Robbies Electronic Disposals situated in Adelaide Australia has closed after more than 50yrs of trading in secondhand and new electronic parts and equipment. The final sale is being held on the 26th of July. I have been patronising Robbies for about 40 yrs. Selling mainly ex defence, telecom and medical parts and test equipment Robbies was a regular visiting spot for many electronics hobbists and radio amateurs. I built my first CRO with parts from Robbies and searched through a stack of Tektronics manuals 2 meters high for Tek453 manual. I went today but sadly most of gear that I was interested had been snapped in earlier sales. But still I saw unopened boxes of metal can BC108's unopened boxes of vintage wire wound pots values of 10,50, 100, 1k, 2k etc. plugs and sockets, capacitors, rotary switches vintage radios both mains and battery operated etc. Much of the stuff dating back to 40's, I doubt that there was anything there that was less that 30 yrs old. Upstairs (which the public was excluded from) an area about 500 squ.metres was mostly valves ( tubes in this neck of the woods), I heard that this section had been sold off in one lot. I struck up a conversation once with Robbies and he treated me to tour of area behind the shop, sheds and cupboards full of vintage gear and parts. Robbies was a one off shop and probably only one of a handful of such places left in the world, I can no longer go for drive and search through a box of rotary switches for just the right one or shelf of panel meters for that 200Ua 4inch meter. Much of the gear offered in the past was ex Gov. new old stock, much of the Philips valve factory located only a few Kilometres away ended up at Robbies. Robbie who was in his eighties and his vintage goldmine will be sadly missed. I hope that SAMG don't mind me linking to their page for some pics for those that are interested. It's a place that you really have to see first hand to get an idea of the scope of the gear offered for sale. I hope that I haven't posted this in the wrong section but this is the one that I lurk in the most, and as I purched my RCA VTVM and AVO meter at Robbies I'm figuring that this is the place.

pics are at http://www.adam.com.au/arem/robbies/index.htm

Thanks. Too bad is is or will be gone.

It sure would be nice to have one of those in southern CA, but the cost of doing business here is probably the reason there isn't one.

What about Apex or Murphy's Surplus? Both not far from you...

Where are Apex and Murphy's? I have never heard of them, and nobody else has mentioned them.

Apex Electronics is in Sun Valley. See

http://www.apexelectronic.com

Mostly parts and that sort of thing.

Murphy is in El Cajon. Military surplus and parts. See:

http://www.murphyjunk.bizland.com/

There is also Anchor Electronics in San Diego, but I haven't been there in 30 years.

Geoff, Thank you very much! I'll surely visit both.

By the way, anyone who hasn't visited Ford Electronics should, just to see the massive collection of old radios, including a Gilfilian searchlight and many other unusual sets:

http://fordelectronics.com/