From: nospam@needed.invalid   
      
   On Mon, 11/17/2025 1:01 AM, Felix wrote:   
      
   >   
   > small computer shops are a rarity these days   
      
   The thing is, at one time they ran a regular shop, with stock.   
      
   The owner of the chain, won some sort of award for "a well run business".   
      
   Then, something happened... and the store no longer has stock.   
      
   *******   
      
   I think for some items, they were taking a screwing on price   
   and demand variation. The Chia HDD era, caused big shifts in   
   HDD prices. Some component types, the supplier provides support   
   for price shifts, so that the risk is reduced when carrying   
   the product on a shelf. But perhaps that has changed.   
      
   For example, the store carries deep stock of motherboards   
   and CPUs. On a CPU launch, the glass display cases in the CPU section,   
   can be filled from end to end. The stock of motherboard types, sometimes   
   that's assigned or created, by how the 20 foot and 40 foot containers   
   are packed (they pack a mix of motherboards, so you "sell" a mix   
   of motherboards). That part of the business has an unusual   
   health about it. Someone is underwriting the display of so   
   many boxes in that section, the store owner isn't doing that   
   on his own dime.   
      
   But carriage of other component types, I suspect there is no   
   support from the manufacturer, on huge price variations. And the   
   solution to that, is to not carry inventory.   
      
   On the ESATA cables, I'm referring to the ability to drive   
   to the store and pick one up on impulse. If I buy one from   
   Newegg, there could be shipping, if coming from USA   
   there could be customs/excise coming into Canada. I tend   
   to buy a "box-load" of stuff, when the need arises,   
   but I don't buy "onesy-twosey" online.   
      
   I could make a special effort for everything I need here,   
   but I'm not going to do that. You would be surprised what   
   items need to be returned, such as a fan Y-cable that was   
   mis-wired. When a 1TB WD Black, the motor didn't spin on   
   it (my very first infant mortality on a HDD), I dropped   
   down to the store and got an immediate replacement. No   
   fussing with cardboard boxes, tracing shipments, and stuff   
   of that sort.   
      
      Paul   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)