You haven't lived the life of a late 90's bay area nerd if you've never grabbed your copy of Computer Shopper and hit Fry's, Weird Stuff and Central Computer in a single afternoon. With friends. :D

I did that exact routine so many times!

It's not really Silicon Valley anymore without Weird Stuff and Fry's.

Of course, the valley companies aren't really tech companies anymore either. Just adware wrapped in tech, so sad.

There are still quite a few companies in the valley doing actual silicon design. They aren't as flashy.

Early 2000s here but yes it contributed so much to my feeling that it was an engineer/hackers paradise. Now it’s all consolidated so much it feels like it’s just corporate. Hoping I’ll get the chance to find that sort of feeling sometime again in life. I hear shenzen is incredible for that since they still make stuff.

We did Costco hotdogs, with a soda, for lunch before Fry's/Weird Stuff ...

In the late 80s, as a student, we'd make a pilgrimage once in a while from Sacramento to the Bay Area just to visit Weird Stuff and Fry's.

Sac used to have an HSC! Anyone remember that? [edited phrasing]

Truth

Yeah, it closed several years ago. I think HSC is still alive, but changed its name.

https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/04/08/sjm-l-weirdstuff-0408...

HSC is gone too, sadly. The last surplus store standing in the Bay Area (I think - at least in the South Bay and Peninsula) is Excess Solutions in San Jose (http://www.excesssolutions.com/)

I think HSC was sold to ES

Yes, you’re correct.

If you’re just looking for electronics parts, Anchor Electronics in Santa Clara is still alive and (hopefully!) well: https://anchor-electronics.com/

Visited Anchor a few months ago, during the pandemic. They seemed to be doing fine, knock on wood. I left with everything I was looking for, and more.

Before that, I think they were mail order only for a while.

I worked across the street from Weird Stuff in Milpitas during the mid 90s. It was an awesome place to kill lunch time.