Where are y’all buying single quantity parts?

[Oldmactech]

Troubleshooting a Hot Rod delux, might need a resistor or two or more. What’s a good source for small quantities? All the electronics place I know of have closed.

[The Dude]

I rarely buy single quantity parts. If you're going to buy something and pay freight, you might as well make it worth the freight cost. I'll usually also order some other things I might need. That said, Mouser and Digikey are a couple. There are many more.

[Enzo]

How many electronics shops are near you? Tv repair, guitar amp repair, anything electronic? Walk in and ask them if they would sell you a couple resistors. Worst can happen is they say "no". I always took care of such people. Usually I just gave them a part. My sales slip costs me 10 cents. Why waste one for one resistor - a resistor that cost me a penny.

If you need a parts list worth, MOuser really has no minimum, but you will pay shipping. So your single resistor will cost $7 same as 500 resistors. Jameco was a good company for hobbyists.

[nevetslab]

I do miss the days of a multitude of Electronics stores in the LA area. Yale Radio on Sunset Blvd with Pacific Radio a couple blocks further east on Cahuenga, both catering to the Recording Studio industry. Pacific Radio is still in business, with the Burbank store two blocks from my shop out in Burbank, but they long ago stopped carrying electronic components. Now mostly wire & cable, installation-based materials, decent tools, great supply of Switchcraft & Neutrik connectors, great supply of quality cable, heat shrink, Tech Flex, tie wraps and such. Electronic City in Burbank folded a good 5-6 years ago, which was the last store you could buy components from. Dow Radio also gone, so like most of use, we're constantly getting as much yield from a parts order as we can. And curse when we just realized we forgot to order something, and you can't call Mouser/Digi-Key to add that to the order. So, another shpg charge if you really want it.

[DrGonz78]

In a pinch for some parts I head over to Fry's electronics but typically only for resistors. I also hit up Apache reclamation which has bins of NOS components. I found lots of tubes, resistors, transistors and opamps that I used for repairs. So look up to see if you have any reclamation facilities for parts.

[olddawg]

Have you checked out Amazon Prime? They have one day delivery and quite a selection of parts. I think Prime is a real deal. I buy a lot of stuff through them. Free on day shipping. Also get Prime Streaming Video and Alexa can access millions of songs for free.

[mikepukmel]

such a sad topic. When we moved to Massachusetts in 1997 there were a ton of electronic supply houses within driving distance. One two towns over had *everything*. Not the best prices, but if you needed a few components, they had it. One by one, they all bellied up. Its all mail order now. There are a few very small shops, few hours from here, but they don't carry much.

[loudthud]

In the Dallas area we are blessed with one of the best "surplus" electronics stores anywhere. It started out in the late 70's almost exclusively surplus electronics from local companies going out of business or clearing inventory. In the last 20 years or so, it's more of a retail electronics store with a wide variety of everything from resistors, capacitors, transistors and IC's. Overall it's about 8000 square feet. It was started by a guy who passed away long ago. One of his sons took over the operation and he passed away. The last remaining son took over and is still running it today with his wife, two sons and a daughter. I've been going there since the mid 80's. Everyone who works there knows me by name. Prices have risen, but not too different from what you might pay for low quantities mail order.

Sadly, this place might be closing soon unless a new location can be found due to landlord issue.

There was a place in Fort Worth that was surplus electronics and they did scrap and salvage work. The owner was very old, had a back problem and eventually passed away. The whole place was packed up and shipped to China in dumpsters.

I don't know if this is true or not, is there a place somewhere in California that sells surplus and is also a 24 hour bowling alley? I'd like to see it.

[Leo_Gnardo]

I don't know if this is true or not, is there a place somewhere in California that sells surplus and is also a 24 hour bowling alley? I'd like to see it.

Oh man, that would be so terrific, and very California.

FWIW a friend used to work in Los Alamos for a while. He said "The Black Hole" was the place to go for electronics & related surplus. Although some of the items might be umm... slightly radioactive. Buyer beware, & bring your own geiger counter. Or buy one there! Relics of the Manhattan Project plus lots of other research since then. Long since closed, alas.

[DrGonz78]

I don't know if this is true or not, is there a place somewhere in California that sells surplus and is also a 24 hour bowling alley? I'd like to see it.

The Dude would Abide that place for sure!

[Blueboozer]

If you want to buy small quantity caps and resistors and such you can go to mouser but I’ve found that to be like finding a needle in a haystack. You might try https://www.justradios.com/. You can find less expensive, but this is simple and easy to find what you’re looking for.

[g1]

If you want to buy small quantity caps and resistors and such you can go to mouser but I’ve found that to be like finding a needle in a haystack. You might try https://www.justradios.com/. You can find less expensive, but this is simple and easy to find what you’re looking for.

I agree, and they're great people. However, this being your first post, the link comes across as a little bit spammy. Hopefully you're here to participate, and if so, welcome to the forum.

[Blueboozer]

Didn’t intend to sound spammy. I seriously thought I was participating by suggesting a vendor. I’m new to the whole building tube amplifiers, guitars, repair/refurb vintage audio equipment thing. I’m hoping I might be able to contribute in other ways and maybe ask a question or two along the way. Actually I’ll be looking for schematics and other info on my latest refurb project. A Lear Jet Stereo 8 am/fm receiver, 8 track, turntable. I’ll be posting that in schematic hell

Thanks for the welcome.

[DrGonz78]

With the recent decline in availability for axial type electrolytic capacitors justradios has been on my radar. I have yet to order from them but I will in the near future.

[g1]

Didn’t intend to sound spammy. I seriously thought I was participating by suggesting a vendor. I’m new to the whole building tube amplifiers, guitars, repair/refurb vintage audio equipment thing. I’m hoping I might be able to contribute in other ways and maybe ask a question or two along the way. Actually I’ll be looking for schematics and other info on my latest refurb project. A Lear Jet Stereo 8 am/fm receiver, 8 track, turntable. I’ll be posting that in schematic hell

Thanks for the welcome.

Glad to have you onboard. There was nothing wrong with your link, and it was exactly on topic. Just must be the first time someone put a link in their very first post that wasn't spam.
Hi-fi amps and other misc. non-guitar amp stuff usually goes in the 'music electroncis' section, so that is probably the best place to post about your Lear Jet.