Surplus electronics shops

Nice to see those e-ink displays, Little snapshots of life before disconnection!

I just searched for hardings electronics, Yell.com says it is open, and there's a recent review.

As well as Tandy and their bags of stuff, I used to like Maplins, the smell of a fresh catalogue and the temptation of extra stuff with your order.  But it's not the same, I guess there's less market for makers, I read they are one of the high street shops in trouble and they are looking for a buyer... Hmm Element 14 / Farnell on the high street!

...I used to like Maplins, the smell of a fresh catalogue and the temptation of extra stuff with your order.

And don't forget the great wall calendars they used to do - the large ones with sci-fi artwork...

And the covers on the catalogues, I've definately owned that 1986 edition

I'm not sure who the cover artist was and past searches for scans of the calendars never proved successful. Not sure if the artist was ever credited in the catalogue. Anyone still got a copy from around that time ?

[ Lionel Jeans appeared to have done some of the '87 work (and confirmed by Maplin on Facebook). The '79 catalogue appears to be marked with "ROD BROWN '78" which I think may refer to the artist Robert D. Brown. Some references to Peter Elson and Chris Foss but may just be influences rather than the cover artist.]

I definitely had some of those tapes!  Probably didn't put Speccy games on them with my twin tape midi system though... ahem!

Ditto to the '86 edition . . .

Lincoln, Lincolnshire, UK. J (Jonny) Birkett - MANY an hour spent in there over the years, I now don't make my wife suffer - I go into Maplin now (or shop online with CPC et al).

Quote from 'shoplincoln' website.

"Quirky Birketts offers customers a vast range of new and secondhand equipment.

Products include vintage/military/commercial/amateur radios, wireless and test equipment, aircraft instruments, microphone, amplifiers, speakers and many many more.

If you're interested in creating your own electronic projects then Birketts is the place to visit. Birketts motto ‘not a piece of ‘junk’ in sight’. "

'Website' here - for what there is of it! (E14 gets a mention on the "electronic components" link)!!

Interior (from their webpage)

Hi Andy,

I try to stay away form surplus shops.

There are just too many tempting pieces of gear and I end up buying things I never use.

DAB

Hi Andy,

In a most unexpected place (South Kensington) there is a wacky shop called J.T. Denyer, which sells ancient electrical stuff. Not quite 'surplus', just the store hasn't moved with the times, but in a good way, and still stocks the kind of stuff that was around a few decades ago, like ancient Ever Ready flashlights, etc. Not cheap due to location, but not outrageous prices either. Even their storefront sign is still on the old phone numbering code from two three decades ago

Also a couple of minutes walk around the corner, there is a cool hardware store, called The Hardware Store : ) which again stocks quite ancient stuff, but also some hard-to-get stuff as well. The store is tiny, but packed to the ceiling. Fun to spend 20 mins in there too.

Thank goodness I never got taken to one of those stores.

Problemchild was kind enough to help me with a desoldering station.

Anything more in the suitcase would have been an issue.

Mark