I just got the new 2006 Jaycar catalog (which is very good BTW, lots of new stuff), and it's interesting to see them (on p9) respond to the criticism about them turning to selling "gadgets" instead of electronics parts. As most of us have already figured out, they admittedly "have to have the other stuff to pay the rent", but they are increasing their electronics parts range to compensate.
Perhaps those who have bagged them in recent times will now understand.
I personally didn't think they had anything to answer for, as I have only seen the electronics parts range increase and get better every year. If they have to sell gadgets to consumers to compensate then so be it.
I thought this was quite obvious. I think they cater well for the basic hobby market, and this is in an industry that is ever increasing in difficulty and complexity. A tricky market.
Only problem is that now electronics is a hobby for me, and 90% of my parts get purchased online because I cant buy what i want from Jaycar. However, i am realistic and cannot expect Jaycar to suppy everything I want.
In saying that, i do try to base a lot of my projects around what Jaycar can supply, because I know that I can drive 10minutes up the road and buy Jaycar parts.
Well i dont see DSE selling even close to the range Jaycar offers. They are the only place left for the hobbiest.
I had a chat to a couple of the salespeople at Jaycar the other week as some child was busy setting off the farting/squawking junk in the farting/squawking junk isle. They all seemed to hate the rubbish and resented the fact that they had to stock it - I suggested that if selling that crap is what was needed to keep the doors open, then so be it. However they argued that they sell almost none of that crap, and most of the turnover of the stuff tends to be display items getting broken by the aforementioned kids.
I frankly find a lot of it deeply offensive and extremely distasteful, to the point where I'm increasingly using alternative sources wherever possibe in order to avoid having to visit the shop. And while my local branch might be the exception due to the nature of the local market (ie. a statistically lower percentage of the simple-minded mouth-breathers that find this shit "entertaining") , it seems that Jaycar should allow local branches to have some choice as to what they put on display.
I bagged them, and I've always understood. They sell that junk to make money, very complex stuff.
Yes they are currently still very good on the electronic stuff, and yes some of it *is* expanding. The point is that someday (probably if/when the chain changes hands) a bean-counter is going to come in and work out which products contribute a profit and which don't. The stuff that doesn't make money will be turfed and as soon as you know it you'll have yet another DSE/Tandy.
Furthermore I struggle to understand who (if anyone) buys those novelties. They're on the shelf because they have an enormous margin, but I actually never see anyone *buying* them ... and that includes my experience working in electronics shops.
That matches my experience. And I don't think it's just the demographics.
I guess the margins make it all very attractive to market, and at the same time if they end up with a product that's not selling there isn't much impact as they depreciate or go on "clearance" because of the negligible cost.
"Tom Smyth" wrote in news:GKZVf.5397$ snipped-for-privacy@news.cpqcorp.net:
... and then another will rise up underneath them and fill their place. Once upon a time Tandy sold a passable range of components too.
I have two theories on life. One is that cars 'grow' (they actually physically get bigger over time), and the other is that electronics stores are operating on some sort of FIFO arrangement.
GB, look, for example, at the Nissan Pulsar. The N12 was tiny, N13 small, N14 bigger, N15, N16 even bigger still. The Corolla has followed a similar evolution. Same applies for pretty much all others too.
--
"Men will never be free until the last king is strangled with the
entrails of the last priest." (Diderot, paraphrasing Meslier)
The Choke-A-Chicken flaps and waddles around doing the Chicken Dance, clucking and flapping its wings in sync with the Chicken Dance melody. Grab him by the neck and he will squawk and cluck like mad, flapping his wings and feet wildly as if he is really being choked. Put him down and he will waddle off, singing and dancing as he goes. The chicken stands about 300mm tall and is powered by four AA batteries, available separately
I suspect FIFO, though having said that, the BC548 transistor must be at least 25 years old by now, and many items have had shorter cycles.
On one hand an ever-expanding stock range is more labour-intensive (especially if the number of stores is also growing)* and may lead to reduced average profit per stock line. So at some point you ditch some old lines in favour of the new (eg DSE's range of transistors has shrunk, but there's more LED varieties now). A limit also imposes a certain discipline to review slow selling stock and replace it with more modern stuff that is absent if there is no limit (which just encourages mindless accretion and postponed decisions).
On the other hand there is a critical point where slow-selling items can induce sales of other components. For instance DSE used to sell vernier dials, a good range of polystyrene capacitors and some RF things that Jaycar/Altronics didn't. So people would go to the place with the more comprehensive range, even if they didn't buy many of the 'slow-moving' items. If this argument is correct then cutting range may be false economy.
(*) There may be an inverse relationship between the number of stores and product range/depth for hobbyists. Eg Tandy used to have many more stores than DSE but a far inferior range (for us). DSE reduced its range as it grew its store numbers. Jaycar has fewer stores but better range. Altronics has fewer stores still (though it is rapidly growing) but I don't know if its range is better than Jaycar's.
No way, that's serious fun! Haven't you ever got so up tight in your cubicle that you've slipped in a few "novelty" items disguised as real components on a company purchase order? ;-)
They really break the monotony and are great fun. Try the remote fart machine on a sub-woofer, or remote control battle tanks. Those Auora Interactor backpack things are great for all sorts of stuff too. Hours of office fun.
Even Farnell are carrying "novelty" items now.
We often wonder who the engineers are that design this stuff, and what sort of design meetings they must have. The Functional Performance Spec must be a hoot to write on it's own!
They can be ordered as a "Focused LED" without raising an eyebrow ;-)
Wouldn't it be easier to build an FM wireless microphone inside it so it's heard over the colleage's radio/stereo etc?
Cheap smoke alarms are great too - where else can you get a powerful alarm + battery for little more than the cost of the battery on its own? Just add an LDR and transistor and you can make a light alarm to protect drawers, fridges, etc.
I just got the new Electus "Gifts, Gadgets & Life in the great Outdoors Catalog" This new gadget, the "Spankometer" takes the cake:
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"Spankometer with wrist strap New millennium pedometer just for men Spankometer is the perfect gift for any bloke who enjoys a little wrist action. You just strap on the Spankometer, enter your 'stroke' length and you're ready to go. You can measure your performance, keep a year long record, compete with your mates, or use it as part of a diet and fitness program. Spanking the monkey has never been so much fun. "
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