2025-05-25
Got an email a few weeks ago - Marlin P Jones (mpja.com) is ceasing - has ceased - operations. I placed one last order. They were still sending a catalog out till recently, say. They were finding fewer excess inventories to buy. Much of their inventory was available from amazon.
Last week I got an email from sciplus.com - they started a GoFundMe in the hopes of getting financial support to move a warehouse and to update their software. They're half-way to their $125k goal. If sales aren't getting the revenue and you're doing a GoFundMe - that doesn't bode well. Shipping costs are way, way up. Part of that was justified by inflation, when fuel was $5 a gallon, but fuel's down to $3.50 (and really less compared to pre-inflation, pre-scamdemic dollars).
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This time of year, post-Christmas, I'd usually be going back and forth between the surplus supplier websites, loading carts, buying lots of stuff. The last years have seen some losses.
AEC closed this summer, the owners retired (50 years was enough, I guess), but there's an employee spin-off that's trying to get up to speed.
BGMicro closed a couple of years ago.
Goldmine is still around. And Marlin P. Jones is still around (with reduced inventory - where have all the open-frame linears gone?).
Jameco is still operating, but they aren't surplus. DigiKey and Mouser are still, strong of course, because they primarily serve industry, but they don't discourage individuals.
Dan of Dan's had retired, but after moving decided to continue from his new location. He has a small inventory - RF transistors and some interesting components.
I used to live in Santa Clara County. They had a few great surplus stores, peaking in the late 90s: the venerable Halted (HSC) and a spin-off called Haltek, Weird Stuff Warehouse, Alltronics and Anchor Electronics. I guess I should not fail to mention Fry's (not the grocery). I think Anchor is still in business, but the merchandise was all new, basically. Weird Stuff didn't last long. Alltronics went all on-line and then a change in ownership. I think they're on their way out. Halted has gone out of business recently, too. All that shook out after I moved away from there.
What's going on? My speculation: fewer small businesses with inventory to dump, less excess inventory because of JIT, lack of hobbyist interest despite all the Arduino (they won't solder and the thought of transistors and resistors are figured a conspiracy) and -- amazon.
