Browsing Radio Shack Retro Tech Catalogs 1979-1991

Taking a look at some vintage Radio Shack flyers from 1979 and 1991! Christmas is approaching and my technology nostalgia level is high, so let's dive into some old school retro tech ads for Tandy, Realistic, and beyond.

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● Music used in order of appearance:
Uptown Bossa, Streetlight Conundrum 1, Not That Serious 3

[glorfification]

Back in the 80's, they had fake car phones, too, so you could pretend you had a car phone even if you couldn't afford one. I was so poor, I couldn't afford the fake one either.

[ShamusOGrady]

I don't know why looking through these as a kid was like looking through a christmas catalog every sunday. I miss it.

[GTA]

My university has hundreds, if not thousands, of these old computer articles bounded into books in our library. I love to look through them and see them all. It's free to the public too.

[Cristofre]

I loved Radio Shack as a teen in the 1980s. It was a magical wonderland for a kid with an electronics hobby. Then I got a job at a Radio Shack around 1990-1991- I didn't like it. We were paid by commission and we were graded on things like selling extended warranties (Tandy Service Plan) and getting EVERYONES address to put them on our catalog list. Man I just wanted to play with the electronics, not hassle people! Still, I did have fun from time to time. First time I used a cell phone was in 91- one of those old brick phones. This is really bringing back some memories.

[SueBobChicVid]

I would watch a channel dedicated to this sort of thing.

[TheAdatto]

When my grandma died i got her Yamaha stereo receiver and i still use it on my pc with 2 Kef speakers. Sounds amazing. Brushed aluminium. The remote shows the age but the receiver doesn't. Amazing sound.

[BitBrody]

Can we just talk about the fact that if someone got one of these computers brand new in '91, took it home, set it up, and wanted to play some games, they wouldn't be able to play Doom because it wouldn't come out for two more years? That kind of stuff blows my mind.

[AnimalFacts]

It’s kinda sad RadioShack wasn’t able to capitalize on the maker movement and make a comeback.

[MrJest]

The 79 issue is more my time in terms of nostalgia. I was 14, and my friends and I went to Radio Shack all the time to buy components and things for various projects. Usually CB radio stuff, but often odd things. Around the time the original Battlestar Galactica came out, I got a plastic model of the ship. Suddenly and quite randomly, Radio Shack started selling these fiber-optic kits. Boom!! Fully lit up Battlestar model!! It was awesome, and I couldn't have done it without the odd and random components they sold. Sad to see it go downhill in recent years...

[Caledon]

I miss RadioShack, that was the only place you could find electrical parts and components.

Sometimes you just needed an LED or a resistor or a spool of solder and you didn't want to pay for and wait for shipping.

[aserta]

You know that catalog is a relic of the past when you see the thick clips binding the pages... you could build a whole house with all that metal.

[SpegD]

You just gave me a huge rush of memories, man. My parents had huge ass wood grain speakers and a glass front case for their hifi setup. And the speakers looked even bigger to 5 year old me because they were set on wooden Molson crates full of cassettes. I'm in nostalgia overload here. Thanks, Clint.

[trippydrew]

These videos are fantastic! Takes me back to my childhood, scouring catalogues for the coolest shit going that I would never be able to afford lol

[TheRealMentat]

I miss Radio Shack. I miss being able to just walk down the street and pickup a resistor, or a cap, or an odd connector. Now it's order online in bulk, pay shipping and wait 3-5 days.

[ebayerr]

The silver faced 1979 Realistic STA-240 receiver was manufactured by Matsushita and branded as Realistic for Radio Shack. It is essentially a modified Technics SA-500.

[linksbro]

9:12
The Bible in two electronic editions, $200 each.
That's $400 just to read The Bible on a dot matrix screen.
Adjust for inflation, that's about $725 in 2017. What the actual hell.

[EngineHeadCW]

I'm glad that you pick up stuff like this, then present it to us with your enthusiasm. I dig it.

[doctorwhofan]

RadioShack is still around. Thier mostly a online business now but thier are some physical locations still out thier and in business. I actually got a retro style logo t shrit from thier website and I really enjoy it.

[SteveM]

In the UK 'RadioShack' was just called 'Tandy'

[Wythaneye]

4:06 That is a HTX-202 handheld. My first ham radio, I still have it, and it still works!