Ordering parts onesie twosie

I could see the writing on the wall when the local independent electronics parts supplier (Norvac) closed in the 90s. That left mail-order or Radio Shack, but the smaller stores who had very limited inventories. I still have my portable all-band radio that I bought around that time. It cost, IIRC, somewhere around $200. I listened to the BBC World Service a lot during that time. I remember first hearing about 9/11 on the WS. Now, of course, who listens to shortwave broadcast radio? The Internet has killed off a lot of things, broadcast radio and TV among them. Local electronics part suppliers seem to just be collateral damage. You do what you have to using the best available resources. Sadly, local manufacturers and suppliers are no longer options. --Chuck