Oh man, RS was the ultimate toy store for me as a young teen. Realistic CB radios and Archer Space Patrol walkie-talkies, police scanners, shortwave radios, 150-in-1 Electronic Kits, Micronta Multitesters, talking LED alarm clocks, Optimus speakers, Battery of the Month Club and in 1980 or so - The TRS-80 (the…

Ugh, that's awful. Sure you can get any electronics components you need online, but I love being able to walk over to Radio Shack on a whim and buy a bag of NPN transistors, a voltage regulator, and a plastic enclosure, and actually whip something together that day. I rarely sustain interest in an electronics project…

Like most others have pointed out, Rat Shack lost its way, but once upon a time they sold tech (personally, I'm a fan of their realistic audio offerings from the late 70's) and the components and know how to keep it alive. Now you're shit out of luck if you actually want to fix something, rather than throwing another…

I had a TRS-80 back in the day. I also used to frequent that store for electronic parts (wire, resistors, transistors, etc.). Every time I was asked if I needed any batteries.

Farewell, affordable electronics.