Embarassing story in China

[Hartono]

Today I went to the electronic parts market here in China, I was like a small kid going to a candy store, spent 4 hours browsing and buying things, then come the time to buy some resistor, this is my first time shopping there alone and only armed with my terrible Chinese language.

After asking prices for metal film resistors,I show them a list of 27 value metal film resistors , 1/4 watt , I asked them to prepare those for me and then I noticed that there's something wrong in the seller face, they asked me " All of this???, that's a very long list" I said,"yes ? is something wrong ?" knowing my terrible Chinese language, they just nodded and took the resistors for me.

They took the resistors one by one, and turns out total of 360 pcs, and when the bill come I was shocked.

resistors total price: USD 30 cents. (Chinese RMB 2 yuan)


I asked them about the pricing, because it's ridiculously cheap, and then the boss came with not so friendly face saying" ALL THIS IN THE BAG TOTAL IS 30 CENTS USD"

After I try to ask them to explain how other people buy resistor there,turns out that the people here buy resistor by hundreds for each value.

I said I'm very sorry to waste their time preparing that long list of resistors and turns out to be very little money, and promised them that the next time I buy, I will buy a lot more than that.

If I buy 10 times more it will still be only 3 USD.......arghhhhh

[Sonusthree]

I am very jealous!!

I wonder, are valves very cheap over there? They are not so 'mainstream' items but I'm interested to know.

[Hartono]

I noticed there are some valves there, some have RCA brand looks NOS, don't know have been used or not, and saw some KT 88, I'll ask the price when I go there, probably within this week (probably tommorow )

[poynton]

I may be going to china soon.

Where is this market ??

Andy

[ashok]

I was taken to a shop selling tubes in Beijing . I could not find any European numbers. Most looked like Russian numbers.
They cost practically as much as American tubes or tubes available in Hong Kong. I was very disappointed .
Maybe there are other shops .......

[Hartono]

"Where is this market ??"

most big city have one or more, I live in Da-Lian( 2 electronic market).

maybe the tubes is expensive, but sometimes we can find other interesting things.........

how about brand new mini scope 10Mhz for 120 USD ?

Hartono

[KP11520]

Hi Hartono,

Based on many threads I have read here, you should see if you can find any Philips CDM 9 Pro Transports. Rumor has it that they are all in China now.

Can you imagine how many friends you would make here on this site (not to mention all the other DIY sites), if you had a line on some of these? Highest bidder?

Regards//Keith

[Hartono]

Hi Keith,

probably in Taiwan, not China mainland

Hartono

[DJ Exprice]

Lol. 3-band or 4-band?



Missing the 4th band - no wonder they're so cheap. 20% tol. - I really hope that they're at least gold band

[Hartono]

today I went to the same store
turns out they make mistake one the pricing by factor of 10 !!!!
I buy, total of 410 resistors , not 360
for 3 USD, so not 30 cents , I pay the rest of the money.

they are 1% metal film resistors. still cheap for 410 pcs.