• Coffee House
  • I'm not surprised RadioShack is on the way out
2015/03/14 13:35:52
sharke
I mean come on....
 

2015/03/14 14:04:27
craigb
Do they have any 8" floppy discs too?  I'm completely out...
2015/03/14 14:24:09
Guitarhacker
I wanted to buy a simple little 3.5mm jack for a small project and the only stuff they had was $19.99... I mean come on..... I was looking for a $2 jack....
 
 
Our local Shack hasn't yet announced they are closing.... but with prices like that... hey, it's can't be long now.  
 
I'm hearing guys on 2 meter ham radio talking about the Shacks in their towns having "Going out of Business" sales that simply rock.... Guys talking about getting $300 worth of stuff for $45 .... hey.... not here.
2015/03/14 15:20:26
sharke
I walked past one in Manhattan recently that had a closing down sale going on. A sucker for electronics sales, I strolled in, did one circuit (pun intended) and walked straight back out. Didn't see one thing that piqued my interest.
2015/03/14 17:51:52
KenB123
My local Radio Shack closed a year or two ago. I do miss it, mostly in spirit. When setting up my music system they would always be handy for those missing cables and wires. Yes, they were more expensive, but sometimes they were the only ones carrying it. Granted the internet is cheaper and greater selection, but waiting a week to get the item isn't always desirable. Life moves on, I guess. 
2015/03/14 18:30:11
robert_e_bone
I just did a death sale lap around the one remaining one near me last night, and walked out with:
 
4 screen cleaner kits - $1.00 each
1 really bright flash light - $5.75
1 pack screen protectors for phone - 5 in the pack $3.00
1 Laptop power pack at correct voltage and 'tip' $18.00
 
That's it.  They were literally selling the fixtures - shelving and brackets and such.
Their prices for most things were too high to be competitive, and natural selection evolved them out of business.
 
Bob Bone
 
2015/03/14 18:59:49
tlw
Tandy, Radio Shack's UK company, disappeared many years ago.

When they existed they mostly specialised in pretty low-quality stuff but not necessarily at low prices. The only thing they had going for them was that they were everywhere.

I was surprised they stayed in business as long as they did.
2015/03/14 19:25:20
sharke
tlw
Tandy, Radio Shack's UK company, disappeared many years ago.

When they existed they mostly specialised in pretty low-quality stuff but not necessarily at low prices. The only thing they had going for them was that they were everywhere.

I was surprised they stayed in business as long as they did.



Tandy was actually started out of Texas in 1919 and was a leather retailer. They eventually acquired Radio Shack and then opened stores in Europe in the early 70's. I remember the Tandy stores and always associated them with Radio Shack because, well, everything they sold had the Radio Shack logo. Like the US stores, they were notorious for asking for your personal details with every purchase (probably because they wanted to mail you some crappy catalog). 
 
I remember the Tandy computers too. Nobody at school wanted one and they never had a chance in hell of competing with the Commodore 64 or ZX Spectrum. 
2015/03/14 19:44:12
craigb
Their stereo gear wasn't real, it was Realistic!
2015/03/14 23:53:23
ampfixer
This makes me feel sad and old. In the early 70's Radio Shack was my version of paradise on earth. There was so much stuff that intersected there. Audio, Radio and electronics under 1 roof. Literally everything that I cared about could be purchased at that store.
 
All my short-wave radio gear and antennae came from there and it was one of the few places you could get the parts to build your own hi-fi. Even thought it was simple, it was still miles ahead of anything you could get at Sears. I'd read Popular Electronics, or mechanics, and then off to the Rat Shack for parts. I think of those years often, and I wonder what kids do today do instead. Gaming? Sports?
 
Fare well Radio Shack, you employed 100's of thousands of people over the years.
12
© 2026 APG vNext Commercial Version 5.1

Use My Existing Forum Account

Use My Social Media Account