Where can I get parts in Seattle besides Radio Shack?

Does any one know where in Seattle to get cheap discrete parts &
components besides Radio Shack? I'm looking for stuff for projects like;
Resistors, Capacitors, Inductors, Transformers, Diodes, Transistors, IC's,
etc.

The selection at Radio Shack is to small and the parts they have are
relatively outrageously expensive. There used to be a shop here in town
called Radar Inc. but they moved way out to Redmond putting the price of
gas to get there into the mix. I tried Westlake Electronic but they told
me on the phone that there hesitant and unwilling to cater to the small
home electronics hobbyist any more.

Know of any surplus or inexpensive shops within Seattle? Any one feel
like opening a shop in Seattle?

-Art

 

The Radar here in Portland doesn't seem much good for discreete
R's C's, L's, etc either. Nearly everybody seems to have ceeded the
market to mail/web-order like www.digikey.com and www.mouser.com
IMHO.

Or any other town, for that matter.

Seems like it doesn't pay anymore.

 

EXACTLY CORRECT..... "it does not pay anymore".....
inventory, shipping, overhead, losses, returns, theft, not enough
selection, stocking the wrong part, can't get the right parts, etc, etc..
it is tough to compete with catalog houses that show complete
selections in the catalog even if they aren't in stock. It seems that
most prospective buyers want the catalog price but aren't willing to
pay me to stock it, ship it, etc, etc. ..... even though I can offer
immediate pick up and delivery and have already paid the shipping
on all in store inventory.... and I don't have a minimum order amount.
NOT enough business to stay in business if that is all you do is
cater to the electronics hobbyist..... if it paid, you would
see larger endeavors such as Radio Shack and others
expanding their parts sales not eliminating it.
I have parts that have been on the wall for years that I will
not reorder when and if they are sold.... I make better money on
repairs and sales of new and used equipment..... the parts
business has never been a big money maker for my store.
Best Regards,
Daniel Sofie
Electronics Supply & Repair

 

I'm willing to pay a surcharge to my local store if they have something in
stock; but it is true that I order from the big distributors if I know what
I need far enough in advance and if I have enough to make the minimum order
and shipping worthwhile. So that leaves just the last-minute stuff for the
local store, and that's hard to make money on.

I was cleaning up my basement workbench (which is not where I mostly work)
and found a 2001 Digikey catalog on the bookshelf. In two years, their
catalog has almost doubled in size - probably because everything has to be
in through-hole and surface-mount versions. I can't imagine how a
storefront operation could possibly handle an inventory explosion like that.

Art, I'm in Seattle too. I rarely shopped at Radar, mainly because their
stock was pretty random and they were often too busy talking with their
girlfriends on the phone to come and help a customer. Their surplus
operation was great - I'd go down there to browse that whenever I had a
spare hour around lunchtime, and often bought stuff - but their retail
operation was of limited value even when it was still here.

In Renton, a suburb of Seattle, there is a new Frye's. I don't know if they
stock electronic components; I know they list them in their catalog, but
maybe they're not in the stores. Anybody been to this one?

Perhaps we small businesses, individual hobbyists, etc. need to band
together - lord knows I've got a lot of components lying around, and if
someone needs something I might have it. Everyone else is the same, but
everyone's collection is a little different. If there were some way to
manage that inventory... it's funny to think that when I'm ordering
something from Digikey, my neighbor two blocks away might have it sitting
around unused.

 

"Walter Harley" wrote ...

There probably aren't any two Frye's that are the same, but they
seem to be at the same point in history that Radio Shack was
10 years ago. You can see the same DEvolution happening there
for those of you who missed it at RS.

 

Probably the best way to go about it for common parts in small
quantaties is to simply post a wanted message to the "components"
group of this sci.electr bunch. You cross posted this to enough of
them, you just missed the components group. Anyway, many people would
probably be willing to send you stuff for a few bucks for a few things
thrown into a padded mailer.

A while ago there was a short attempt to get hobbyists to post have
and want lists on a web site a kind sole (R. Steve Walz) on these
groups dedicated room on. Not sure if he is still willing to do it or
not, but the original posts are still up there. You can find them
at...
http://www.armory.com/~rstevew/Parts/Parts_Is_Parts.html

I did a couple trades with people from that attempt at a online
electronics swap meet. Maybe someone knows of another place this kind
of thing goes on for trading or getting dirty cheap, other people's
unneeded surplus stuff.

Patrick

 

Not in seattle, but Active Electronics was a wonderful place for discrete
parts;
they are still online. The place closed about a year ago...

Viper

 

There is an electronics parts store inside the Fred Meyer building in
Bellevue, across from Sears. on 148th I think

 

Yes, there is. It's called Vetco if I recall well. There's another on NE
20th st. (in Bellevue too) somewhere around 132nd ave, on the south side of
the street. I can't remember the name.

Regards,
Andras Tantos

 

Vetco *used* to be on NE 20th, and *moved* to inside the Fred Meyer.

They have the most insanely inflated prices of any local store I've seen. I
mean just really, really bad - especially on test instruments, but also
everything else. I want to shop there, to support the local guys, but every
time I'm just blown away. And their parts collection is all surplus, not
really a place you could go if you need a particular value of C or R.

 

Vetco *used* to be on NE 20th, and *moved* to inside the Fred Meyer.

I didn't know that. I was talking about some other store.

Yeah, agreed. But I could buy some surplus stuff there for my experiments.
Monochrome LCD displays for <$10 for example with a backlight inverter for
about 8 more.

Regards,
Andras Tantos

 

C & G in Tacoma, Electric Dimensions in Tacoma(old mlitary surplus)
Peace...

 

Just north of Seattle there is a great electronic components shop.
Active Electronics. OK, its a 3 hour drive north of Seattle in Burnaby BC.

The best thing is to just order the parts you need from Digi-Key or Mouser.

--
Dan Fraser

From Costa Mesa in sunny California
949-631-7535 Cell 714-420-7535

Check out my electronic schematics site at: http://www.schematicsforfree.com
If you are into cars check out www.roadsters.com

 

I live about two hours south of the Peace Arch crossing into BC. I
hadn't travelled to Surrey and points north in a couple of years, but
last month I made a run up that way. Guess what: we're living in a
post-9/11 world now -- I had to do a lot of talking coming back, because
I didn't have a passport -- never needed one in all the years I've been
doing runs up to BC.

Passport costs run ~US$100 here, totalled up. Don't think I'll be
shopping in BC again soon.

 

NEW ELECTRONICS SURPLUS IN SEATTLE

The guy who ran the surplus desk at Radar (Kevin H) has started a
surplus junk store. It's in Ballard. His website is new and doesn't
yet have his inventory online, but you can take a look:
http://www.houseofscience.com

House Of Science
825 NW 49th St.
Seattle, WA 98107
206-MAGNETS

He's closed on friday and saturday, but open sunday and the rest
of the week. Hobbyist types generally hang out there on
sunday afternoons.

(((((((((((((((((( ( ( ( ( (O) ) ) ) ) )))))))))))))))))))
William J. Beaty SCIENCE HOBBYIST website
http://amasci.com
EE/programmer/sci-exhibits amateur science, hobby projects, sci fair
Seattle, WA 206-789-0775 unusual phenomena, tesla coils, weird sci

 

Now THAT is interesting news. Kevin was definitely the coolest one in the
gang, with a great eye for surplus. I always found the surplus shopping at
Radar more interesting and rewarding than the rest of the store.

Kevin had earlier said he was going to be continuing the surplus operation
out at Radar's new place in Bothell. Do you know whether that happened or
not? That is, is H.O.S. the totality of Radar's old surplus operation, or
is it just a subset?

 

(William J. Beaty) wrote in

This is really good news. Kevin has always been really helpful and
friendly. I tried looking for House of Science along 8th NW but at the
time it was a spur of the moment idea to do so and as a result I did not
have the address with me so I was unsuccessful in my efforts to find the
place. Next time I'll try taking the address along with me for the ride.
Thanks for the info, Will!