I just received an email newsletter about All Electronics having a final clearance sale as they close the business.
All Electronics is an electronics discount store. They carry surplus parts and misc supplies, such as switches, wiring, LED modules, and more.
I first learned of the company years ago, probably through a magazine ad, and fondly remember going through their slim booklet-style catalogs.
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All Electronics says:
After 56 years supplying surplus and new electronic parts and supplies, we have decided to call it quits.
They expect to fully close shop before the end of August, 2023.
Browsing All Electronics is kind of like going through a tinkerer’s spare and harvested parts rack. They’ve got a bunch of useful stuff for prototyping with, but I’d never buy parts or components to spec from there.
Most products have some basic info, but don’t expect to see a typical datasheet.
I’ll be sure to browse the store a couple more times before they close.
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Chris I
“After 56 years…..we have decided to call it quits”.
????
What a bizarre, defeatist PR position. They might as well spill the whole story of how it came to be then. Selling trinkets for a few bucks is hard to survive in Van Nuys….
Bonnie
It doesn’t need to be a big reason. The owner may just simply have decided to shut down the business.
fred
You are probably correct. Might have been a family run business. The founder (s) 56 years ago may have passed on or retired. The next generations may not be as keen on the business and think that the building and property (if they own it) is where the real money is.
I got my start in a sort of family business that now has no connection to any of mine. None of the generations that have come after me and my contemporaries had any interest in making their livings in the building trades – so my family – including me slowly – divested ourselves. The difference – perhaps – is that the old businesses, that I was associated with are continuing under a somewhat different set of owners.
Mark
I mean if you run a private business and just want to close it why convolute your reasoning?
Mr. C
Um, it’s a private business. They’re allowed to shut down for any reason or no reason.
They were direct and to the point. I mean, 56 years IS a long time. That’s not defeatist.
Andy
I remember buying parts from them out of a catalog probably 30 years ago. A different world today.
Robert
When I read the headline I momentarily thought a big EMP blast had hit the USA. But then realized my iPhone wouldn’t be working to read the headline if hat was so.
Peter Fox
It was been a long time since I thought or them and an even longer time since I last ordered anything from them.
In the early 2000’s shortly after I got into amateur radio I ordered a bit from them as they were one of the easier options available once you wanted more variety than was available from radio-shack. I remember them as having a decent if slightly odd selection of surplus parts and inexpensive new electronics parts. The reasonably sized catalog was a pretty good source back when websites seldom offered online shopping options. Back then Digikey and Mouser Electronics had much smaller offerings and much more difficult catalogs to sift though. I assume that the supply surplus electronics has probably slowed to a trickle as less and less is manufactured here. Along with so many more options for low cost electronic parts (Amazon, Ebay, ECT…) that making a profit in that market would be difficult.
I do remember some of their electronic connectors being really poor quality. I got a batch of 20 PL-259 connectors that had the softest plastic insulator and only 2 holes to solder the shield instead of the normal 4 holes. Those were a absolute PITA to install without turning the whole thing into a puddle of molten plastic. I did succeed and used all of them up, but learned a good lesson about spending a bit more for better quality.
I will have to spend a hour or two and if they have anything worthwhile.
Dylan
Searched that site for a while and in my opinion, with the high cost of shipping virtually nothing on that website you can get elsewhere for roughly either the same price or maybe somewhat cheaper. Look I am all for supporting small family owned businesses and businesses that aren’t corporations. Heck I even go out of my way if I can to support several I know because they aren’t part of a chain.
That said I am old enough to come to terms with the hard reality that this type of business is a relic of the past. This isn’t me being harsh but the blunt reality. Think of the youth of today; with exceptions of course most aren’t interested in the analog or “old school” technology.
Old guys i.e. boomers such as me are likely the largest demographic that still are interested in this. From the 1970’s to the mid 90’s there was such a demand and interest with electronics of this nature. However those days are very much long gone and are never returning.
We had a great run and much if not nearly the vast majority sadly of remaining manufacturers of these products aren’t made domestically anymore and haven’t been in decades in many cases. Sure there is a need for skilled labor and I’ve been saying that since the 70’s yet automation and innovation have made this a relic of the past.
Sorry someone had to say it and I am at the age where frankly I just don’t care anymore.
Badger12345
“Sorry someone had to say it and I am at the age where frankly I just don’t care anymore.” I’m there now too.
As a teen I used to shop these places to build all sorts of projects in magazines like Popular Electronics. That experience encouraged me to get my undergrad degree in electrical engineering. At the university we did build some things in our lab classes, but most of our time was focused on theory. Advance a few decades forward and a person can buy a fairly advanced raspberry pi kit for less than $50 and do everything in software. The market is really shrinking for a lot of these component parts retailers.
S
IF you can even get a raspberry pi kit. Most places are on backorder through 2024-25. Or on ebay for 4x’s retail pricing.
My millennial self still orders occasionally from places like this. I’ve known of all electronics for years, but nothing stood out to me about them. I tend to shop goldmine electronics. They tend to have more of the NOS/odd parts I can come up with a use for at reasonable prices.
The prices I’m seeing now on all electronics aren’t all that great, imo.
Shocked
Sad. My dad and I used to peruse their catalogs 30-40 years ago for hard-to-find, discrete components for whatever hobbyist projects we were working on at the time. There were several “mail order” businesses like All Electronics back then; most have probably faded into the sunset.
Albert
Active Surplus, BG Micro and now All Electronics. Who’s next? Jameco? Very sad, but I can see how the market has changed.
Dave R Mason
Jameco was sold to Parts Electronics or Digital Key last year..
Bob
Perhaps it has something to do with residing in California
MT_Noob
It is the end of an era. I remember ordering stuff from them way back. I enjoyed their catalogs and browsing their website. They kind of remind me of American Science & Surplus ( sciplus.com ) and Surpluss Shed ( surplusshed.com ) for optics. With those surplus stores you never knew what random item you might come across. Hopefully the latter ones stick around a little longer.
I hate to see them go, but it must be tough to compete with the other online retailers as well as ebay and aliexpress.
Tim B.
Lots of fond memories skimming through and buying parts from their catalogs…. Especially when I was back in school decades ago, and constantly tinkering with electro-mechanical things. Sad to see them finally go… though I think the writing has been on the wall for a very long time.
Really, I do think the killer is how expensive shipping is, especially in conjunction with the direct-from-China availability of so many things (and the subsidized shipping through USPS making that even more exaggerated).
DC
Sad to see them go but the owner must have retired or passed. I’ve been buying electronic parts from them since the 1970’s, away from the big parts stores like Mouser, Newark, Digi-Key, and now Amazon. They and Jameco were my go to.
Ct451
I still have a couple of buckets of capacitors I got from them maybe 25 years ago I bought by the pound. Good times.
will
I’m definitely going to miss them. They used have a second loaction in DTLA. I’ve been going there for 20 yrs. I still shop there, I was actually just there 2 days ago & a couple weeks ago. With them gone, now there will be no local surplus stores that sells the type of stuff they had which is sad. There’s Apex but they’re a totally different type of surplus store. A few of the guys there have a plan though & I really hope it works out for them, for their sake & ours.
Andy H
Well said, @Dylan and @Badger12335.
I spent much of my youth in the late ’70s and early ’80s hacking together all sorts of electronic gizmos. When I wasn’t skateboarding or doing homework, I was at my desk with a soldering iron and bins of parts from All Electronics and Radio Shack.
mark frawley
I am sad to learn this, and sad too late to see if I wanted to buy anything for the last time.
As many have commented, I grew up taking for granted places like All – anyone remember PolyPaks ? Or Lafayette Electronics (I’m in NYC). Up until the early 70’s there was a wonder of retail places in downtown Manhattan (“Radio Row”) selling this sort of thing, and WW2 surplus electronics. It was so fun browsing – you never knew what you’d find…often sold by the pound ! I still have some of what I picked up.
Michael Hood
That sux! All the best places to go to build stuff are going away. GEMOLITE, FOAMED PLASTICS, KIT KRAFT, CONTINENTAL GRAPHICS, ALLIED TRAINS, BERGER BEADS, MOSKITELLS, FRYES, among others.
I hate shopping for stuff online, I much prefer to be able to examine something in person before i buy it…
chmedly
I didn’t get the email announcing this!! I would have bought a bunch of stuff before they went away forever. For instance, those little rotary 5 position switches (that they apparently had a million of) were on my list to buy on my next order. This stings a bit.