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Radio Shack to change its name ...

Sad when even Radio Shack is embarrassed to have "radio" in its name.

An earlier change fell through when Shaquille O'Neal pulled out of an investment deal with Tandy that would have resulted in a name change to "Radio Shaq".
 
For a fun stroll down memory lane, check out www.radioshackcatalogs.com

Has most of the catalogs going back to 1940. You can "flip" through all the pages! I find myself remembering particular issues and the products in them. Also lots of videos going back over 30 years.
 
MikeShannon914 said:
Sad when even Radio Shack is embarrassed to have "radio" in its name.

An earlier change fell through when Shaquille O'Neal pulled out of an investment deal with Tandy that would have resulted in a name change to "Radio Shaq".
Click to expand...

very nice!
 
Kind of makes you wonder, as an advertisement I saw today says you can order catalog items by calling 1-800-THE SHACK.
 
Ok Tandy changed its name to Radio Shack Corporation. What is it going to be now? Shack Corporation. or Sad Shack? Shack in the Box?
 
McDuff's, Video Concepts, Incredible Universe, "The Repair Shop at RadioShack", Computer City, putting RadioShack kiosks in Blockbuster stores thinking they'd make money selling batteries and cell phone accessories to people renting videos, all attempts by RSH that failed miserably. Where the Incredible Universe stores were are now successful Fry's Electronics stores. Circuit City tried appealing to a younger "hip" market with "The City" and that didn't go too well. "The Shack" is just a nick-name they are promoting btw... they said the corporate name won't change. I think they should have gone with "Tandy Electronics" a long time ago. When they dumped carrying amateur radio equipment 10 years ago the "radio" in the name became less significant unless you include remote control toys and cell phones as RF devices.

http://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/

Pretty cool web site that has archived old Radio Shack catalogs back to 1939. I bought my first turntable at Radio Shack in 1967, a Garrard Lab 80 Mk II with a Pickering ATE-2 cartridge when they sold different brands of component stereo equipment.

Oh well, so it goes.
 
Megapsycle said:
When they dumped carrying amateur radio equipment 10 years ago the "radio" in the name became less significant unless you include remote control toys and cell phones as RF devices.

http://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/

Pretty cool web site that has archived old Radio Shack catalogs back to 1939. I bought my first turntable at Radio Shack in 1967, a Garrard Lab 80 Mk II with a Pickering ATE-2 cartridge when they sold different brands of component stereo equipment.

Oh well, so it goes.
Click to expand...

It's sad to flip through those old catalogs and see how much RS has devolved over the years. My first good stereo was a set built around their Realistic STA-90 45 watt receiver in 1977. It was built for RS by Sansui and built tough like army equipment. Though the speakers, cassette deck and turntable died years ago I still have it, and it still works.

To me the turning point is when RS introduced those wretched Trash-80 and COCO computers in the early 80's. After that the quality of their stereo gear went downhill. By the 90's I'm surprised they didnt call it "Phone Shack"..
 
Contrary to Popular belief, "the Incredible Universe" was a brilliant idea based on The Las Vegas Electronics Consumer show held each year. The concept was basically come in try out the products ( they had three comfortable inside theatres that showed full length movies on VHS and the then "laser disc" with fare like "Apollo 13, Forest Gump, Star wars, etc....all free!) One them was a complete Bose theatre..that was waaaay cool. There were many contests on weekends to win a TV, a home theatre, refrigerator,plus tie ins with local media. Entertainment was provided, Pizza inn and "Galagaskins" The Arlington store made the most in profits ,followed by Portland Oregon, then Garland,Texas.The problem was ,greed.they expanded too rapidly into Columbus Ohio, Atlanta, Houston, Orlando,Denver, San Diego, without shoring up each store to stand alone. Arlington for example paid the bills of Garland, and Atlanta. The concept was great,The Tandy management was stupid. For a footnote :The guy Brian Levy was the Corporate head of Incredible Universe, when it folded he went to Levitt's furniture same position, You know what happened to them,then for a grand finale' He got the same role at Sanger Harris. We all know what happened there too.
 
Megapsycle said:
http://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/

Pretty cool web site that has archived old Radio Shack catalogs back to 1939. I bought my first turntable at Radio Shack in 1967, a Garrard Lab 80 Mk II with a Pickering ATE-2 cartridge when they sold different brands of component stereo equipment.

Oh well, so it goes.
Click to expand...

Yeah they had some cool products in years gone by. One of my favorites was that little hand held cassette tape rewinder. Not the battery powered kind, but the one you crank a wheel by hand and it rewinds the tape. I know it's a trivial item today, but I had fun with it as a kid. ;)
 
Megapsycle said:
When they dumped carrying amateur radio equipment 10 years ago the "radio" in the name became less significant unless you include remote control toys and cell phones as RF devices.
Click to expand...

I don't recall them ever selling amateur radio equipment, even going back to the 70's.

CBs, maybe.
 
oldmanradio said:
to The Shack ...

Just another example of how far radio has sunk.
Click to expand...

And yet...at the same time, Pandora has ADDED "radio" to its name. Pandora is the ultimate in hipness. And they wave the radio flag proudly. Lots of other similar audio services, like NoShoesRadio, and various radio cell phone apps, have launched recently.

This change has nothing to do with radio, but the reality that this particular store doesn't specialize in radios. Their cell phone department is bigger than the radio department.
 
TheBigA said:
This change has nothing to do with radio, but the reality that this particular store doesn't specialize in radios. Their cell phone department is bigger than the radio department.
Click to expand...

Good point.

What has hit Radio Shack is that the parts and supplies business that paid the rent has dried up. Nearly nobody makes home electronic projects now. In the 60's, there were a half dozen well circulated magazines for experimenters and hobbyists. THe same happened in personal computers... the screwdriver shops are almost all gone and the 3-pound issues of Computer Shopper disappeared a decade ago... we buy computers at incredible prices, and get new ones when they come out. Both of these things affected Radio Shack.

And don't get me started on the $90 HDMI cables. And the annoying check of address and ZIP code that kept me away for years...
 
TheBigA said:
oldmanradio said:
to The Shack ...

Just another example of how far radio has sunk.
Click to expand...

And yet...at the same time, Pandora has ADDED "radio" to its name. Pandora is the ultimate in hipness. And they wave the radio flag proudly. Lots of other similar audio services, like NoShoesRadio, and various radio cell phone apps, have launched recently.

This change has nothing to do with radio, but the reality that this particular store doesn't specialize in radios. Their cell phone department is bigger than the radio department.
Click to expand...
 
Dang... two more punches in my card, and I get a free battery!
Do they even carry batteries any more?
(I'll never forget my brother cutting one of their 'd' cells open and finding an 'aa' inside!)
I recall a recent visit to 'Radio Snack', looking for some components or connectors, and not finding them. Guess the name change makes sense, since they no longer want my business.
And yeah, a $90 hdmi cable... No thanks.
 
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