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Where To Get Sets and Parts For discussions about swapmeets, rallies, NVCF and BVWS, car boot sales, antique and charity shops, dealers, newspaper adverts, the local tip and just about any other source of equipment (other than eBay). |
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4th Jun 2018, 1:57 pm | #561 |
Octode
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Fleet, Hampshire, UK
Posts: 1,765
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Re: Maplin stores
My local branch is not long for the world. They've had the "last few days" sign up for a few weeks now, very little stock left and 50% of the store cordoned off. Not sure why they're still open to be honest. Good for the staff I suppose.
I bought a component draw unit before I went on holiday as I wanted one for a souvenir, £30 but decent components inside (including lots of audiotechnica styli), not a massive bargain in my view but I wanted one. They only have one left now that's pretty sparse on parts and has 1 broken draw for £25. Good luck to whoever takes the name, at least if the site is redone (the old one was horrendous) and their focus shifts they may be worth a look |
4th Jun 2018, 2:43 pm | #562 |
Octode
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Belper Derbyshire
Posts: 1,936
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Re: Maplin stores
I think the Rugby branch has now closed. I went past it on Friday and had 2 days left displayed though the shop had closed early so this branch must have ceased. Not that there was much when I went in a few days prior to Friday. Just the 2 central isles available, the rest cordoned off.
Christopher Capener
__________________
Interests in the collection and restoration of Tefifon players and 405 line television |
4th Jun 2018, 5:35 pm | #563 | |
Octode
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Wimbledon, London, UK.
Posts: 1,465
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Re: Maplin stores
Quote:
Colin. |
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4th Jun 2018, 5:58 pm | #564 |
Octode
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Rotherham, South Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 1,724
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Re: Maplin stores
Doncaster closes next Monday at 6pm. Google says it is already closed....
Peter |
4th Jun 2018, 7:23 pm | #565 | |
Retired Dormant Member
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Chester, Cheshire, UK.
Posts: 5
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Re: Maplin stores
Quote:
When the Cheshire Oaks branch closed down they had a 7 day coundown in the window. |
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5th Jun 2018, 1:21 pm | #566 |
Nonode
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Gloucester, Glos. UK.
Posts: 2,150
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Re: Maplin stores
Went into Maplins Gloucester today while my wife went to the supermarket next door and picked up 3 big bags of mixed components for £3 a bag.
Bags were sealed so no idea what was in them so a big lucky dip really. Glad I did buy them as there are loads of hi fi gold plated plugs/sockets etc etc in that I would use . Bags said OVER 80% off . Lots of battery holders fuses caps allsorts. Only a few days left now until they close. |
5th Jun 2018, 1:40 pm | #567 |
Octode
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Fleet, Hampshire, UK
Posts: 1,765
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Re: Maplin stores
That's pretty good and well worth a punt at £3. My branch is only offering single value component bags like that which really aren't appealing and demonstrably cheaper from RS if you do
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7th Jun 2018, 11:56 pm | #568 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Ramsbottom (Nr Bury) Lancs or Bexhill (Nr Hastings) Sussex.
Posts: 5,817
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Re: Maplin stores
Maplin was mentioned on Question time tonight [51 minutes in] as an example of people going into the store and then buying on line, given today's news re what is [apparently] causing the potential death of the High Street! Unfortunately that very reasonable chap thought that punters exploited the "expert" staff before buying on line, which was probaly the only weak spot in his argumen. The whole program is available via "our" BBC I-Player and Richard Madeley does makes sense. I don't like smoothies but that was the OTHER Richard.
Dave |
8th Jun 2018, 7:04 am | #569 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: London, UK.
Posts: 3,687
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Re: Maplin stores
I can’t say I haven’t walked into a Maplin before, found something, looked at the price on a web site somewhere, gone pfffff rather loudly and left the shop and ordered it on my phone.
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8th Jun 2018, 10:00 am | #570 |
Octode
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Fleet, Hampshire, UK
Posts: 1,765
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Re: Maplin stores
Me also. Though sometimes it's a battle with one's self - "much cheaper online...but...want..for..project now....Grrr"
My recent trips after the closing down reductions have consisted of me picking up an item, searching ebay and RS etc and if any cheaper putting it back. Speaking of RS, they seem to have extended their deadline for next day to 8.30pm now - helped me last night when I was running some new cat 6 to my workshop and wanted to get a faceplate for today |
8th Jun 2018, 11:23 am | #571 |
Nonode
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Leicester, UK
Posts: 2,535
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Re: Maplin stores
Visited Leicester branch for the last time yesterday. Now has a sign on the door saying '5 days to go' so closure is imminent. There was nothing much left except for a few batteries and cables, leads and odds and ends, and rather a lot of resistor packs. Very sad.
Last edited by WaveyDipole; 8th Jun 2018 at 11:29 am. |
8th Jun 2018, 12:07 pm | #572 | |
Octode
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Southport, Merseyside, UK.
Posts: 1,156
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Re: Maplin stores
Quote:
John |
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8th Jun 2018, 12:57 pm | #573 | |
Retired Dormant Member
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Chester, Cheshire, UK.
Posts: 5
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Re: Maplin stores
Quote:
There is no reason why Maplins could not have had different store (get it now) and web based (get it in 1-2 days) prices. They certainly had some web only items. I pretty sure the debt that was loaded onto Maplins books was a much much larger factor in its collapse. |
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8th Jun 2018, 2:50 pm | #574 | |
Heptode
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Boston, Lincolnshire, UK.
Posts: 995
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Re: Maplin stores
Quote:
Alan |
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8th Jun 2018, 4:37 pm | #575 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Wiltshire, UK.
Posts: 14,007
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Re: Maplin stores
While on a trip elsewhere I passed the Swindon (Greenbridge) store today and popped in. Signs up saying "Last five days"...
Not much left: Loads of clingfilm-wrapped trays of plugs/sockets/connectors, but I don't think I need 100 F-connectors, 20 4-pin CB-microphone plugs or 20 3.5mm mono jack-plugs - even for only a tenner a time. They are still trying to sell 13a-to-IEC309 kettle-leads for £2 a time. Most people I know can't give them away. No SLAs or significantly-discounted AA/C/D rechargeables left. A few of their own-brand AA primary-batteries but still not worthily cheaper than Screwfix! They appear to have been clearing out the warehouse and got down to the Stone Age: there were quite a few things like analog-modem-to-BT-plug cables/adapters, plastic and aluminium "D"-connector covers, 9-to-25-pin D-converters, D-connector gender-changers, 10-metre-long VGA cables, some SCART stuff, as well as a VGA-to-UHF-TV modulator or two. How very last-millennium! As an epitaph for Maplin, I'm reminded of something I said to a friend after his relationship broke up. "Don't feel sad because it's ended: feel happy because it happened". |
8th Jun 2018, 5:17 pm | #576 | |
Dekatron
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 9,642
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Re: Maplin stores
Quote:
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8th Jun 2018, 5:43 pm | #577 |
Pentode
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Bedford, Bedfordshire, UK.
Posts: 174
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Re: Maplin stores
They were just £1 at the Bedford store and of the right angle variety which I often find useful. Also had those 4mm plugs that fit into the old wander socket for 30p I think.
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8th Jun 2018, 10:59 pm | #578 |
Octode
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Wallasey, UK.
Posts: 1,314
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Re: Maplin stores
Manchester Fort is now closed. On Monday I declined an offer to buy two boxes of large control knobs at 5p each, and bought six, only to find that I needed seven! By the time I got back on Thursday, they were closed for good.
For future projects I really will have to draw up a bill of materials well in advance. |
9th Jun 2018, 2:30 am | #579 | |
Hexode
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Northampton, Northants, UK.
Posts: 380
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Re: Maplin stores
Quote:
On the latter point; Wednesday I did a Farnell order. What I didn't realise that because one part (the ones I really wanted) were Liege (Belgium) stock, and the rest (not so urgent) were UK stock, they despatched the UK parts and put the Liege parts on backorder, which meant having to cancel them from the order altogether and reorder separately so they'll be shipped next day from Liege. "Next day" from today (Friday) being next Tuesday. Which does kind of bring up the issue of why these days everything still has this five day week and extra or not at all at the weekends and so on. But for now, the comparison is going to a shop and getting the thing in about an hour, or waiting potentially several days. Then sending it back because it wasn't quite what you thought you were getting, getting a refund, ordering again... |
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9th Jun 2018, 5:12 am | #580 | |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Biggin Hill, London, UK.
Posts: 5,215
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Re: Maplin stores
Quote:
Seriously, I hate mail order. In general they say they will deliver between 8:00 and 18:00. So you have to wait around all day for a delivery (which often comes middle of the afternoon, but of course you can't be sure of this). And there's nothing I do that can really be done while waiting, simply because you have to drop everything to answer the door for the parcel. I do not want to be interrupted while assembling some bit of machinery (particularly not if holding something against spring tension while trying to get the clip in place), soldering up a PCB, doing some bit of design work (where had I got to with calculating the value of that capacitor..), etc. Going to a trade counter actually wastes less time, I know where it is, I can design with calculator and notebook (paper, not computer) on the bus and know when I get to a bus stop close to where I want to be to not start the next bit of design. With the demise of Maplin I am seriously wondering where I am going to go for odd-size lithium coin cells, SLA batteries, Servisol, battery holders, etc. |
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