Sadly, WeirdStuff Warehouse has Closed - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: JonM
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 25, 2018, 10:09:57 pm
content: I don't often visit General Chat, but I was pulled in by the Emacs thread last night and then saw the Naomi SexyCyborg thread where a seemingly off-topic posting informed me that that WeirdStuff Warehouse in Sunnyvale had recently closed.Just a couple of days ago I used a keyboard carrying case that I bought at WeirdStuff and remembered my visits there. I'm not sure that I bought any hardware there since I was always visiting by plane from the other side of the US. However, it was like visiting a museum and just looking did a lot to satisfy my desire to acquire more crazy old stuff.Apparently Google has purchased the real estate:https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/04/08/sjm-l-weirdstuff-0408/

author: ataradov
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 25, 2018, 10:34:25 pm
content: You can't run a free museum in that pretty premium location. They sold junk, and what was not total junk was way overpriced.

author: georges80
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 25, 2018, 10:43:09 pm
content: Weird Stuff became but a shadow after they moved from their actual warehouse. Always seemed like all that was there was junk that they were very proud of.Halted Specialties have also typically been very proud of their junk. Haven't visited them since they moved.ACE was the only silicon valley junk store (mostly when they were on Kifer) that I remember actually getting bargain bags of parts that were priced by the cashier looking in the bag and picking a number and asking if that was okAlso free hotdogs and drinks on their 'sale' days. Unfortunately gone for many years now.cheers,george.

author: Gregg
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 26, 2018, 02:41:16 am
content: It was a much sadder day when Mike Quinn Electronics closed.

author: Richard Crowley
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 26, 2018, 04:00:10 am
content: And here in the Silicon Forest, Cascade Surplus died many years ago, and more recently, Wacky Willy's.

author: ikrase
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 26, 2018, 04:12:55 am
content: Halted charges too much for a lot of their equipment (though they have been willing to negotiate) but they are a great source for all kinda components and wire and stuff. Plus they have excellent variety. I go there once a week at minimum I think. I like them.Weirdstuff was never satisfactory. Lots of random useless consumer piles of trash, and other pointless things. No attention to what people would want. Every time I went there I regretted itI've been to Excess Solutions only one time. They are huge, and seemingly between Halted and Weirdstuff. Lots of furniture.Anchor, of course, is nice. Though pricey for many products.

author: edavid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 26, 2018, 04:57:19 am
content: My favorite was RA Enterprises, but I spent many happy hours browsing at the various versions of Weird Stuff, and found they often lived up to their name.One of the last things I bought at WSW was an HP ET 15936 "bipolar adjustable voltage clamp" for $5. Beautiful construction, even if I can't figure out how it works.Another notable purchase was a $10 parts cabinet that turned out to have $100+ worth of Minitron displays in it.Also, a couple of Fluke 8400A Nixie DMMs for $10 each.An OK WSU-30M wirewrap tool for $1, just when I needed it.A cool 1000pc Scotchlok connector kit for $5, when they were rare and exotic.And - a very heavy box of 500 Tokin power entry filters for $25 at the bid sale. I think I still have 400 of them leftP.S. How was the April electronic flea market at Fry's?

author: metrologist
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 26, 2018, 02:00:47 pm
content: Quote from: edavid on April 26, 2018, 04:57:19 amHope this is a new thing... I wasn't awarehttps://www.electronicsfleamarket.com/

author: ikrase
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 28, 2018, 01:48:26 am
content: Yeah, the Electronics Flea Market tried a different venue this month.

author: wkb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 24, 2018, 03:10:58 pm
content: Heh...Weird Stuff.. Now that was a funky & interesting place. Especially for someone from the Netherlands on a holiday trip to CA. I think I still have their fluorescent orange business card.Only got to visit them one

author: metrologist
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 24, 2018, 03:40:28 pm
content: So, the electronics flea market will continue the rest of the season at Fry's Sunnyvale.

author: jmelson
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 24, 2018, 09:53:02 pm
content: Quote from: Gregg on April 26, 2018, 02:41:16 amMike Quinn's old location on the Oakland Airport was a truly religious experience for us types! You were literally WALKING on 6" of crunched circuit boards that had slid off the tables! I did visit once after they moved a mile or so away, and it just wasn't the same.Jon

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 25, 2018, 05:26:01 am
content: All the manufacturing has gone to China so that's where all the surplus is these days.Some of those places I always wondered how they stay in business, a lot of surplus shops I've been to over the years were filled with overpriced junk. The occasional thing I'd find that looked interesting I might pay 1/10th the asking price if I was feeling generous. I think a lot of those places have historically just been hoarders who use the business as an excuse to hoard.

author: ivaylo
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 25, 2018, 06:30:49 am
content: Yup, sad... This is one of the places which gave the valley character. The Russian dude would always give you a break too. You can tell, I spent way too much there.