[Boatanchors] Another Parts Store Closes...

[Van Lincoln]

Good Morning William:

This is Van Lincoln.  I read your message and felt your pain.  All I 
can add to your note, is that
the market is changing, and a large chunk of the OLD electronics 
business is going away due to the digital age,
and that it will never return, except for what old-timers manage to 
keep in existence, and foster
along with their memories.  The days of the soldering iron and its 
attendant large sized parts is rapidly drawing to a
close.  The only users of the large parts trades, repairs and 
equipment, are those who are reliving their memories in the
old days.  When we are gone and others like us no longer exist, the 
large solderable parts will be gone as well.

On the other hand, the knowledge of electronics will still be there, 
and engineering and design available and widespread,
it's just going to be all about digital parts and miniaturization of 
devices.  When you look at the field of electronics closely,
you'll find that it was all about communication over distance, and 
recording data, (sounds, music, famous politician's speeches,
and other data of the like.  Now all the before mentioned can be done 
digitally, paring down the size and cost, requiring less power and 
resources, and therefore less expense due to costs of 
production.  AND still accomplish the same tasks.

We all cry in our beer, but it is not stopping for any man, in fact 
it is accelerating in its adoption by the peoples of the world.  The 
hobby of electronics is still with us and will be for the foreseeable 
future, but will be ever-changing in many faces and facets.  We ALL 
have to keep on learning or risk becoming antiquated.  When there is 
NOTHING left to invent, we will be in trouble as a world 
population.  The only other
cataclysm that might befall our world is the ability to wipe the face 
of the globe of its residents.

Van





At 08:53 8/30/2015, you wrote:
 >Hello All,
 >
 >I have to 'let it all out'.  Call the following a rant, excess
 >whining, loads of lamentations, or whatever.
 >
 >Last week I had a 'Dad's Day Out' with my father to have breakfast and
 >stop by an electronics shop in Minneapolis.  The store was ABC
 >Electronics (http://www.yelp.com/biz/abc-electronics-minneapolis) and
 >I had not been there for a few years.  I figured my dad and I could
 >poke around for a while.
 >
 >After a great breakfast at Louisiana Cafe
 >(http://newlouisianacafe.com/) where heart attacks are served on large
 >plates, we zipped over to Minneapolis only to find out that ABC was
 >closed for inventory.
 >
 >Well, actually closed for more than inventory purposes.  After the
 >initial disappointment of seeing the sign stating they were closed -
 >which of course was after we paid for parking - we poked our heads in
 >the door and spoke to the manager.  He mentioned the place is closing
 >its doors and everything was already bought out by another firm.
 >
 >On the plus side:  The company that purchased the entire lot was Ax
 >Man Surplus (http://www.ax-man.com/).  A fun store with lots of 
odds and ends.
 >
 >On the down side:  There is no way all of the stuff from ABC will be
 >able to be set out on the shelves at Ax Man for all to see as their
 >stores are already quite crowded.  Thus I fear the ABC inventory will
 >be stuck in a warehouse and parcelled out over the coming years.
 >
 >So the past few years have seen the following:
 >*  ABC Electronics closed.
 >
 >*  Radio repair shop on Prior Avenue in St. Paul closed.  This place
 >was run by Paul March, a true gentleman, who has retired.  His shop
 >was only open a couple hours during the week and a few hours on
 >Saturday mornings, but it was filled to the gills with all sorts of 
cool stuff.
 >
 >*  Marty's Second Hand Store on University Ave in St. Paul closed
 >(RIP, Marty).  This was a true junk store that would have a true
 >treasure every so often.  Marty was a crusty old soul with a heart of
 >gold.
 >(http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_27612233/st-paul-martys-second
 >-hand-store-close-its)
 >
 >*  This year's HAM swap meet normally held in the 3M parking lot was
 >cancelled at the last minute and now needs to find a new location for
 >next year (http://www.skywarn.ampr.org/tailgate.html).
 >
 >I did receive a recommendation to check out Leeds Radio in Brooklyn
 >from one of the Boatanchor folks a couple years back.  I was able to
 >visit the place (heaven on earth), but I now see he has moved shop to
 >the Bronx.  Not sure when I will be able to make it over there from 
Minnesota.
 >
 >Kutztown is too far away, too.
 >
 >I recognize things change, people pass, and capitalist economics does
 >not always suit the small-time hobbyist.  My hope is that I will still
 >have access to parts and suggestions on how to use them... and for
 >that, I will thank the Boatanchor community in advance.
 >
 >Thanks for reading.
 >
 >Best Regards,
 >
 >William
 > 			   		
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