Good surplus / electronics store recommendations in Dallas area - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: vinicius.jlantunes
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2016, 05:55:10 pm
content: I have asked and received good advice here before about surplus stores in the Houston area.https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/good-surplus-store-recommendations-in-houston-area/Now I will be visiting Dallas in September and would like to ask the same. Any suggestions of surplus / electronics stores in Dallas area?As before, nothing in particular but somewhere I could maybe pick up some cheap test gear (e.g. bench meter or a signal generator), good quality binding posts for the new power supply I'm planning on building, LED's in general (strips, addressable, high power, etc.), probes and cables, tools like a good set of screw drivers and a couple pliers, maybe a crimper tool, that sort of thing.I googled a bit and seem to have find one place at least (below), but am sure someone here have other suggestions?BG Micro:http://www.bgmicro.com/

author: Farley
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2016, 10:22:09 pm
content: Tanner Electronics in Carrollton (http://www.tannerelectronics.com/) has lots of components but I don't think they have much in the way of test gear.Also you might give bgmicro a call before you go there. I don't think they have a walk-in store front.

author: dwkennedy
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: July 28, 2016, 11:11:06 pm
content: If you're there on the first saturday of the month, there's a computer/electronics sidewalk sale:http://www.sidewalksale.com/Granted, I think it's mostly PC parts now days, but in ancient times there was lots of test equipment and ham gear. I haven't been in at least 10 years, but I want to visit again some day for old time's sake. The deals start up around 9pm friday and the sale goes all night... mostly over by noon the next day. Bring your flashlight...

author: vinicius.jlantunes
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 29, 2016, 12:02:27 pm
content: Thanks guys!@dwkennedy, shoot, I will arrive the firstSundayof September! Darn. I could use some computer stuff as well...

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 29, 2016, 12:17:23 pm
content: Vinicius, the walk-in store is Tanner in Carrolton, which is part of Dallas metroplex - worth a visit but you won't find test gear.BG Micro is a online store only, but you can order and pick it up in person at their location - it saves some cash.eBay has some test gear online retailers located in the area, which also save you some cash (checkhereandhere).For computer gear, checkthese guys, which are also local.Sometimes you can find reasonable test gear in cragislist:http://dallas.craigslist.org/Disclaimer: I have no ties to anyone above.

author: vinicius.jlantunes
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 29, 2016, 02:16:52 pm
content: hey rsjsouza, this is gold! Thank you so much!I have already found a couple potential buys from your second ebay link.

author: dwkennedy
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: August 08, 2016, 10:49:37 pm
content: Quote from: vinicius.jlantunes on July 29, 2016, 12:02:27 pmI visited the first saturday sale in Dallas, for the first time in many years. Unfortunately it's almost dead-- only about 12 vendors, most selling flea market junk. Broken appliances, expired snack food, etc. There were a few really ancient laptops & desktops. Only cool think I saw was the one vendor with surplus Blackbox TTL-RS232 converters and 2.4GHz RPSMA antennas.The sale is nothing like it was back in the 90's, with acres and acres of components and test equipment. I won't be going againTanner Electronics in Carrollton is worth a visit. Fry's electronics (who is also online) has a pretty good selection of test equipment, power supplies, and "maker" type boards. Across the street from Fry's in Plano (North Dallas) is Ham Radio Outlet's Texas location. They have a lot of powerpole stuff, connectors, and (of course) ham gear.

author: Back2Volts
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 09, 2016, 01:02:11 pm
content: I lived West of the DFW airport, in Colleyville for many years, starting in 1992. I went to the Dallas monthly outdoors sale a number of times. It used to be huge. There was a lot of stuff, although in those years I was only interested in computer stuff. I saw it going down as time went.I went to Tanner many times and enjoyed browsing the racks full of electronic parts.I also remember the opening of Fry's store by I635. It was a zoo. I had to leave because there was no parking. I went back many times. I don't know if their "service" culture has changed, but in those years it was represented by this job application, worth a few minutes reading (pay attention to the address and job position fields)http://homepage.smc.edu/engfer_mark/frys.htm

author: vinicius.jlantunes
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 10, 2016, 01:39:28 pm
content: Hahah that's funny... I will definitely go wander a bit at both Tanner and Fry's.Especially now that I realized Monday September 5th is a holiday in US - meaning I will not have to work as there will be nobody in the office! I guess some / most stores will still be open?

author: Back2Volts
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 11, 2016, 02:52:13 am
content: Tanner will most likely be closed on the Holiday because it is a low traffic, specialty type of store. You can probably email them asking about open hours. I think they used to open Saturday mornings, but not Sundays.On the other hand, I think Frys will be open Labor day (and Sundays). In addition I am sure they close late, may be 8:00 PM, so if you are doing business during the day, you may be able to run at end of day. It depends where you will be working/staying and you will need wheels.

author: vinicius.jlantunes
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 23, 2016, 10:31:03 pm
content: Well, just to report that I've been to both Fry's and Tanner. Had fun in both places and bought all sorts of stuff I don't really need.And there was this nice clock at Tanner.

author: rdl
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 23, 2016, 10:44:33 pm
content: That's a neat clock!

author: strangersound
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 24, 2016, 06:09:14 pm
content: Quote from: Back2Volts on August 09, 2016, 01:02:11 pmI lived in Bedford when I was growing up from '70 through the early 80's. Colleyville was hardly developed at all. I lived right up Martin Drive where it meets Cheek Sparger Rd. It was mostly backroads and woods. Between Martin Dr and 121 on Cheek Sparger, there was only like two houses the whole way. There was a gas station once you hit 121. That was it. It was all woods, pasture, and a lot of nothing. Great place to roam as a kid.I road my moped all over that place. I'd get up early on the weekend and just cruise around at random all day, exploring this and that. Good memories. Last time I was in the area, I was fairly shocked at the development that had gone on. All our favorite fields and woods were subdivisions.Census info from Wiki:1980-------6,7001990------12,7242000------19,6362010------22,8072015------25,487

author: Back2Volts
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 25, 2016, 06:26:25 am
content: I moved to Colleyville in 92 and left in 2007. When I moved in it was probably like 60% developed and when I left, more like 85%.The roads changed dramatically. It was a nice area.

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 25, 2016, 02:51:26 pm
content: Vinicius, good to know you had a lot of fun around. Back when the exchange rate was more favorable I used to joke that, when my Brazilian friends left Dallas, the Texas GDP saw a huge drop the next month...

author: dwkennedy
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: January 28, 2019, 01:07:34 am
content: Sorry to update such an old thread- but here is some new info for people visiting the Dallas area.MicroCenter in Dallas, TX has a good sized maker/hobby section now, with many arduino/raspberry pi/ESP32 type boards and a lot of small electronic tools. Actually quite a bit more than Fry's! They have a lot of robot kits and parts as well. They had some neat kits to build a stand up (or sit down) MAME box, complete with graphics and trim. They sold all of the parts individually (arcade buttons, joysticks, trackballs, trim, etc) if you wanted to roll your own.Tanner Electronics in Carrolton has better surplus electronics and components, as well as a respectable collection of development boards.I like visiting that area once in a while, not only for the electronics shopping but the continually expanding selection of Chinese/Korean/Japanese restaurants and grocery stores.

author: cdev
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 28, 2019, 01:12:33 am
content: MicroCenter is getting better and better..Last time I was in our local one, (NYC suburbs) I was surprised at how much electronics stuff they stock now. Actually, much more than anything they have in NYC now.

author: bsudbrink
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 28, 2019, 04:25:40 pm
content: Same for the Microcenter in Rockville, Maryland (just outside of Washington, DC). More and more parts and tools. If it gets a decent selection of caps and resistors, it will be quite handy.

author: jayeye
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 19, 2019, 10:34:32 pm
content: There is such a thing? I didn't realize there were any in the NY metro area. Where is it exactly? (I live in Manhattan; the last time I knew of an electronic parts store, other than the sadness that was Radio Shack, was in the late 80s, when the last place on 45th closed.My two go-to places for surplus stuff were Weird Stuff and HSC, both in SFBA, and they are both goneI'm happy to see that there are still places that sell surplus stuff./ji

author: rcarlton
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 23, 2019, 02:28:12 pm
content: Altex Computers & Electronics at 3215 Belmeade Dr, Carrollton, TX 75006 has some nice things. The good thing about them is they are not too busy and about a mile from my house. Their website has a virtual tour of the store.

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 23, 2019, 03:25:41 pm
content: Quote from: rcarlton on March 23, 2019, 02:28:12 pmThank you for that! I really love Dallas Metroplex for electronic stores like these (I am pretty sure California has more, but I can't afford living there).