Imminent Collapse of Fry’s? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Sal Ammoniac
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2021, 05:34:40 am
content: Rumors are swirling here in the Bay Area (where there are five Fry’s stores and the company headquarters) that the whole chain is circling the drain and on the verge of a total collapse. Looks like covid will be the final nail in the coffin. Sad.

author: ataradov
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2021, 05:39:50 am
content: Their stores were pretty sad even before COVID. They have huge stores and not enough merchandise, so it always felt empty.

author: bob91343
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2021, 06:24:10 am
content: Poor management. Or no management. It's the same here in L.A. A real shame, since I was a frequent customer.But they are not alone. Many stores of many types are in financial trouble. Online sales have taken over and it doesn't appear that it's likely to change. Some restaurants have survived because prepared food can't be gotten online.I am remodeling a bathroom and have ordered goods online. I am looking for a car and have also been looking online.It's the new way. There isn't much Fry's sells that can't be gotten online. Fry's, I believe is a grocery chain in the eastern US.

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2021, 07:25:39 am
content: ordering home improvement supplies online sounds horribleonly a mechanical engineer would like doing that. i get zero feel for how something like a light fixture will feel from a online picture.

author: Renate
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2021, 12:13:09 pm
content: I haven't been in a Fry's for a year or two.You could have roller skated down the empty aisles.In the US I've been a big fan ofhttps://www.microcenter.com/They have PC and also DIY electronic stuff.In the Boston areahttps://www.youdoitelectronics.com/has been around since tubes.It's encouraging that an old company can stay up-to-date.A Ham/SWL favoritehttps://www.universal-radio.com/still exists but has relocated and downsized to an office.

author: Gyro
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2021, 12:24:08 pm
content: Is this your annual Fry's going out of business thread? You're a bit early this year.https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/frys-electronics-going-out-of-business/https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/whats-going-on-with-frys/

author: Gary350z
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2021, 12:26:33 pm
content: Fry’s is closing its business permanently.http://www.frys.com/

author: engrguy42
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2021, 03:30:53 pm
content: I think the problems with Fry's and Radio Shack and every other electronics supply store here in the US is that nobody is interested in tinkering with electronics anymore. Only a few of us old guys, and much fewer young guys. Now people want dancing robots and AI and smartphone apps where you click a button and it does your laundry while you sit on your butt.The closest most tech people get to real electronics nowadays is watching a 5 minute video on how to connect a Raspberry PI so you can have a $50 computer. We're getting further and further away from the hardcore tech stuff and all we can do is be expert button pressers.As usual, no, it's not about bad management at any of these large corporations. It's about customers no longer being interested. And they'd much rather pay a fraction of the price and have it delivered from China rather than keep US businesses afloat.It's our fault, nobody else's.By the way, have you noticed that the vast majority of "tech" video channels have ultimately changed over to being more entertainment-based? That's what people are interested in. Entertainment, not tech. They want "Oooo, shiny !!" new hardware (preferably with flashing lights), and stories about how their house got damaged in the cold wave, and rants about NVIDIA.

author: Renate
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2021, 03:57:37 pm
content: Quote from: engrguy42 on February 24, 2021, 03:30:53 pmI mostly agree with you.Still, this Covid stuff has dealt a real blow to brick and mortar.There are new Radio Shack distributors. I saw a new one that opened a year ago.I can compare You-Do-It Electronics (quoted above) to another company (which shall remain nameless) that just closed down.Both of these started out as the kind of electronics store where you pulled all the tubes out of your TV set and took them in a brown paper bag down to the store with the tube tester.YDI has TV's & CB's & PA's and all that sort of stuff, but also Adafruit, SparkFun, industrial cable and tools.The nameless store (when I visited it a year ago) still had shelves of tubes and 25 year old electrolytics in yellow blister packs.If you wanted transistors, they had HEP (does anyone remember Motorola "Hobbyist-Experimenter-Professional"?)

author: Sal Ammoniac
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2021, 03:58:11 pm
content: Quote from: Gyro on February 24, 2021, 12:24:08 pmThis time it's for real. No more rumors and speculation--the company announced on their website this morning that they're permanently closing all of their stores effective today.

author: SilverSolder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2021, 04:27:59 pm
content: I think "combination" stores like Costco have eaten the lunch of companies like Fry's, just as much as online sales have. Costco shifts a lot of TVs, stereos, cameras, etc. - people see them when they come for the frozen chicken, and end up buying later on when they've been exposed to enough gorgeous screens. Helpfully, the TVs are right next to the optical department! It's a pretty clever model.

author: ejeffrey
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2021, 05:01:14 pm
content: Quote from: engrguy42 on February 24, 2021, 03:30:53 pmOk, boomer.Seriously this is just nonsense "old man yells at cloud" gatekeeper bullshit. Far more people are tinkering with electronics than ever before. They are just doing it differently than before.

author: engrguy42
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2021, 05:44:25 pm
content: Quote from: ejeffrey on February 24, 2021, 05:01:14 pmDifferently how?

author: Homer J Simpson
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2021, 05:51:05 pm
content: Re post of a visit to them in 2019 by Shango066

author: ataradov
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2021, 06:06:20 pm
content: Quote from: engrguy42 on February 24, 2021, 05:44:25 pmBy ordering things online. There is really no need for a physical store anymore. Sure, it is less convenient if you can't just go to the nearest store and pick up something. But at the same time variety of parts has increased drastically, and chances that the store has what you need are low.So people now learned to factor in the shipping time. I often just work on multiple projects at the same time, so waiting for the parts for one project is not a big deal.I live near Fry's, and I tried to go there a couple of times to see if they had components I needed at a time. They did not, which is not surprising.Plus they had way higher prices for everything, making them only viable as an emergency option. This is probably not good for survival of the business.And lack of focus is probably a factor. It is very hard to survive selling components, but selling white goods and phones at the same time is also questionable.

author: GreggD
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2021, 06:14:17 pm
content: And Mendelsons Surplus, Dayton Ohio just closed after ~65 years.It was giant. In the old days it had boat loads (big boat loads) of electronics.I got my first computer keyboard there (~1977), and contacted the military contractor to find out it worked.They sent me a schematic. Turned out to be standard ascii.Made a adding machine using a 3 board NCR 8080 computer that was meant to be a cash register.It had 1/4 K of battery backed ram.

author: engrguy42
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2021, 06:20:15 pm
content: Nobody would question the fact that the retail industry has been destroyed by peoples' desire to buy from Amazon and China.The issue is whether there is greater interest in electronics as has been suggested. I recently saw a report that interest in STEM education by teenage boys has dropped from 36% to 24% in 2017-2018, and stayed flat with girls at around 11%. And if you look at Youtube statistics it's clear that people aren't interested in real technology training anywhere near their all-encompassing desire for entertainment. No contest.I've been an electrical engineer for over 45 years, and I have no doubt that there's less and less interest in the basic, low level technology, and all that interest is moving into high level stuff. Even in the software world, a lot more coders expect low level libraries to help them do their work, as opposed to those decades ago who wrote that low level code themselves.

author: MikeK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2021, 06:56:13 pm
content: Quote from: engrguy42 on February 24, 2021, 03:30:53 pmPeople are still building stuff. As mentioned, it's different now.Even when I was a kid Radio Shack was poorly run. They were always trying to sell me something and get my phone number. Possibly an old style of management, I dunno. Just carrying chips, transistors, or LED's at 5x the cost isn't going to get people buying them. They should have held demos, had classes, to show people what they can do and how. Today, people are seeing Instructables or YT videos and then ordering the parts to build exactly that. Tons of Arduinos (or clones) are sold today that didn't exist when I was a kid. What did Radio Shack ever carry?...An official Arduino at more money than anyone was willing to spend on it. But...a brick and mortar electronics store may not be sustainable today when we can buy everything online and have it delivered.

author: Sal Ammoniac
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2021, 07:03:19 pm
content: Even ten years ago, before the inventory issues of recent years, Fry's stores seemed old and tired--like the owners just didn't care anymore and just wanted to continue milking the cash cow indefinitely. Worn out carpets and scuffed up linoleum floors, discount junk in shopping carts in the middle of aisles, and more. Fry's hasn't been an innovator in electronics retail for over twenty years now.I knew Fry's was a gonner when the local store replaced the soldering irons and supplies with perfume.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2021, 07:21:20 pm
content: Quote from: engrguy42 on February 24, 2021, 06:20:15 pmNot at all. The retail industry has destroyed itself by only selling high margin items. Every time I go to a store they don't have what I need. There simply is much more choice and stock online so I stopped going to stores. You read it in every story about Fry's for the past couple of years: nothing in store. How can a store make money if they don't have what people need?

author: Renate
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2021, 07:41:11 pm
content: Quote from: MikeK on February 24, 2021, 06:56:13 pmFunny, I tried to convince one store owner a while ago that only a radical turn in this direction would save things.Maker spaces is another thing.Given the choice between:Buying a milling machineContracting out some workPaying to let me do the darn milling myself!You know what my choice is!

author: langwadt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2021, 07:41:40 pm
content: Quote from: nctnico on February 24, 2021, 07:21:20 pmand how would they afford a large stock they very rarely sell because everyone buys things online because it is cheaper?

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2021, 09:14:05 pm
content: Quote from: langwadt on February 24, 2021, 07:41:40 pmNegotiate a better deal with the landlord to pay less rent. This seems to work in Germany where shops are much cheaper and you still find small stores which serve niches like model railways. In the Netherlands the situation is reversed. 95% of the non-food shops are selling fashionable clothes or shoes; nothing functional. The only one making a profit from those shops is the landlord. But that situation is going to change rapidly; many stores are quiting. Especially in relatively expensive city centers. Covid-19 just helped to speed up the process.

author: langwadt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2021, 09:52:05 pm
content: Quote from: nctnico on February 24, 2021, 09:14:05 pmseems to me those small niche stores are someone passionate about the subject working long hours barely making ends meet, that is not a viable business plan for a chain of stores.it's a chicken and egg problem, no ones buying because it is expensive, it is expensive because the only thing people buy is the occational 5 resistors they forgot to order online and need right now. And then people complain when they can't get digikeyassortment at ebay prices

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2021, 10:04:12 pm
content: store that sell useful things need a tax reduction to stay profitable. They serve a useful purpose but cannot exist without a subsidy because there will be short term business that is more profitable, so you get retail chaos because of profit mentality. You have salary, rent and taxes. Rent & taxes you can do about because usually the land lord is not in the same class as the employees. You start to mess with base salary and you get protests. If you mess with rent you get angry rich people (no one really cares) and the taxes totally depends on the mindset of the politicians.But with fights over right to repair and stuff, there is no real drive for these people to try to figure out what is useful to stock (say SMD passives for fixing devices). Someone would need to do alot of thinking about what parts to stock to make useful repairs possible and work out the advertising. The professional repair people don't want you to do it because they get more profit, and the companies selling you stuff would rather sell you anther one.Here is a freebee : you can probobly make money selling different USB, Microusb, ports for most devices. Those always break off and the repair is obvious.I think what it depends on is like normal people generally thinking 'why the hell did you buy a new one dumbass you should repair it' instead of 'sick, you dropped some cash on new stuff, its outdated anyway'.

author: SilverSolder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2021, 10:13:46 pm
content: Rents have to go down if the footfall goes down - it makes sense that rent for a retail business location is a function of footfall... however, many landlords have not accepted the new normal.

author: langwadt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2021, 11:13:58 pm
content: Quote from: SilverSolder on February 24, 2021, 10:13:46 pmsometimes their hands are tied. If rent goes down valuation goes down, if valuation goes down the banks no longer have the collateral they thought on a loan, that might come in conflict with rules and regulations, those loan might have been sold on etc. etc.

author: Cerebus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2021, 11:41:26 pm
content: Quote from: ejeffrey on February 24, 2021, 05:01:14 pmYou might want to step back and consider that no one has control over when they were born, just as they have no control over the colour of their skin. Would you openly say "Ok, n****r"?Anyways, one or two things engrguy42 has said elsewhere have led me to believe he's quite young, although I may be mistaken in that.

author: SilverSolder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 25, 2021, 12:03:32 am
content: Quote from: langwadt on February 24, 2021, 11:13:58 pmExactly, everything is made to be long term stable, but it doesn't stop changes in society from happening and - sooner or later - adjustments need to be made.

author: langwadt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 25, 2021, 12:20:58 am
content: Quote from: SilverSolder on February 25, 2021, 12:03:32 amhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subprime_mortgage_crisis

author: SilverSolder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 25, 2021, 02:41:21 am
content: ...or "Long Term Capital Management" ?Long term is in the eyes of the beholder!

author: tom66
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 25, 2021, 08:54:53 am
content: Quote from: langwadt on February 24, 2021, 09:52:05 pmNot at all. One of these shops was recently shown on UK television; the company sold model railways. The owner had several Jaguars and a Porsche, and the store employed four others. Clearly not 'barely making ends meet'.I do think we will see a major adjustment to the value of commercial property as WFH and online shopping becomes more common. The pandemic has only accelerated it.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 25, 2021, 11:38:08 am
content: Quote from: langwadt on February 24, 2021, 09:52:05 pmThis is a grossly unfounded assumption. Why would people work for free? That doesn't make sense. You can do fine with a small shop for as long as the rent is reasonable. And on top of that: why should all stores be large chain stores? Having a more diverse shopping landscape is much more interesting for people. If you travel through Europe you see the exact same shops everywhere.

author: bdunham7
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 27, 2021, 05:09:34 am
content: Quote from: engrguy42 on February 24, 2021, 03:30:53 pmI'm not so convinced that there's no desire to tinker, its more like technology has advanced so much. I wouldn't expect to see a lot of interest in a magazine that tells you how to make a two-LED blinker or an audio oscillator. Playing with a Raspberry Pi is still tinkering.I think Fry's did themselves in for some reason, they went from being sort of big and messy 10 years ago to not being stocked or competitive a few years ago and then to a state of utter uselessness. They stopped selling stuff I wanted long before I stopped going there. Same for Radio Shack, I stopped even considering them a backup option about the time they started selling phones. It's not just China or Amazon--just today I suddenly needed some computer parts that I forgot to order so I went off to MicroCenter. They had my two Samsung state-of-the-art SSDs at better-than-Amazon prices and a nice selection of wired mice. Thinking of Fry's demise, I had a look around to see how they were doing. They were busy and although there were some bare spots in their inventory, it looked more like a bit of chaos and perhaps supply shortages rather than a dying store. They had a huge selection of current TVs, laptops, computers, computer parts, etc and they were moving product from the looks of it. I looked over in the smaller electronics section and they had smallish selection of NTE parts that seemed to be selected for the maker/hobby market (not a bunch of shop-worn leftovers), lots of elementary level 'kits', the Raspberry Pi/Beaglebone/etc sort of stuff. They had wire, soldering irons (Hakko FX888D for $96), 1-lb rolls of Kester 44 eutectic. Their DMM selection was pathetic, but I'm sure that's just their market. 3D printers--did Fry's ever get those in? So this is the sort of place I would go to actually get stuff. Fry's totally failed at that and while I don't know exactly what happened internally, it wasn't the fickle customers or Covid that did them in.QuoteThat's just YouTube monetization for you. Eddie from Kiss Analog and that Electroboom guy vs. Shahriar and Mr. Carlson. I suppose the high-tech guys laugh at the lowbrow entertainers until they realize how much money entertainment makes.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 27, 2021, 06:06:36 am
content: Quote from: engrguy42 on February 24, 2021, 03:30:53 pmNonsense, it's as big or bigger than ever. Have you seen the Maker Faires that happen (pre-Covid) every year in multiple cities? Have you been on youtube? Looked on ebay? Aliexpress? Bangood? Amazon? Digikey, Mouser, Newark, Arrow and other gadget and component suppliers are alive and well. Smartphones and robots are popular but those are a whole different set of consumers. Electronics tinkering is HUGE, it was in danger of dying off in the 90s but Arduino, Raspberry Pi and numerous other microcontrollers have been enormously popular, the new RPi models are sold out for months after release, they can't churn them out fast enough. The thing is, you can buy any electronic parts, gadgets and gizmos you could ever need online. I miss Fry's but I haven't gone to one in years, it's a ~35 minute drive each way and between the gas, time spent and wear & tear on the car it just isn't worth it. I could drive down to Fry's and hope they have the parts I need, or I could hop online and order exactly what I'm looking for without all the hassle and probably get a better price.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 27, 2021, 06:22:17 am
content: Quote from: ejeffrey on February 24, 2021, 05:01:14 pmIs there any more condescending and moronic statement than "ok boomer"? I'm not even a boomer (my parents generation) and that just makes me cringe, I automatically assume that anyone who says it is either a moron or an asshole, or both. May as well just say "shut up geezer, I'm too lazy and smug to have an honest debate with you."You know what? You'll be old before you know it and the younger generation will look at you with disdain for no other reason than you are from a different generation and don't understand the things they think are cool, and you'll think they are idiots for it and remain convinced that back in your day people knew how to do it.

author: Renate
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 27, 2021, 12:07:20 pm
content: This intergenerational rivalry stuff never used to exist.We didn't have names for generations (outside of sociology).But I guess that's the fault of the younger generation.The "nobody does X anymore" / "everybody and their brother does X" is somewhat perception.Obviously, on these forums there are a ton of electronic hobbyists.Big cities have their Maker Faires and attract tons of people.On the other hand, if you wore a blinky LED pendant to the supermarket many would be amazed that you built it yourself.I find the same thing with musicians (although I would guess that here they are disproportionately represented).When I go camping I'm always looking for musicians but seldom find any.Still, the statistics show that amateur music is still thriving.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 27, 2021, 10:26:11 pm
content: Quote from: Renate on February 27, 2021, 12:07:20 pmThey're out there. My partner plays piano although not very frequently these days. My younger brother is an avid guitar and piano player, my dad played the cello in high school, stopped when his career took off and he started a family but he was learning to play the guitar and mandolin in retirement before he passed away. Several of my friends have been in bands that played a lot of shows in pubs and such, at least a few of my coworkers play instruments. They're out there, you just have to connect with the right circles. That's probably easier these days than ever before, there must be whole forums for musicians, probably some dedicated to players of specific instruments. Amateur music has been around for thousands of years and isn't going anywhere, it seems to be an innate part of the human mind.

author: Renate
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 28, 2021, 12:48:44 am
content: Quote from: james_s on February 27, 2021, 10:26:11 pmTrue. Especially for music, there is a tendency for it to clump in families.Although I have been amazed to see families where the parents are enthusiastic musicians and the children never bothered to learn.Also families where everybody learned, sometimes with apparent planning who plays what to make a balanced family orchestra.I just mean that the populations of "Does X" and "Doesn't do X" are often strangers that seem incredulous of the other side.

author: LaserSteve
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 28, 2021, 05:29:15 am
content: Go to the Cleveland, Ohio Microcenter on a weekday say 1 PM..Throw a stone six feet in any direction. You will either hit another customer or a well trained salesperson who will bend over backwards to help you or find someone who will.I've been in two other stores nation wide, same thing. My local store keeps wheelchairs for seniors.My 89 year old mom gets treated better at Microcenter then she does at her physician's office.They will have a salesperson waiting for her with a chair at the door. Their security guy watches a camera for that.Did I mention the clean bathrooms?Even more surprising is that they work at remembering who I am, and often ask me what I think they should stock. When I'm there for work they bend over backwards to accommodate the university's thorny paperwork, and their customer management computer is second to none.RIP Frys, you saved my *** a few times on the road when I was an FSE, but you were more interested in checking my receipt on the way out the door then asking me what I needed.Long Live Microcenter!Steve

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 28, 2021, 05:35:48 am
content: Unfortunately the nearest Microcenter is a more than 18 hour drive from me so it's not really a replacement for Fry's.

author: LaserSteve
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 28, 2021, 05:47:19 am
content: Sorry to hear that. Next time I see Microcenter's regional manager, I'll tell him they should pick up a few Fry's locations.He's usually greeting customers at the local store.All I can say is they own their buildings and supply chain, have their own house brand for things like Arduino, and are very well ran.Its like stepping back into the 70s or 80s retail.. If your a Brit, think of your tech shopping being a real life "Are you Being Served ?" Episode, minus the screw-ups. Right down to dress shirts and ties on the sales guys.Hakko and Weller on tap. They do have web ordering, too.Steve

author: thermistor-guy
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 28, 2021, 06:02:00 am
content: I only know Micro Center through JayzTwoCents on YouTube, but they look like they know what they're doing.

author: Renate
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 28, 2021, 11:33:16 am
content: Quote from: LaserSteve on February 28, 2021, 05:29:15 amI think my count is seven. I really should have collected a "passport".Quote from: LaserSteve on February 28, 2021, 05:29:15 amAmen.Quote from: LaserSteve on February 28, 2021, 05:47:19 amNo! That would be the kiss of death. They're too big and wasteful.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 28, 2021, 11:43:40 pm
content: Quote from: Renate on February 28, 2021, 11:33:16 amThey wouldn't have to fill the entire space, it could be subdivided in many cases.

author: BrokenYugo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 01, 2021, 05:16:07 am
content: Quote from: LaserSteve on February 28, 2021, 05:29:15 amDon't forget the free coffee, at least at the Detroit area one a few years ago, vending machine by the service desk.But yeah, Microcenter is great, not only is it well staffed, but also they'll leave you the hell alone when you don't need them. I wish I was closer to one.

author: oPossum
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 01, 2021, 05:40:38 am
content: https://twitter.com/fry_electronics

author: Sal Ammoniac
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 01, 2021, 10:53:58 pm
content: Quote from: Renate on February 27, 2021, 12:07:20 pmNonsense. It's always been there. I remember old ham radio operators who wouldn't talk to kids back when I first got started decades ago as a teenager. Ditto for other hobbies as well.

author: Renate
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 02, 2021, 12:03:55 pm
content: Quote from: Sal Ammoniac on March 01, 2021, 10:53:58 pmIn ye old days QSL (magazine) always had photos of octogenerians teaching kids Morse Code or helping with equipment.When I was learning, an older stranger ham helped me.

author: Cerebus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 02, 2021, 03:31:36 pm
content: Quote from: Renate on March 02, 2021, 12:03:55 pmDo you mean an older ham who was strangerthanyou, or an older ham who was a strangertoyou?Those photos probably came from the same type of piles of stock photography that show every workplace to be full of shinny, happy, handsome young people who just coincidently represent every major ethnic group on the planet despite the fact that the group is too small in number for that to even be a remote possibility without contrivance.

author: SilverSolder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 02, 2021, 03:34:48 pm
content: Quote from: Sal Ammoniac on March 01, 2021, 10:53:58 pmIt depends on the individuals involved, I guess. I had great interactions with some adults, as a kid... but not all adults are able to talk to kids, and vice versa!

author: Renate
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 02, 2021, 04:06:23 pm
content: Quote from: Cerebus on March 02, 2021, 03:31:36 pmBoth, actually.

author: Sal Ammoniac
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 02, 2021, 04:20:13 pm
content: Quote from: Cerebus on March 02, 2021, 03:31:36 pmAnd as we all know, stock photography isalwaysrepresentative of real life.

author: Renate
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 02, 2021, 04:25:31 pm
content: Wow, she's tougher that I am!Still, choking up on the soldering iron gives you more control.

author: SilverSolder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 02, 2021, 04:46:34 pm
content: Quote from: Sal Ammoniac on March 02, 2021, 04:20:13 pmWhat's wrong with the picture - doesn't everyone hold their iron like that??

author: Pinkus
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 02, 2021, 04:50:28 pm
content: Quote from: SilverSolder on March 02, 2021, 04:46:34 pmNothing wrong with it, I do it all the time.But wait ........ she uses the soldering iron to pry out the Bios battery?

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 02, 2021, 11:25:02 pm
content: That picture makes me cringe every time I see it, there are just so many things wrong with it. Even the idiot behind the counter at Radio Shack probably could have told them how to hold a soldering iron and suggested something realistic to be pretending to solder with it.

author: Renate
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 02, 2021, 11:56:29 pm
content: I like to think that she knew what she was doing and was just razzing the clueless photographer.