now it seems their focus has shifted to alibaba junk consumer goods and flea market reject merchandise. A decade ago if you searched for toggle switches on their website you would have gotten dozens and dozens of results. Now there are six, and only two of them are actual toggle switches. Did all of the science and surplus run out?
The demand ran out. Gen Z and Gen Alpha don’t know how this stuff works.