Tandy - childhood interests
Discussion
I used to absolutely love Tandy as a kid. Probably one of my favourite shops.
I bought various pieces of CB radio equipment from there, still on the subject of radio, I and also bought one of the best worldwide 'all band' receivers, a Realistic DX-394, and had many happy years as a kid listening to radio and signals from all over the world. Numbers stations, pirate radio, and all kinds of things.
I also bought DJ and music gear, and my first ever mixer as a teen was a Radio Shack 4 channel audio mixer and used it to DJ at school discos using a couple of Discmans plugged into it
My dream purchase was a pair of Jamo D365 speakers... the really big 'nightclub' looking ones. They were the stuff of dreams as a kid into dance music
Also had various electronic kits and stuff like that. Marvellous. Maplin replaced the thrill of Tandy to a certain extent, but most branches of Maplin now seem to be wiped out by online sales.
I bought various pieces of CB radio equipment from there, still on the subject of radio, I and also bought one of the best worldwide 'all band' receivers, a Realistic DX-394, and had many happy years as a kid listening to radio and signals from all over the world. Numbers stations, pirate radio, and all kinds of things.
I also bought DJ and music gear, and my first ever mixer as a teen was a Radio Shack 4 channel audio mixer and used it to DJ at school discos using a couple of Discmans plugged into it
My dream purchase was a pair of Jamo D365 speakers... the really big 'nightclub' looking ones. They were the stuff of dreams as a kid into dance music
Also had various electronic kits and stuff like that. Marvellous. Maplin replaced the thrill of Tandy to a certain extent, but most branches of Maplin now seem to be wiped out by online sales.
pocketspring said:
Lord Marylebone said:
My dream purchase was a pair of Jamo D365 speakers... the really big 'nightclub' looking ones. They were the stuff of dreams as a kid into dance music
My sisters' boyfriend from twenty years ago had the D365's. They were HUGH! 
pocketspring]ord Marylebone said:
My dream purchase was a pair of Jamo D365 speakers... the really big 'nightclub' looking ones. They were the stuff of dreams as a kid into dance music
My sisters' boyfriend from twenty years ago had the D365's. They were HUGH!
They were also sMy sisters' boyfriend from twenty years ago had the D365's. They were HUGH!
t! At the time I only had 1 pair of the Mach 2s but wanted 4 speakers so got a pair. They were crap compared to the Mach 2s, a mare found a pair of Mach 2s for sale so I got them and sold him the Jamos for the cost as way of reward! 
heisthegaffer said:
I worked in Tandy in the mid nineties and it was utterly soul destroying selling loads of things (remote control cars, hifi etc) in the run up to Christmas only to find a big queue of people outside when reopening after Christmas wanting their money back cos it was all absolute ste.
Tandy was only good for the components.
My manager at the time told me Tandy UK was the outlet for all the crap the US couldn't sell.
Was relieved to leave and work in a supermarket.
Tandy had lost their way by the mid nineties. But your manager was talking ste.Tandy was only good for the components.
My manager at the time told me Tandy UK was the outlet for all the crap the US couldn't sell.
Was relieved to leave and work in a supermarket.
t! A lot of the hifi gear was actually decent kit, mine is still working to this day.
_-XXXX-_ said:
heisthegaffer said:
I worked in Tandy in the mid nineties and it was utterly soul destroying selling loads of things (remote control cars, hifi etc) in the run up to Christmas only to find a big queue of people outside when reopening after Christmas wanting their money back cos it was all absolute ste.
Tandy was only good for the components.
My manager at the time told me Tandy UK was the outlet for all the crap the US couldn't sell.
Was relieved to leave and work in a supermarket.
Tandy had lost their way by the mid nineties. But your manager was talking ste.Tandy was only good for the components.
My manager at the time told me Tandy UK was the outlet for all the crap the US couldn't sell.
Was relieved to leave and work in a supermarket.
t! A lot of the hifi gear was actually decent kit, mine is still working to this day._-XXXX-_ said:
pocketspring]ord Marylebone said:
My dream purchase was a pair of Jamo D365 speakers... the really big 'nightclub' looking ones. They were the stuff of dreams as a kid into dance music
My sisters' boyfriend from twenty years ago had the D365's. They were HUGH!
They were also sMy sisters' boyfriend from twenty years ago had the D365's. They were HUGH!
t! At the time I only had 1 pair of the Mach 2s but wanted 4 speakers so got a pair. They were crap compared to the Mach 2s, a mare found a pair of Mach 2s for sale so I got them and sold him the Jamos for the cost as way of reward! Went into Tandys with my elder brother and his pre-school son. Outside they had an advertising board with the theoretical circuit of a transistor on it. The lad pointed to it and told me, 'Transistor, uncle.' It seemed so normal then. Of course a lad just turned 4 would recognise it.
Deranged Rover said:
I used to love Tandy as a kid and bought all sorts of gadgets there.
It still makes me sad that I went in with some birthday money once to buy a gadget only to discover it had just been discontinued and they had no more It was basically a small glitter ball cut in half that you put over the spindle of your record player and shone a light at, thus filling your room with sparkly lights as the record played.
Despite looking for one ever since at car boot sales, vintage audio fairs and eBay for the last 30 odd years, I've never seen one.
Oh crap.It still makes me sad that I went in with some birthday money once to buy a gadget only to discover it had just been discontinued and they had no more It was basically a small glitter ball cut in half that you put over the spindle of your record player and shone a light at, thus filling your room with sparkly lights as the record played.
Despite looking for one ever since at car boot sales, vintage audio fairs and eBay for the last 30 odd years, I've never seen one.
I spotted a fairly low end Japanese turntable on eBay last night that i have no interest in, but sitting on the platter is one of these reflectors I mentioned above!
I'm going to have to buy the damn thing aren't I?
Deranged Rover said:
Oh crap.
I spotted a fairly low end Japanese turntable on eBay last night that i have no interest in, but sitting on the platter is one of these reflectors I mentioned above!
I'm going to have to buy the damn thing aren't I?
Update in case anyone cares - I bought it!I spotted a fairly low end Japanese turntable on eBay last night that i have no interest in, but sitting on the platter is one of these reflectors I mentioned above!
I'm going to have to buy the damn thing aren't I?
HantsRat said:
I thought people only went to Tandy to pick up a radio scanner to listen to the local Police.
Until I discovered the RS catalogue I used to buy all sorts of components from there.I also bought a car stereo for my first car, a MK3 Escort from Tandy. It had a handle so you could take it out of the dash, but I used to just put it under the seat instead.
I used to love looking round Tandy in the 80's - sadly all i could afford on my £2 a week pocket money was a LED, maybe a flashing LED if i had cut the grass.
Edit - maybe i could of got 3 flashing led's:
https://www.tandyonline.com/doc/catalogues/Tandy-C...
Edit - maybe i could of got 3 flashing led's:
https://www.tandyonline.com/doc/catalogues/Tandy-C...
Edited by eliot on Tuesday 21st March 11:29
Lord Marylebone said:
I also bought DJ and music gear, and my first ever mixer as a teen was a Radio Shack 4 channel audio mixer and used it to DJ at school discos using a couple of Discmans plugged into it
I've still got a Realistic ssm-2100 mixer in the garage which I bought second hand at the start of my mobile dj career many, many years ago, I had loads of more modern, 'better' mixers over the years but never got rid of the old Realistic as it was a proper old workhorse that never went wrong.Gassing Station | Computers, Gadgets & Stuff | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff