Radio Shack Bankruptcy 2015

[Threepoint]

IMO, they started the downhill slide when they started asking for phone numbers.

Hah! That was 25 years ago around here. I think they managed to offend most everyone with that. I actually remember thinking each time they asked, what a way to alienate customers!

 

[Pixguy]

Hah! That was 25 years ago around here. I think they managed to offend most everyone with that. I actually remember thinking each time they asked, what a way to alienate customers!

Yup and no one had a reason they needed it. The clerks just answered, I have no idea.

Zip codes, yea, phone numbers? No chance back then.

 

[Happy Gilmore]

I can still remember going there with my Mom as a kid and getting our first answering machine. It was a high tech Duophone with two tapes, one to record the out going message and one for the caller to record a message. It was big bucks back then I'm sure it was mid 80s. I always loved the store as a kid.

 

[2458n]

Been at least 10 years since I have been in one. Do remember the unpleasant check out questioning. They were in a position to own the computer market at one time. to bad.

 

[Jim Timber]

Went in one a couple weeks ago looking for a laser pointer. No dice!

They had super high prices on everything I looked at. I thought then "how are they still here?" I guess this thread answers that!

The phone numbers pissed my dad off something fierce in the 80's, but the changing focus from electronics hard parts to just another consumer junk kiosk over the last 30 years is what brought them down. Heck, we made jokes in HS (early 90's) about how they didn't sell anything useful anymore.

Mouser and Digikey is all I have to say for where my business went when I gave up on them 20 years ago. Cheap postage, excellent selection, and good prices.

 

[MossRoad]

Radio Shaft!

Trash 80 computer!

Maybe O' Schack!

 

[Bird]

I guess everything changes. My first computer was a Radio Shack "color computer" hooked to a 13" RCA color TV that I had for a monitor. It was a 32k model; they had just updated from the 16k earlier models. Then in the later '80s, I had a TRS 80 (most frequently referred to as a Trash 80) that probably gave me less trouble than any computer I've owned since. There was a time when I was a pretty regular customer, but not for many years now.

Of course I really liked Circuit City, too, and they've been gone now for several years.

 

[jimmyj]

No surprise here. I was never impressed with RS. Amazed they didn't go bust 10 years ago. I hope somebody picks up the pieces and employs the poor workers in at least some of the locations with a competing similar business (cell phone I mean).

 

[Deerherd]

A while ago I was shopping for an emergency radio with weather band and thought, "Gee, Radio Shack would carry that!"

Much to my dismay they had exactly 1 clock radio in stock with no weather band but I think it projected the time on the ceiling. Handy feature I'm sure for those too lazy or fat to roll over and look at the time.

Had a wonderful selection of phones and accessories though. The REALLY aggravating point was the sales clerk didn't get the irony of working at a store with Radio in the name and not having but one to sell.

 

[DFB]

I can still remember going there with my Mom as a kid and getting our first answering machine. It was a high tech Duophone with two tapes, one to record the out going message and one for the caller to record a message. It was big bucks back then I'm sure it was mid 80s. I always loved the store as a kid.

Haha that reminds of the time my ex fil got one of the very first "cordless" landline telephone handsets I have no doubt it was from RS. Anything electronic he always got at Radio Shack. He was so excited. Being a farmer he was always outside and never near the phone. So he took that with him out to far end of his garden and waited...for that call that never did come. It didn't work that far away. He was so mad he swore off electronic technology then and there. (probably doesn't even have a cell phone now. )