I miss electronics retail, even with its issues. Radio Shack had the Forrest Mims engineer's notebooks for learning electronics, and it was great to be able to drive down to a Fry's to pick up a component that you needed in a hurry on a weekend.

Shout out to Anchor Electronics in Santa Clara, San Mateo Electronics Supply, and of course Jameco, which are still alive.

I'm also lamenting the loss of SF Bay area electronics surplus: Weird Stuff, Halted/HSC, and the latest casualty, Excess Solutions. Is there any place left around here to find used/surplus electronics?