How do you get electronics parts where you are?

Georacer

Joined Nov 25, 2009
5,182
In Greece, sourcing components can be hard.

I have a shop nearby that sells wholesale, as well as small quantities. It carries most components in very reasonable prices, and a little instrumentation. It's usually pretty busy, so you have to know what you are looking for.

BUT, the problem with Greece is that if you can't find what you are looking for in a local store, even an online local one, then you're in for a long, expensive ride. You have to import from the US or Far Asia, which usually means 2-3 weeks wait time, plus $20-$30 postage fees for small packages.

I also buy RC items. Local shops exist but prices are high. However, if you take import costs into account, it breaks about even. It's disheartening, though.

Sparkfun items are also frequent in my menu. A year or so back you had to import them, but lately a few import houses have opened which have made things a bit easier and faster. You still have to buy them online though, and some import costs are included.

In all, Greece is not the best place to source electronics.
 
Most of us find it easier to navigate and search online. This will apply, even when looking for electronic parts in search engines. Most of electronic companies have their own websites that are specifically created to expand their market globally.
 
There are many who ship to anywhere like (in no particular order):
http://www.goldmine-elec-products.com/
http://www.alltronics.com/
http://www.danssmallpartsandkits.net/
http://www.jameco.com
http://www.electronicsurplus.com/default.aspx

Of course there are also old-timers like myself who need to move to smaller apartments who put all their old RF and High Voltage components and other items (such as prisms, foot switches, large value film capacitors for pulse discharge, etc) on a web site and try to sell it to buyers anywhere in the world, such as my example
you will find in my profile from clicking on my member ID.
 

BMorse

Joined Sep 26, 2009
2,675
On a related note, for anyone also involved in the need for mechanical hardware, it is well worth sending for the free Cat. from Misumi, also to use as an engineering ref..
They have quite the inventory, and even custom modify their products for a small fee.
Max.
I prefer McMaster-Carr or now known as only McMaster for any mechanical parts, as long as you place your order before 4 pm, you get it the next day!
 
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David Pate

Joined Oct 29, 2013
25
Yeah, 40 years ago Radio Shack was an okay place. Then I started ordering through Electro-sonic in Toronto. Most of my orders are through Digikey these days. Ordered yesterday, arrived about noon today, prototyped this afternoon and SUCCESS!
 

atferrari

Joined Jan 6, 2004
4,764
Until two years ago I was able to buy through the Farnell local representative albeit paying incredibly high final prices with about 45 days of patience unless paying a lot more for a 10 days delivery on the counter.

Even at an auto describe "authorized representative" or equivalent, some PICs could cost between 4 to 8 times what could cost abroad. And you are limited to what the local (small) market demands. As a hobbyist, get used to it or go to grow water lilies.

Given the incredibly stringent restrictions the stupid in charge has put to any imports in this country the Farnell option is not viable anymore. They request a 50 USD minimum order for every single item and an eventual waiting time of 60 days. Go figure.

Did not try yet ordering anything through Internet. It is well known that depending who is in charge and what is being shipped, there is a high chance of scuffling with Customs officers when you receive them.

The Paradise in Earth, oh yes!
 

Cal Rico

Joined May 1, 2012
15
I started with JameCo. I thought they had everything i needed. Good prices on components and ICs and in buying in quantities of 10.
I learned about Mouser and Newark. The latter gave me an open account. I have no idea why...

I find parts on eBay from China are incredibly low priced..So, in a manic state of Bi-polar energy.. I found myself buying assortment packages of all the basics. Passives, Transistors,etc. I was able to buy enough to stock an entire hobbyist lab for less than a the cost of a single parts assortment case from JameCo. Disturbing....

For China's manufacturing reliability, I don't know. It is all for Hobby projects anyway.

I am beginning to find myself buying more equipment to hack around repairing consumer electronics. so the eBay binges will have to stop.

I have also done a lot of stripping PCB boards. I am probably better at de-soldering than actual soldering.

Rico

A very serious amateur.
Serious as in being amateurish & outright clueless most of the time.
 

MrChips

Joined Oct 2, 2009
30,708
We all need a reality check.

It feels good when we can find and purchase any commodity at dirt cheap prices, whether off eBay, WalMart, Dollar store etc.

Who wants to pay more than they have to?

What we ignore are the hidden costs. We are sending our manufacturing and end of product wastes to another country. We send our jobs overseas and employ the cheapest labor we can find. We destroy our environment and trash our planet just so we can pay the cheapest price.

Think about it. We all have roles to play as members of a global community other than searching for the lowest price.

We all pay in the long run.
 

paulie

Joined Jan 2, 2014
6
eBay - yes, WalMart - maybe, Dollar store - never. You would either get sick from the food or it will break in a few days. You get what you pay for!!!
 

Bernard

Joined Aug 7, 2008
5,784
Most of the places above & Tucson still has an oldfasion electronics store, Elliot Electronics, where you can still buy vacuum tubes, wire wrap sockets & supplies + all of the new stuff, at a price and long drive, 1 gallom of gas.
 

Metalmann

Joined Dec 8, 2012
703
Been buying parts from this store for the last several months:

http://www.tmart.com/DIY-Parts-Components/

Always Free Shipping.

At these prices, I wonder how much of these electrical products are actually made in U.S. anymore.?

It's quite easy, to put your branding on products.

Maybe the larger, well known, American companies; are really getting their parts from the same Chinese companies as I do......then marking them up 600%+.

How do you really know.....where your parts are being manufactured?:confused:
 

varicap

Joined Jan 30, 2014
3
I wrote a lengthy reply to this thread last night and thought that I'd lost it. it may be in the 'moderator's slot' waiting approval, so can you let me know???

Thanks Varicap
 

Thread Starter

WBahn

Joined Mar 31, 2012
29,978
I wrote a lengthy reply to this thread last night and thought that I'd lost it. it may be in the 'moderator's slot' waiting approval, so can you let me know???

Thanks Varicap
Sometimes (emphasis on sometimes) I have lost a reply that I was working on and then had it magically pop up when I viewed that thread or tried to reply to that thread again. I don't know if it is being cached in my browser or on the AAC server -- I've seen things that have led me in both directions.

Good luck.
 
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NetDoc

Joined Jan 6, 2014
22
I have bought a lot through Jameco and they've been OK, if a bit slow. I just placed an order through Mouser because of this thread. The prices were right but the box was here in an ultra jiffy. I do a lot of travel and right after I hit order, I realized that I would probably be in Curacao when the packages got here. It was here the very next day. I'll be sure to use them in the future.
 
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