Tune in each month for a heads-up on
where to get all of your “robotics
resources” for the best prices!
Stocking Up With
Surplus Electronics
Just because one person doesn’t
want it doesn’t mean it isn’t
valuable. That’s the case with surplus.
Simply put, surplus is excess stock
for resale. Sometimes it’s used,
sometimes it’s new. Occasionally, it’s
worthless junk, but very often, surplus
has a beneficial use to someone,
somewhere. And just as importantly,
surplus means the item isn’t being
thrown away in the trash, so it’s not
clogging up a land fill.
Why bother with surplus? For
starters, it usually costs less, often a
lot less — there are exceptions, such
as rare or antique items, but we’re
not talking about that kind of stuff
here. The downside to surplus is
limited selection and quantity. You
may not find exactly what you’re
looking for, so you have to be
prepared to improvise. And don’t
expect unlimited supplies of an item.
Surplus is often one-of-a-kind, or at
least restricted quantity.
You can find just about anything
at surplus — cars, jet engines, elevator
parts, you name it. But the kind we’re
most interested in this time around is
surplus electronics and related gear —
ICs, resistors, capacitors, small motors,
jacks and plugs, and just about
everything else you might need for
the average robot.
Where to Go for
Surplus
The Internet — and by extension,
mail order–is an ideal playground for
64 SERVO 07.2008
surplus shopping. We’ll get to mail
order buying in a moment, but before
logging into your PC, consider any
local surplus stores in your area. Don’t
have any? You’d be surprised at
what’s out there. Look in the Yellow
Pages under the heading of
Electronics. Sometimes you’ll find
what you’re looking for under a
Surplus heading, but these tend to be
military/camping surplus outfitters,
rather than electronics surplus.
Referrals are a great way to find
out-of-the-way businesses. If you
attend a local robotics or other user’s
group, ask members where they like
to shop. And when you find one
store, ask the sales clerks if they know
of others in the area that might be of
interest to you. Most are willing to
point you to the competition, since in
the surplus world, if one store doesn’t
have it, another one might. Customers
are gladly shared among the area
stores.
Local thrift outlets are another
good source for surplus. Many have
sections devoted to old electronics
such as TVs, VCRs, and radios. You’ll
need to do your own dismantling to
get at the parts, but for many, that’s
half the fun! Some thrift stores test
their electronic goods and charge
more if they are working; for
cannibalizing surplus parts you won’t
care if they’re working or not, so just
go for the cheapest you can find.
Odds are, even if your area
supports just a couple of nearby retail
surplus stores, you’ll probably rely
mostly on mail order to get what you
need. Many of the better online
stores are listed in the Sources section
that follows, but don’t forget to use
your favorite Internet search tool to
find more. Google, Yahoo!, MSN, or
other web search engines let you
find items of interest from among the
millions of websites throughout the
world. Add the keyword “surplus” to
the search terms to help narrow the
hits you get.
Keep in mind that the Internet –
and all mail order – is world wide.
You may find some retail stores that
are not located in your country. Many
businesses ship internationally, but not
all do so, and the added shipping
costs can all but negate the cost
savings of surplus. Read the fine print
of the website to determine if the
company will ship to your country,
and note any specific payment
requirements. If a check or money
order is accepted, the denomination
usually must be in the company’s
native currency.
Many surplus electronics outlets
sell a mixed bag of new and surplus
wares. In fact, it’s often difficult to
know what’s new or prime products,
and what is surplus. These stores
sell new products in order to keep
a stable inventory. What this means
is that the store may be able to
re-order some of the product, but
not others.
Remember that most surplus is a
“get it while you can” commodity.
Once it’s sold, it’s sold, and the stores
