Rob wrote:
Scott Dorsey wrote:
Rob wrote:

Halted is one of, if not the last, surplus stores in the
Valley. I've always visited when in the area.

This kind of stores (much smaller of course) have closed decades ago here.
They need supply and demand, and both of them are diminishing.

The supply has changed and moved. There are now huge components markets
in China and Korea that sell manufacturing surplus the way Halted and Poly-Paks
used to do.

But it is probably not worth it to ship it in bulk to the USA or Europe
to sell it there at surplus prices.
Maybe a surplus store could survive in those countries when shipping
individual orders.

They do! They sell on alibaba and sometimes on ebay! There are all KINDS
of bulk electronics parts on ebay.

Last time I have been there I "urgently" needed some 74HC123 to use in
a PPS pulse stretcher I intended to install a few days later. When I
got home it turned out they had grabbed 74HC132 from the drawers.
Fortunately I could still use those for the purpose...
But normally I order components and gadgets at Aliexpress, they are
delivered in 10-14 days and cost a fraction of what I was used to paying
in local stores (that were getting impossible to go to except by bicycle).
And when I would require quality stuff and quick delivery there are lots
of options as well.

Welcome to the New Surplus Era.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."