I have a casual interest in buying a few tens of fahnestock clips. They used to be common (and cheap) as dried beans. Now I find they are a rarity and premium product. I don’t even think there is a Chinese manufacturer! I can’t find anything on AliXpress, for example.

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It seems the principle users are model railroaders, and apparently they are willing to pay outrageous prices for them.

I don’t strictly need them, but I have been doing some “rapid prototyping” (read: hacking stuff together in a hurry) that has inspired me to make a few modular components in small, plastic project boxes and for this purpose, fahnestock clips would actually be quite nice as well as having a pleasant nostalgic quality.

Anyone have a source that isn’t a buck a pop—or even half that? I am not holding out too much hope, but I thought I would ask the collective wisdom of AAC.

As this goes to post, I may have found a source that is only ~.32 bucks a pop—updates as they happen.

 

Wow .......
I haven't seen a Fahnestock-Clip since around ~1965 !!!!
~0.32 cents each is the best price I saw when doing a search,
unless You want to buy over 100 of them.
.
.
.

 

As hard as finding wheels for a model T Ford...
But there is other similar methods:

----> https://www.jsumo.com/button-spring-terminal-multicolor-6-pos-35mm-pitch

----> https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2251832763099042.html?gatewayAdapt=glo2usa4itemAdapt&_randl_shipto=US

----> https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Quick-Cable-Connector-CH-2-Press_60703821057.html

----> https://slideplayer.com/slide/230350/

----> https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/recreating-classic-electronics-kits/all

Make them ! project kits had these :

Which is an inverted U inside a 'pen' spring.

 

Going rate cheap is a buck each and I've seen them at 20 bucks apiece. Best is at Newark for 48.4 cents each.539 - Abbatron Hh Smith - Fastener, Fahnestock Clip, Screw Mount Cable Clamp (newark.com) BUT it is still 10 bucks to ship them! So to break even over the 10 for 10 bucks price @ Amazon you need to buy more than 20 of em! Pan head screws and washers are much cheaper albeit not as classy looking... I have heard of making them out of paper clips?

 

What is your source for 32 cents?

 

What is your source for 32 cents?

A rather odd-ball and interesting source, in fact. The photo is lifted from their website. With shipping, the cost is 50¢ each, but still cheaper than the others.

They also sell a lot of other rather interesting things, so I may be buying both the elusive Fahnestock clip as well as some decently priced wash bottles and a few other odds and ends.

 

Searching for Philmore 2090 Fahnestock finds some sources, but they may be cobweb sites.
How about 16 cents each?
https://www.arcade-electronics.com/Philmore-2090-Fahnstock-Clips-p/phi-2090.htm

 

The problem is most folks only need a few. So, once you add the shipping, you're right back to a buck apiece... At least the Amazon ten for ten bucks includes shipping (for Prime members) so unless you want more than 10, they are hard to beat. Somehow, I ended up @ Forestry Supply once, esoteric collection of stuff! Also, Fahnestock Clip - electrical terminal for wire connections | Antique Electronic Supply (tubesandmore.com) has some nice antique rusty ones (for that nostalgic look) at $1.15 each! Along with some other hard to find stuff...

 

Searching for Philmore 2090 Fahnestock finds some sources, but they may be cobweb sites.
How about 16 cents each?
https://www.arcade-electronics.com/Philmore-2090-Fahnstock-Clips-p/phi-2090.htm

Great find, thanks. nThey misspelled “Fahnestock” and so hid themselves it seems.

I ordered 100 so they cost about 27¢ each all told. Theoretically, I could sell them off on eBay and make a profit... I figure that 100 will cover foreseeable and possibly unforeseeable needs.

Thanks again.

I still need to order those wash bottles—and who knows what else—from Forestry Supply.

 

The problem is most folks only need a few. So, once you add the shipping, you're right back to a buck apiece... At least the Amazon ten for ten bucks includes shipping (for Prime members) so unless you want more than 10, they are hard to beat. Somehow, I ended up @ Forestry Supply once, esoteric collection of stuff! Also, Fahnestock Clip - electrical terminal for wire connections | Antique Electronic Supply (tubesandmore.com) has some nice antique rusty ones (for that nostalgic look) at $1.15 each! Along with some other hard to find stuff...

Looks like searching for Fahnestock clips revealed a rich vein of other things-I-must-buy-but-wouldn’t-need-if-I-hadn’t-seen them.

 

The problem is most folks only need a few.

The problem is some cannot spell; you need to search it wrong to find it...

 

UPDATE: Got an email from Judy at Arcade Electronics that they only have 32, and they won’t be getting more—so I got the last ones, and they will cut the shipping in half.

 

My supply.

https://www.newark.com/b/abbatron-hh-smith
https://www.abbatron.com/