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I also loved to read these catalogs when I was a kid. I never ordered anything, I didn't have any money!
by jdblair 3y ago
I also loved to read these catalogs when I was a kid. I never ordered anything, I didn't have any money!
- kennethrc 3y agoSame, and same!
- twic 3y agoSame. I remember reading one copy of the Edmund Scientific catalog from cover to cover over and over again. Solar cells! Magnets! Fibre optics! Kites! Jumping discs disguised as quarters!
- bluGill 3y agoThey are still in business, now called American science and surplus, but the catalog is still good and free.
- CamperBob2 3y agoThey're Edmund Optics now, aren't they?
- OldGuyInTheClub 3y agoAs far as I know, yes. The catalog is excellent as an optics ready-reference for useful formulae, optical and mechanical properties of materials, much more. They have their classic tutorial on old-school manual raytracing at https://www.edmundoptics.com/ViewDocument/Graphical%20Ray%20Tracing.pdf https://www.edmundoptics.com/ViewDocument/Graphical%20Ray%20...
- TedDoesntTalk 3y agoI grew up 10 minutes from Edmund Scientific. They had a retail store that was… amazing. The entrance had a real WW2 submarine periscope that kids played with. I’ll try to explain the Magic of this store, but really can’t do it justice. The back room sold surplus scientific gadgets and parts, as well as military surplus (some WW2)… none of the back room stuff was in the catalog, so it was extra special to visit their store. You never knew what you’d find, like a WW2-era military oscilloscope for sale. Or surplus giant glass lenses to try to make your own telescope. Or black lights. Or gas masks, giant capacitors, random IC chips or transistors, unknown electronic devices in random boxes or wooden shelves that looked like your dad built them for the garage. The front room was enormous and displayed everything in the catalog and possibly more. Everything could be touched and manipulated. Expensive items were in glass cases but clerks were happy to let you check them out. The retail store is gone even though the successor company occupies the same building last I checked. Any science-minded kid who grew up in South Jersey in the 60s, 70s, or 80s laments their closure, I guarantee that.
- OldGuyInTheClub 3y agoI appreciate your reminiscence. It is sad that places like this don't exist or are much fewer in number. They're like used bookstores where browsing to be surprised is part of the fun. I would occasionally schlepp to an electronics surplus store in the San Fernando Valley to look around. Even when I didn't have a project in mind I would usually come up with something based on what I saw that day and would leave with the needed stuff. I checked their website just now and saw that they had closed permanently a few weeks ago after 50+ years.
- ghaff 3y agoI believe you're correct. I won't swear there isn't a connection but American science and surplus is still sort of an old-school cool catalog.
- bluGill 3y agoSame company, they just have different names for different divisions.
- stevenwoo 3y agoI always lusted after the telescopes and electronic gizmos, a class above the weekly Radio Shack inserts in the Sunday papers.
- pjc50 3y agoI did this with the Maplin catalogues. The ridiculously futurist cover art by Lionel Jeans helped as well. https://www.workshopshed.com/2020/05/maplin-back-online/ https://www.workshopshed.com/2020/05/maplin-back-online/