As the title says... who's going to continue the journey?
Very much a bummer, definitely the end of an era. I can't imagine how much the market has changed during their time. It sounds like Steve is just ready to move on. I hope them all the best.
Pedal DIY wouldn't be the same without tem, so many thanks for the years of dedication and help!
All the best wishes for their retirement!
I have read in the grapevine that Jon Cusack is talking to them, so hopefully he picks up the batton. Another fab dude!
Literally where will I get good knobs now? Small Bear was always my first stop for parts
Hopefully he sells it instead of just going away. They provide a great service
Quote from: cooder on September 22, 2021, 02:54:29 PM
I have read in the grapevine that Jon Cusack is talking to them, so hopefully he picks up the batton. Another fab dude!
I guess I haven't seen him in a movie in a while, this explains why.
Small Bear has been my enabler thru this crazy journey. This is really sad. Steve has done a ton for the community.
Steve was kind enough to call me last week to let me know. I was tempted to say something here but decided it would be better to wait. I cannot say enough about smallbear and what an incredible resource it has been for me and for all of you. There probably would be no madbeanpedals if smallbear hadn't existed. It's a retirement wholly deserved. Still, I has a sad.
With luck some of our other favorite suppliers will step in and fill the very large gap that's coming. Best of luck to Steve and the smallbear gang!
Man, what bittersweet news. I'm very sad for the DIY community but happy for Steve. It will definitely be interesting to see how this unfolds.
WTF
This is terrible news
Man, this is a huge bummer. Small Bear was always my first stop for obscure ICs, obsolete transistors, LDRs, all sorts of pots, and pretty much anything else you can't find at Mouser or Digikey. While Steve has certainly earned his retirement, I can't help but wonder who (if anyone) is going to take his place. Hopefully someone buys the business and continues it and we aren't left at the mercy of fake Ebay chips and Reverb scalpers charging $50 for a v3207.
Quote from: midwayfair on September 22, 2021, 04:17:02 PM
I guess I haven't seen him in a movie in a while, this explains why.
TWO DOLLARS!
I really wonder who's going to pass the baton for smallbear.
Should be BLMS? Merge with Smallbear? Or PPP/Smallbear
At least we still have Tayda
A lot of good switches came from Smallbear, especially for my VFE builds
Also, enclosures. If Steve is done, I hope at least someone continues the business
Man, the world is really ending. I am completed gutted by this news. I love small bear so much and going to miss that site, been shopping there for over 10 years now. I really can't live without that wire or those thin stomp washers and it was the only place I bought pots. Super depressing, what a shit year...
Quote from: culturejam on September 22, 2021, 08:20:36 PM
Quote from: midwayfair on September 22, 2021, 04:17:02 PM
I guess I haven't seen him in a movie in a while, this explains why.
TWO DOLLARS!
Perhaps one of the finest films ever made!
Didn't Steve announce that he was selling stock until it was all gone? If this is the case then I would expect that he may not be planning to sell off the business to someone else rather that he is just getting out of it. Still very sad for the DIY community.
Quote from: glops on September 22, 2021, 10:23:54 PM
Man, the world is really ending. I am completed gutted by this news. I love small bear so much and going to miss that site, been shopping there for over 10 years now. I really can't live without that wire or those thin stomp washers and it was the only place I bought pots. Super depressing, what a shit year...
This, this, and THIS!!!
Small Bear was probably the first place I ever ordered from, like 12 years ago. They will be missed. :-/
(https://64.media.tumblr.com/344ee2220cab07971addf1118285cd15/tumblr_mfec3ei3VB1qfqjxao1_250.gifv)
I am at a loss...if I hadn't learned that Small Bear existed from the first Indyguitarist mods book, I may not even have had the idea to go deeper into DIY, not just modding or doing kits but sourcing whole builds myself. Luckily I found out that Madbean existed around the same time, through a rather circuitous route. I had a feeling something like this would happen this year...
On the other hand, I wish Steve all the best and am sure he and his wife have many travels planned!
Quote from: Govmnt_Lacky on September 23, 2021, 03:43:38 AM
Didn't Steve announce that he was selling stock until it was all gone? If this is the case then I would expect that he may not be planning to sell off the business to someone else rather that he is just getting out of it. Still very sad for the DIY community.
Plan ahead, at least 10 years stock of build. Otherwise ask Steve where we can source it separately, like cables or carling switches
There are already a ton of things out of stock. I placed a panic order this morning to ensure I would at least have some JFETs and some EOL ICs. Also bought some wire, of course. Many things I wanted to buy are gone for good. I am sad too.
Feels like the end of an era.
I don't know where I'm gonna get my supplies! Really loved going to SB for everything even if it was a little more sometimes.
Also, the shop wasn't too far from where I live and they'd sometimes leave orders at a local copy shop down the street for pickup. That was amazing!
Quote from: alanp on September 23, 2021, 01:47:27 PM
Feels like the end of an era.
That's the really sad part. Folks like Lawrence and Cusack are doing a really nice job but Steve's was like walking into an old book store just because of the history and the cool nooks and crannies. My most tense order was early in the game when I etched and built GGG's Phase 100 and had to place an order for the Vactrols. Even early in the game they were pricey.
I've never gotten an item I was disappointed with from small bear. That's hard to beat
I didn't order from them very often at all, due to the high shipping rates. (When one lives in a remote ocean-bound country, one must be aware of these things.) But Steve was always, always good for obscure, out of production parts, and those parts were always, always reliable. Never any re-painted chips, and never any damaged chips, and never any parts that plain out didn't work.
Quote from: culturejam on September 22, 2021, 08:20:36 PM
Quote from: midwayfair on September 22, 2021, 04:17:02 PM
I guess I haven't seen him in a movie in a while, this explains why.
TWO DOLLARS!
You win the internet today! One of the funniest movies ever.
Quote from: EBK on September 23, 2021, 11:52:38 AM
There are already a ton of things out of stock. I placed a panic order this morning to ensure I would at least have some JFETs and some EOL ICs. Also bought some wire, of course. Many things I wanted to buy are gone for good. I am sad too.
I placed a very large order myself. I'm bummed there were no more matched germanium fuzz sets but at least I have a few good ones left. Mostly I got lots of wire, some mojo Si transistors and some other potentially hard to replace items. I expect I'll do another big order before it's all over for some EOL IC's, too.
Oh man, what a bummer.
I just placed a "oh crap" order. Wish I had more projects lined up. I'm sure I'm going to need something obscure as soon as they're gone :P
Quote from: madbean on September 24, 2021, 06:51:27 AM
Quote from: EBK on September 23, 2021, 11:52:38 AM
There are already a ton of things out of stock. I placed a panic order this morning to ensure I would at least have some JFETs and some EOL ICs. Also bought some wire, of course. Many things I wanted to buy are gone for good. I am sad too.
I placed a very large order myself. I'm bummed there were no more matched germanium fuzz sets but at least I have a few good ones left. Mostly I got lots of wire, some mojo Si transistors and some other potentially hard to replace items. I expect I'll do another big order before it's all over for some EOL IC's, too.
What EOL ICs are you looking for? Stock has already been diminished and many go-to chips are OOS already.
Steve Posted a nice letter in a post over in DIYSB.
https://smallbear-electronics.mybigcommerce.com/autumn-2021/ (https://smallbear-electronics.mybigcommerce.com/autumn-2021/)
The same letter is on the Smallbear website.
Quote from: alanp on September 24, 2021, 01:51:29 PM
https://smallbear-electronics.mybigcommerce.com/autumn-2021/ (https://smallbear-electronics.mybigcommerce.com/autumn-2021/)
The same letter is on the Smallbear website.
Ah, I hadn't seen it yet. I've been checking the website to see if he said anything about it.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Good time to buy vactrols if you don't like rolling your own. I wish Steve had more BBDs and compander chips.
Quote from: EBK on September 24, 2021, 02:38:30 PM
Good time to buy vactrols if you don't like rolling your own. I wish Steve had more BBDs and compander chips.
Check out cabintech. They've got a comprehensive selection and dirt cheap shipping.
Quote from: benny_profane on September 24, 2021, 03:16:08 PM
Quote from: EBK on September 24, 2021, 02:38:30 PM
Good time to buy vactrols if you don't like rolling your own. I wish Steve had more BBDs and compander chips.
Check out cabintech. They've got a comprehensive selection and dirt cheap shipping.
No counterfeits?
Quote from: EBK on September 24, 2021, 03:20:46 PM
Quote from: benny_profane on September 24, 2021, 03:16:08 PM
Quote from: EBK on September 24, 2021, 02:38:30 PM
Good time to buy vactrols if you don't like rolling your own. I wish Steve had more BBDs and compander chips.
Check out cabintech. They've got a comprehensive selection and dirt cheap shipping.
No counterfeits?
Nope. They're a US authorized xvive distributor. I've never had an issue with anything from them.
Quote from: benny_profane on September 24, 2021, 04:44:34 PM
Quote from: EBK on September 24, 2021, 03:20:46 PM
Quote from: benny_profane on September 24, 2021, 03:16:08 PM
Quote from: EBK on September 24, 2021, 02:38:30 PM
Good time to buy vactrols if you don't like rolling your own. I wish Steve had more BBDs and compander chips.
Check out cabintech. They've got a comprehensive selection and dirt cheap shipping.
No counterfeits?
Nope. They're a US authorized xvive distributor. I've never had an issue with anything from them.
That's awesome! Thanks for the info!
So what are ya'll planning on doing?
I seriously used Smallbear for all the hard-to-find stuff. Is Ebay basically the place we are going to have to use if it's not available from Mouser or Digikey?
I'm staying very far away from ebay. I'll use Mouser as much as I can. BLMS for switches and knobs.
I just looked back at my order history to see if there was anything in particular that I always ordered from there. Lots of pots and caps that tend to be out of stock other places but almost every order I've made had switches, optocouplers, and a v571.
Also, my very first order (way back in early 2017 ) had jellybean transitor and diode kits that I have zero recollection of ever receiving or using. Weird
Quote from: Aentons on September 24, 2021, 07:37:34 PM
I just looked back at my order history to see if there was anything in particular that I always ordered from there. Lots of pots and caps that tend to be out of stock other places but almost every order I've made had switches, optocouplers, and a v571.
Also, my very first order (way back in early 2017 ) had jellybean transitor and diode kits that I have zero recollection of ever receiving or using. Weird
Damn, I forgot 571s! They're gone :(
What are jellybean transistors? Sound pretty sweet ;D
Jellybean parts are stock standard ones that you can use in nearly any situation, like TL07x opamps and BC5x7 transistors.
Quote from: madbean on September 22, 2021, 06:24:26 PM
With luck some of our other favorite suppliers will step in and fill the very large gap that's coming.
The reality is, it's more likely that more suppliers are going to fold. When Tayda goes down...oh, man. Get out the gas masks and hazmat suits.
Quote from: lars on September 24, 2021, 10:33:24 PM
Quote from: madbean on September 22, 2021, 06:24:26 PM
With luck some of our other favorite suppliers will step in and fill the very large gap that's coming.
The reality is, it's more likely that more suppliers are going to fold. When Tayda goes down...oh, man. Get out the gas masks and hazmat suits.
Don't know about this. Steve's announcement makes it a point to say he retiring and that the business is still going very well. Plus the market has to be a lot larger than it used to be if it can support all the new places that have popped up in the past few years.
Yeah, this is going to be a big problem. Small Bear was unique in the sheer number of quality SKUs they maintained. I expect some of the other popular suppliers will pick up some of slack, but some of the more obscure parts may be more difficult.
Beyond that, Steve did a much better job of maintaining stock levels. Things would go OOS on occasion, but not nearly as frequently as other places.
I'm particularly concerned about pots. Small Bear was one of the few that carried all values across 16mm and 9mm. Plus, you could get quantity discounts by pot type/size, not just by value, which is how most normal distributors handle it.
Quote from: pickdropper on September 25, 2021, 07:26:10 AM
I'm particularly concerned about pots. Small Bear was one of the few that carried all values across 16mm and 9mm. Plus, you could get quantity discounts by pot type/size, not just by value, which is how most normal distributors handle it.
This is my biggest concern too. Nobody has the potentiometer selection that Smallbear has. They put mouser / Digikey to shame. Good luck finding those obscure double ganged pots without them.
Quote from: TGP39 on September 25, 2021, 11:15:21 PM
Quote from: pickdropper on September 25, 2021, 07:26:10 AM
I'm particularly concerned about pots. Small Bear was one of the few that carried all values across 16mm and 9mm. Plus, you could get quantity discounts by pot type/size, not just by value, which is how most normal distributors handle it.
This is my biggest concern too. Nobody has the potentiometer selection that Smallbear has. They put mouser / Digikey to shame. Good luck finding those obscure double ganged pots without them.
Not to mention that Mouser is significantly more expensive in many cases. When I looked at 9mm pots last week, the values they did have were 2-3x the price, even in very large quantities.
Most things like resistors/caps/etc Mouser is often cheaper than Small Bear, but Steve did a great job of leveraging pricing on hardware and passing it through with a very reasonable markup to DIYers and small volume manufacturers.
I know this will be an unpopular thing to say, but Tayda carries a lot of 9mm lots now and the few I've gotten from them have been fine.
I think the reality of this is that there is demand for a lot of this stuff and a couple of places will probably step up and attempt to fill the gaps created. There is a demand and I'm sure it will be filled. I'll be sad to not have smallbear, but my solder will continue to flow.
The only question is, how much wire to stockpile before he closes for good.
Quote from: matmosphere on September 26, 2021, 06:11:22 AM
The only question is, how much wire to stockpile before he closes for good.
I ordered three 50-foot samplers and I have a 50 foot spool of gray in my cart (wanted black or white but it is gone).
I have now placed 3 orders since Steve's retirement announcement. ::)
Wire is going fast. I had a spool remove itself from my cart because I wasn't quick enough to keep it.
Man, this thread is going strong. Never thought everyone is panicking in terms inventory. I guess we just need to give Steve a call and ask for source of the parts. In case in the future, we will order the parts. At least we know where to go. But again, if he's going to provide us with some directions.
I agree with pots concerns. I get most of my pots 16mm and 9mm from Smallbear. Mouser/digikey can't beat it. Otherwise I go over eBay but again it can be very tricky for the long run
Golden opportunity for Chromesphere to step up his webshop. (DIYGP at the top of the forum page, he's a good guy.)
Quote from: fair.child on September 26, 2021, 09:01:51 PM
Man, this thread is going strong. Never thought everyone is panicking in terms inventory. I guess we just need to give Steve a call and ask for source of the parts. In case in the future, we will order the parts. At least we know where to go. But again, if he's going to provide us with some directions.
I agree with pots concerns. I get most of my pots 16mm and 9mm from Smallbear. Mouser/digikey can't beat it. Otherwise I go over eBay but again it can be very tricky for the long run
It's not necessarily as simple as knowing the source. The real question is whether the source will sell you one or two of something rather than making you buy a thousand.
Quote from: matmosphere on September 26, 2021, 06:11:22 AM
I know this will be an unpopular thing to say, but Tayda carries a lot of 9mm lots now and the few I've gotten from them have been fine.
I think the reality of this is that there is demand for a lot of this stuff and a couple of places will probably step up and attempt to fill the gaps created. There is a demand and I'm sure it will be filled. I'll be sad to not have smallbear, but my solder will continue to flow.
The only question is, how much wire to stockpile before he closes for good.
I expect I am the outlier, but in my case, Tayda carries the wrong 9mm pots. They carry the PC mount right angle version and I prefer the typical PC mount, which is more difficult to find.
Quote from: pickdropper on September 27, 2021, 04:33:25 AM
Quote from: matmosphere on September 26, 2021, 06:11:22 AM
I know this will be an unpopular thing to say, but Tayda carries a lot of 9mm lots now and the few I've gotten from them have been fine.
I think the reality of this is that there is demand for a lot of this stuff and a couple of places will probably step up and attempt to fill the gaps created. There is a demand and I'm sure it will be filled. I'll be sad to not have smallbear, but my solder will continue to flow.
The only question is, how much wire to stockpile before he closes for good.
I expect I am the outlier, but in my case, Tayda carries the wrong 9mm pots. They carry the PC mount right angle version and I prefer the typical PC mount, which is more difficult to find.
Yeah, those are next to impossible to find for some reason. Musikding had a decent selection of them last time I looked.
Quote from: fair.child on September 26, 2021, 09:01:51 PM
I guess we just need to give Steve a call and ask for source of the parts. In case in the future, we will order the parts. At least we know where to go. But again, if he's going to provide us with some directions.
Someone on FB emailed Steve to ask about sources and he had this response:
"The vendor information and part numbers are part of my intellectual capital. What I suggest to customers who are looking for a new source is that they do the homework I did."
I was already thinking about asking about their source for pot dust covers since I use them for all my kits - they fit better than Tayda's. So this was pretty disappointing to see, since he hasn't given any other indication that he plans on capitalizing on his intellectual property (i.e. selling the business including supplier lists). Based on the information he's shared, the inference is that he's just going to leave customers stranded if they were dependent on parts that only SBE sells.
I hope it's just bad miscommunication on his part and there's more news to come. But SBE's relationship with the DIY community goes both ways. He's been a great part of it, legendary even, but we've also given him his job for 20 years, so this is not a great way to close out an otherwise impeccable career.
Quote from: aion on September 27, 2021, 08:36:54 AM
Quote from: fair.child on September 26, 2021, 09:01:51 PM
I guess we just need to give Steve a call and ask for source of the parts. In case in the future, we will order the parts. At least we know where to go. But again, if he's going to provide us with some directions.
Someone on FB emailed Steve to ask about sources and he had this response:
"The vendor information and part numbers are part of my intellectual capital. What I suggest to customers who are looking for a new source is that they do the homework I did."
I was already thinking about asking about their source for pot dust covers since I use them for all my kits - they fit better than Tayda's. So this was pretty disappointing to see, since he hasn't given any other indication that he plans on capitalizing on his intellectual property (i.e. selling the business including supplier lists). Based on the information he's shared, the inference is that he's just going to leave customers stranded if they were dependent on parts that only SBE sells.
I hope it's just bad miscommunication on his part and there's more news to come. But SBE's relationship with the DIY community goes both ways. He's been a great part of it, legendary even, but we've also given him his job for 20 years, so this is not a great way to close out an otherwise impeccable career.
Yeah, I can see both sides of this. Steve probably spent much of his time researching vendors and building relationships with distributors over the last two decades. My hope is that someone else will get to take over some part of smallbear and build on those contacts so that the DIY community can continue to have access to the things we want.
Presumably, his intellectual capital is for sale at the right price to the right buyer.
Quote from: aion on September 27, 2021, 08:36:54 AM
Quote from: fair.child on September 26, 2021, 09:01:51 PM
I guess we just need to give Steve a call and ask for source of the parts. In case in the future, we will order the parts. At least we know where to go. But again, if he's going to provide us with some directions.
Someone on FB emailed Steve to ask about sources and he had this response:
"The vendor information and part numbers are part of my intellectual capital. What I suggest to customers who are looking for a new source is that they do the homework I did."
I was already thinking about asking about their source for pot dust covers since I use them for all my kits - they fit better than Tayda's. So this was pretty disappointing to see, since he hasn't given any other indication that he plans on capitalizing on his intellectual property (i.e. selling the business including supplier lists). Based on the information he's shared, the inference is that he's just going to leave customers stranded if they were dependent on parts that only SBE sells.
I hope it's just bad miscommunication on his part and there's more news to come. But SBE's relationship with the DIY community goes both ways. He's been a great part of it, legendary even, but we've also given him his job for 20 years, so this is not a great way to close out an otherwise impeccable career.
I also hope that someone picks up the mantle and continues to provide to the DIY community in such a manner. That being said....
Many have depended on Steve for their builds and he provided an invaluable service however, I had done my research and that is why I probably placed about 4 orders with SBE in about 15 years.
Quote from: EBK on September 27, 2021, 09:01:14 AM
Presumably, his intellectual capital is for sale at the right price to the right buyer.
The issue is that the intellectual capital is only one part of it. SB carried quite a large number of SKUs, which is what made them special. It would require significant inventory capital to get it up and running. So, even if Steve wants a reasonable price for his intellectual capital, it will only get you part of the way there.
But there's another potential problem. The value is not just where Steve's buying from, but the long term relationships with the various vendors. If he's been a good customer for years, he might get different pricing than somebody new coming along. I have no idea if that's true or not, but I've seen that on many occasions IRL.
Bottom line,
it's hard to replace but since Steve is out and I just noticed the Facebook post. Most of the sources can come from Taiwan and building that relationships over the communication. I had experience building relationships overseas over test instruments business with Taiwan and China vendors. They are not easy to deal with especially dealing with customs and qty prices.
I hope we can overcome this issue as a community, not as an individual. Sometimes I really don't want to think about it but it's coming and reality.
What is the average we are spending here with Smallbear? $1k? $3k? $5k? For last time shopping? Share with me some insights here to help me justify in front of my spouse.
Quote from: pickdropper on September 27, 2021, 04:33:25 AM
Quote from: matmosphere on September 26, 2021, 06:11:22 AM
I know this will be an unpopular thing to say, but Tayda carries a lot of 9mm lots now and the few I've gotten from them have been fine.
I think the reality of this is that there is demand for a lot of this stuff and a couple of places will probably step up and attempt to fill the gaps created. There is a demand and I'm sure it will be filled. I'll be sad to not have smallbear, but my solder will continue to flow.
The only question is, how much wire to stockpile before he closes for good.
I expect I am the outlier, but in my case, Tayda carries the wrong 9mm pots. They carry the PC mount right angle version and I prefer the typical PC mount, which is more difficult to find.
CE distribution (distribution arm of amplified parts/antique electronic supply) sells the straight pin 9mm Alphas. I'm guessing they don't carry half the values that Steve does but it might be an option worth checking out.
Quote from: Stomptown on September 28, 2021, 12:31:18 AM
CE distribution (distribution arm of amplified parts/antique electronic supply) sells the straight pin 9mm Alphas. I'm guessing they don't carry half the values that Steve does but it might be an option worth checking out.
I didn't realize they sold these in straight pin. But you're right that they don't have all the values you'd need to build a lot of pedals. In linear taper, they have 10K, 25K, 50K, 100K, 1M. Not great, not terrible.
Quote from: culturejam on September 29, 2021, 06:28:29 PM
Quote from: Stomptown on September 28, 2021, 12:31:18 AM
CE distribution (distribution arm of amplified parts/antique electronic supply) sells the straight pin 9mm Alphas. I'm guessing they don't carry half the values that Steve does but it might be an option worth checking out.
I didn't realize they sold these in straight pin. But you're right that they don't have all the values you'd need to build a lot of pedals. In linear taper, they have 10K, 25K, 50K, 100K, 1M. Not great, not terrible.
It's definitely helpful, but not nearly enough values, unfortunately.
Reluctantly, I placed an order the day after the announcement was made about the retirement. Only place I could get the smaller chicken head knobs in the colors I wanted.
That was a week ago and still no word on what the status is. :-\
Unfortunately, this is why I hardly ever ordered from them in the past. Almost every order I placed I had to email them and "prod" them to get my items out in the mail. Looks like its time for another email :-[
Quote from: Govmnt_Lacky on September 30, 2021, 06:01:41 AM
Reluctantly, I placed an order the day after the announcement was made about the retirement. Only place I could get the smaller chicken head knobs in the colors I wanted.
That was a week ago and still no word on what the status is. :-\
Unfortunately, this is why I hardly ever ordered from them in the past. Almost every order I placed I had to email them and "prod" them to get my items out in the mail. Looks like its time for another email :-[
I expect that they are buried with final orders. I'm waiting on a big shipment as well. I'm sure they'll get to it.
I placed three orders since the announcement. I emailed them asking to merge the orders to save on shipping, and they responded the next day telling me the merged orders were ready for packing and would go out with the next scheduled mail drop. No automatic order status email saying that though. Generally, 14 days from my payment is the max I've ever had to wait for a Smallbear order to arrive. I'm fine with that, but I understand not everyone would be.
Quote from: Stomptown on September 28, 2021, 12:31:18 AM
straight pin 9mm Alphas.
My guess would be Cusack (StompBoxParts) might end up carrying these. They already have white label 16mm pots (in addition to Mammoth dead stock and Alpha) and 9mm right-angle pots. Could be worth sending him a message.
Quote from: EBK on September 30, 2021, 08:05:37 AM
I placed three orders since the announcement. I emailed them asking to merge the orders to save on shipping, and they responded the next day telling me the merged orders were ready for packing and would go out with the next scheduled mail drop. No automatic order status email saying that though. Generally, 14 days from my payment is the max I've ever had to wait for a Smallbear order to arrive. I'm fine with that, but I understand not everyone would be.
Meh.. This is not the first time. On a previous order, I waited about 10 days before emailing them and it was then that they told me that my order would go in the mail that day. Any others after that, I have had to email them a few days after the order to get them to act on it.
I deal with vendors on a daily basis for work so I know how it goes... unfortunately.
EDIT: I guess they saw my email. Got a shipping notice a minute ago :o
Quote from: Govmnt_Lacky on September 30, 2021, 09:34:17 AM
EDIT: I guess they saw my email. Got a shipping notice a minute ago :o
Great! It was about a week to get shipping notification for my last one which I placed the day Steve made the announcement, I think. USPS is slowing some weekend delivery according to what I read today. Not everywhere, but in some parts of the country.
Quote from: madbean on September 30, 2021, 05:18:25 PM
Quote from: Govmnt_Lacky on September 30, 2021, 09:34:17 AM
EDIT: I guess they saw my email. Got a shipping notice a minute ago :o
Great! It was about a week to get shipping notification for my last one which I placed the day Steve made the announcement, I think. USPS is slowing some weekend delivery according to what I read today. Not everywhere, but in some parts of the country.
As if the USPS wasn't going slow enough, new slow downs start tomorrow.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Quote from: Govmnt_Lacky on September 30, 2021, 09:34:17 AM
Quote from: EBK on September 30, 2021, 08:05:37 AM
I placed three orders since the announcement. I emailed them asking to merge the orders to save on shipping, and they responded the next day telling me the merged orders were ready for packing and would go out with the next scheduled mail drop. No automatic order status email saying that though. Generally, 14 days from my payment is the max I've ever had to wait for a Smallbear order to arrive. I'm fine with that, but I understand not everyone would be.
Meh.. This is not the first time. On a previous order, I waited about 10 days before emailing them and it was then that they told me that my order would go in the mail that day. Any others after that, I have had to email them a few days after the order to get them to act on it.
I deal with vendors on a daily basis for work so I know how it goes... unfortunately.
EDIT: I guess they saw my email. Got a shipping notice a minute ago :o
It's funny, we're in the same state, and in a couple dozen orders I've never had to wait more than 5 days from when I place the order to it being on my doorstep.
Maybe you're on someone's shitlist.
Quote from: midwayfair on October 01, 2021, 09:24:03 AM
Quote from: Govmnt_Lacky on September 30, 2021, 09:34:17 AM
Quote from: EBK on September 30, 2021, 08:05:37 AM
I placed three orders since the announcement. I emailed them asking to merge the orders to save on shipping, and they responded the next day telling me the merged orders were ready for packing and would go out with the next scheduled mail drop. No automatic order status email saying that though. Generally, 14 days from my payment is the max I've ever had to wait for a Smallbear order to arrive. I'm fine with that, but I understand not everyone would be.
Meh.. This is not the first time. On a previous order, I waited about 10 days before emailing them and it was then that they told me that my order would go in the mail that day. Any others after that, I have had to email them a few days after the order to get them to act on it.
I deal with vendors on a daily basis for work so I know how it goes... unfortunately.
EDIT: I guess they saw my email. Got a shipping notice a minute ago :o
It's funny, we're in the same state, and in a couple dozen orders I've never had to wait more than 5 days from when I place the order to it being on my doorstep.
Maybe you're on someone's shitlist.
Squeaky wheel gets the least?
Quote from: midwayfair on October 01, 2021, 09:24:03 AM
It's funny, we're in the same state, and in a couple dozen orders I've never had to wait more than 5 days from when I place the order to it being on my doorstep.
Maybe you're on someone's shitlist.
It is possible ;D
I have ordered from Steve about 5 times since I have been building. First order was quick! Every other order had to be followed with at least 1 or 2 emails asking when they will go out the door. And this wasn't like 1, 2, or 3 days after ordering. Usually waited about a week before emailing. Shipment always seemed to follow the emails though so maybe they just got lost in the shuffle. Or, maybe it was just because I wasn't a constant source of ordering?
Quote from: Govmnt_Lacky on October 04, 2021, 04:00:00 AM
Quote from: midwayfair on October 01, 2021, 09:24:03 AM
It's funny, we're in the same state, and in a couple dozen orders I've never had to wait more than 5 days from when I place the order to it being on my doorstep.
Maybe you're on someone's shitlist.
It is possible ;D
I have ordered from Steve about 5 times since I have been building. First order was quick! Every other order had to be followed with at least 1 or 2 emails asking when they will go out the door. And this wasn't like 1, 2, or 3 days after ordering. Usually waited about a week before emailing. Shipment always seemed to follow the emails though so maybe they just got lost in the shuffle. Or, maybe it was just because I wasn't a constant source of ordering?
It's probably because those chickenhead knobs are in the back of the warehouse on top of the shelf
Anyone ever get free stuff from Smallbear?
I got this NOS cap bonus bag with my latest order:
(https://i.imgur.com/IRZ4Ieql.jpeg)
This was probably the most I have ever spent there, so I was wondering if this is something they do for large orders, or if it has something to do with reducing inventory to speed up Steve's retirement plans. They did have an inventory glitch with my order, so maybe they threw this in to make up for not having everything I ordered? Anyway, it is cool and I'll probably use most of these.
They announced a couple months ago that they would be including NOS with orders for a limited time. This is from their IG:
QuoteFor a limited time, Bonus Bags! Any orders shipping Priority Mail will receive a random assortment of old stock capacitors. Quantities, types and values not guaranteed but I'm sure you'll find a use for them. Happy building!
I've got an order showing up today (not a very high-value one), so I'll report back on the cap inclusion! ;)
Nope! No caps, but it was a pretty small order. That or else he ran out...anyway, I was happy to have a chance to order from Steve one last time. Although of course there will surely be one more order before it's all said and done.
No caps for me as well. Although my order was only about $80 or so...
I have received two more orders after that first one (yes, I have placed five panic orders so far. ::)). No more caps. I think he ran out.
I did get a free bag of a hundred 1.5M resistors though, but that is only because they messed up and sent the wrong item (they told me to keep them for my trouble).
I just got a bag o' caps with an order. I believe you have to choose Priority Mail.
Bringing back this thread- with much gratitude to Steve and Judy we are happy to announce we have acquired Small Bear and the site is up and running for orders again. Our goal is to eventually restock everything that is in the Small Bear catalog, assuming supplies are available. We very much hope to see you back in the shop!!
Monika and Chris (synthCube)
https://smallbear-electronics.mybigcommerce.com/