We used to get them in the mail in the mid to late 70’s. Always a great day when the catalog arrived. Half my Christmas came out of those catalogs. Great memories. Back then Arthur Fiedler was on the cover and in the sound system ads too.
As a kid I couldn't wait to get to my Radio Shack 1 hour away to get the latest catalog to see the newest CB radios and stereos available. Great memories.
My first computer was a CoCo 2 (and all the accessories) that is still in the top of my mom's closet. When I was a small-market radio and tv engineer, Radio Shack was my go-to for quick fixes. The 'Shack was also the weekend hangout for us tekkies. Those were great times.
I miss those looking through those old catalogs and riding my bike up to Radio shack to dream of some day having some of the things they had. thanks for sharing
Back when I was a little kid, it was the Sears Christmas catalog! Then it was getting the Radio Shack, Herters and JC Whitney catalogs. Thanks for the walk down memory lane
I went to a really cool RS a few years back that had all kinds of fun stuff. They were fully stocked liked it was 1985, too bad I have to travel all the way to Idaho to see it again.
I fondly remember Radio Shack back in the 70's and 80's as my main source of parts for my ham radio projects as well as the TRS-80 being my own first computer.
I was a Radio Shack fiend when I was a kid/teenager and owned many of their products (still do). I made a beeline to the Radio Shack every time I went to the mall with my parents. I have a couple of old catalogs here. I really miss being able to go to the store to pick up a connector or component. Thanks for the memories!
I miss radio shack. I probably have the scan cat scanner somewhere. Radio shack was one of the places that had stuff you just couldn't find anywhere else, and if you built or repaired stuff on your own they were a sorce for all kinds of stuff. At the end our local shack was a glorified cell phone store, with a tiny amount of the cool stuff.
Also the 100 I’m one kits and radio kits and such are what taught me how to read schematics and when I joined the Air Force in 1993 and went to be a power/generator tech, my electrical troubleshooting skills and wiring diagram interpreting excelled me.
We still have an original radio shack store open here in Arkansas and theCueCat barcode readers was from 2000. I had 2 of them I used for work when I had to scan 100’s of barcodes on asset tags into excl. All the other techs were having to write them by hand and getting errors so that little cuecat toy was pretty cool.
I worked full time at the Shack in 1981-82, then again part-time in the '86 to '88 timeline. I've had 3 of their shortwave radios, and many other items. I still miss them.
I bought a 1971 Radio Shack catalog because that was the year they opened a store in my area. When I had no other way I could ride my bike up there. One thing I miss is the long pieces of stackable thin steel TV mast for putting up antennas, either 8 or 10 foot lengths, I forget. But you cannot get that anywhere anymore. Places sell little 5 foot sections and alot more expensive. Also I used the RS 4 foot ground rods for my radios. They worked OK and now you can only get electricians type rods, like 8 feet long and thicker heavier. And hard to drive in. It was easy to drive in the 4 footers. Now things are opposite of what they should be, long grounds and short masts. BTW those TV antenna poles were not weak. They would hold a decent VHF antenna at the least up 20 feet or be a support for a long wire antenna with a rope to the ground to keep them straight. The problem is they rusted together over time. I left mine when I moved a few years ago and regret that. Mine worked outside for many years.
Radio shack was awesome I've bought so many things from them and I still have a couple of things that I bought from them that still work great to this day a graphic eq and a multiband radio and the radio is awesome in dxing I've gotten the wsm am 650 in Nashville twice now and I live in MInnesota so that's close to 1000 miles and I was using the built in antenna. I loved Radio shack.
Yeah that's like a vintage collectible magazine right there. Yes I can remember radio shack literally 5 minutes from my house I was there about once a week buying stuff....
Hey Erik, did you ever make it to Radio Shack in Lenoir? 202 Harper Ave. One of the last things I remember buying from Radio Shack before they closed in West Palm Beach was a camera lens that would attach to your cellphone and connect through Bluetooth, so you had a camera lens with actual optical zoom. It works really well. Now I go to Lenoir to get my RS fix and get my CB stuff from there.
Yeah, good 'ol "15 minutes from home".....been there, done that. Well the good news is it'll be there next time you make it down this way. It seems to do good business, as every time I'm there they always have people coming in. I'm glad to see a small business doing well.
Tandy Science Fair kits, Realistic Patrolman VHF/FM radios, used to go to the local store and peruse the racks of electronic components for do-it-your-selfers
Know anything about a Colt 220 PLL 40 Channel cb radio? I found one for 30$ and bought it but I can’t find a lot about it. Honestly never heard of colt in the radio world but I’m only new to the game. Love the old stuff and still playing on my cobra21 LTD works great.
Radio Shack was a great idea for the hobbyist, and they did the same thing with the name Tandy in England, but the prices were too high -- especially for me, the young aspiring electronics hobbyist, and the quality was too low.
I have 3 trs 80 color computets last one i had upgraded 128...4 floppy drives with the triple accessories port extension i still have them but double floppy drive and books ..dont use itbut cant part with it ...
And those will become sought after collectors items. Like old radios. There are three phases of stuff. New, obsolete junk and collector item. People throw stuff out at phase two thus the rarity of the survivors and eventual increase in interest and value. You saw them since new, they do not seem special to you. People being born now will be fascinated by the ancient computer tech and collect it like old antique radios now.
Radio shack was great me and my brother would look at their ads for the rc cars and for Christmas my dad would take us there so we can get the one we wanted it really is a high light of my childhood
I am so old I can remember memorizing the Lafayette Electronics catalogs. Good times!
Not old, just experianced
Thanks Erik for the walk down memory lane.
Anytime
We used to get them in the mail in the mid to late 70’s. Always a great day when the catalog arrived. Half my Christmas came out of those catalogs. Great memories. Back then Arthur Fiedler was on the cover and in the sound system ads too.
Glad to bring back some memories
As a kid I couldn't wait to get to my Radio Shack 1 hour away to get the latest catalog to see the newest CB radios and stereos available. Great memories.
Those catalogs were so much fun to look through!
My first computer was a CoCo 2 (and all the accessories) that is still in the top of my mom's closet. When I was a small-market radio and tv engineer, Radio Shack was my go-to for quick fixes. The 'Shack was also the weekend hangout for us tekkies. Those were great times.
That sounds like a cool hangout for the weekends. I would have been there
I miss those looking through those old catalogs and riding my bike up to Radio shack to dream of some day having some of the things they had. thanks for sharing
You're welcome.
Back when I was a little kid, it was the Sears Christmas catalog! Then it was getting the Radio Shack, Herters and JC Whitney catalogs. Thanks for the walk down memory lane
I rember those and the Montgomery Ward catalog too. We had a Montgomery Ward store in the town where I grew up in OH.
Those were all good catalogs and I looked at all of them
Ahh, back in simpler times. I remember the catalogs. I loved them.
I miss those times
I fondly remember the kits . I may have a couple around. Still have some of their cb radios and other gadgets
I went to a really cool RS a few years back that had all kinds of fun stuff. They were fully stocked liked it was 1985, too bad I have to travel all the way to Idaho to see it again.
I fondly remember Radio Shack back in the 70's and 80's as my main source of parts for my ham radio projects as well as the TRS-80 being my own first computer.
They were the place
The Lafayette in the mid-1960s mezmerized me, espevially the pictures of their CB radioes.
I was a Radio Shack fiend when I was a kid/teenager and owned many of their products (still do). I made a beeline to the Radio Shack every time I went to the mall with my parents. I have a couple of old catalogs here. I really miss being able to go to the store to pick up a connector or component. Thanks for the memories!
You're welcome, there is a great RS in Idaho, they had everything. Almost worth the road trip
I miss radio shack. I probably have the scan cat scanner somewhere. Radio shack was one of the places that had stuff you just couldn't find anywhere else, and if you built or repaired stuff on your own they were a sorce for all kinds of stuff. At the end our local shack was a glorified cell phone store, with a tiny amount of the cool stuff.
That is what we used to call them a few years back- The cell phone store- Shame
Also the 100 I’m one kits and radio kits and such are what taught me how to read schematics and when I joined the Air Force in 1993 and went to be a power/generator tech, my electrical troubleshooting skills and wiring diagram interpreting excelled me.
You had a great teacher, what a way to learn- I am sure it did you well
Miss having a RS store nearby. I had one of the original TRS-80 Computer.
I know a few people that still have theirs
Thanks for this throw back brother..
I was a "Gold member of the battery club, Ha.. good times. 73,s from Oregon 315.
The Battery Club was awesome! I think they made a small fortune from me
I remember a lot of these items.
I love just flipping through to bring back those memories. I think I forgot more than I remembered
I still have my Radio Shack Realistic 40-channel hand held CB. Also a 2” screen color UHF/VHF TV with booster antenna.
I bet that CB still works great. They were built to last! Too bad they went to digital TV,
Getting to know the local owner made it great. Showing all the new cool stuff.
The local owner is the key, without them it was just a big box store.
In Holland we had Tandy, still have some experiment sets from them
Yeah, Tandy was a subsidiary of them.
I have a video on my channel flipping through a 1990 radio shack catalog… haha I love this stuff
Subbed.
I will check it out- thanks
Surely smashed the memories old grid. Drooled many an hour with those pages!!
Glad I could bring back some memories
It was my source for elctronic parts and my multimeteer still works sin
ce the 70s
I swear that they built things better back then, made to last
We still have an original radio shack store open here in Arkansas and theCueCat barcode readers was from 2000. I had 2 of them I used for work when I had to scan 100’s of barcodes on asset tags into excl. All the other techs were having to write them by hand and getting errors so that little cuecat toy was pretty cool.
I think I might have to do a road trip to come see it
Radio shack , one of a kind . Nothing has really filled the void sinced
You are so right, a better time back then.
@ 3:00
RadioShack IS very much alive in Mexico, but its mostly a mini circuit City 😂
I did not think Circuit City was still in business.
I worked full time at the Shack in 1981-82, then again part-time in the '86 to '88 timeline. I've had 3 of their shortwave radios, and many other items. I still miss them.
I bought a 1971 Radio Shack catalog because that was the year they opened a store in my area. When I had no other way I could ride my bike up there. One thing I miss is the long pieces of stackable thin steel TV mast for putting up antennas, either 8 or 10 foot lengths, I forget. But you cannot get that anywhere anymore. Places sell little 5 foot sections and alot more expensive. Also I used the RS 4 foot ground rods for my radios. They worked OK and now you can only get electricians type rods, like 8 feet long and thicker heavier. And hard to drive in. It was easy to drive in the 4 footers. Now things are opposite of what they should be, long grounds and short masts. BTW those TV antenna poles were not weak. They would hold a decent VHF antenna at the least up 20 feet or be a support for a long wire antenna with a rope to the ground to keep them straight. The problem is they rusted together over time. I left mine when I moved a few years ago and regret that. Mine worked outside for many years.
I had my battery of the month club card!
I think we all had them
The mid 70s was when I discovered Radio Shack.
Good times
Radio shack was awesome I've bought so many things from them and I still have a couple of things that I bought from them that still work great to this day a graphic eq and a multiband radio and the radio is awesome in dxing I've gotten the wsm am 650 in Nashville twice now and I live in MInnesota so that's close to 1000 miles and I was using the built in antenna. I loved Radio shack.
That was a good distance there
Yeah that's like a vintage collectible magazine right there. Yes I can remember radio shack literally 5 minutes from my house I was there about once a week buying stuff....
Hey Eric - although the actual catalogs are more cool, all of the Radio Shack catalogs are online !
But, they don't have as many items as the brick and mortor stores did.
I know, but there is something about being able to touch the catalogs and turn the pages.
@@FarpointFarms I definitely agree with you. I just meant if you don't have a specific catalog that you have the opportunity to look something up.
Bought all the little frequency chips for each police channel.
I am sure you got to hear all the good stuff
Hey Erik, did you ever make it to Radio Shack in Lenoir? 202 Harper Ave.
One of the last things I remember buying from Radio Shack before they closed in West Palm Beach was a camera lens that would attach to your cellphone and connect through Bluetooth, so you had a camera lens with actual optical zoom. It works really well. Now I go to Lenoir to get my RS fix and get my CB stuff from there.
The last time I was in that area, I forgot until I was about 15minutes from home. I wanted to kick myself for not remembering
Yeah, good 'ol "15 minutes from home".....been there, done that. Well the good news is it'll be there next time you make it down this way. It seems to do good business, as every time I'm there they always have people coming in. I'm glad to see a small business doing well.
Two stores I missed the most. I miss radio shack and I miss Sears
“Electronic Championship Baseball” handheld game, still play it
I played that many times
Tandy Science Fair kits, Realistic Patrolman VHF/FM radios, used to go to the local store and peruse the racks of electronic components for do-it-your-selfers
ThankGod we have Amazon now just log in search for your item and pay and let it get to your front door.😂
Yea and you don't know what you really got till it is payed for and delivered.
I would still prefer the catalogs, it left more to the imagination.
Next you will tell me my MFJ Model MFJ-259 SWR Analyzer is dated.
Nope-
Tandy computers were NOT a POS! They got IBMs attention. Tandy really cut into “Big Blues” business. I enjoyed Radio Shack.
I got an old Tandy a few years back from a flea market, I played with it for a while then sold it. I enjoyed it
Remember the cigarette smoke in these stores?
Know anything about a Colt 220 PLL 40 Channel cb radio? I found one for 30$ and bought it but I can’t find a lot about it. Honestly never heard of colt in the radio world but I’m only new to the game. Love the old stuff and still playing on my cobra21 LTD works great.
I don't remember the Colt 220 PLL but for 30$ you can't go wrong.
Radio Shack was a great idea for the hobbyist, and they did the same thing with the name Tandy in England, but the prices were too high -- especially for me, the young aspiring electronics hobbyist, and the quality was too low.
Do you remember that you could even write your own code
I was never really good at that, but some of my friends were amazing at it.
I have 3 trs 80 color computets last one i had upgraded 128...4 floppy drives with the triple accessories port extension i still have them but double floppy drive and books ..dont use itbut cant part with it ...
That was my favorite catalogue ..
No need to part with them, once you do, you will regret it
And those will become sought after collectors items. Like old radios. There are three phases of stuff. New, obsolete junk and collector item. People throw stuff out at phase two thus the rarity of the survivors and eventual increase in interest and value. You saw them since new, they do not seem special to you. People being born now will be fascinated by the ancient computer tech and collect it like old antique radios now.
Radio shack was great me and my brother would look at their ads for the rc cars and for Christmas my dad would take us there so we can get the one we wanted it really is a high light of my childhood
You had a pretty cool dad to do that for you