Anecdote: A few years ago I tried to buy some 555 timer ICs from a local Maplin shop. I knew that they had a basic stock of components in a back-room (not on di

Anecdote: A few years ago I tried to buy some 555 timer ICs from a local Maplin shop. I knew that they had a basic stock of components in a back-room (not on display), but it took me nearly ten minutes to convince a shop assistant to even look for them, and what to look for. When he finally returned with a tube of ICs, he was amazed that such things existed and insisted on showing his find to some of his colleagues - like he'd discovered some lost relic. Never again.